The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-29

VINO Lave Investigated Hypnotism.
How ,largely European thought has
turned toward the subject of hypnotism
is shown by the fact that there are two
schools and half dozen societies devoted
exclusively to its study, scientific Jour
nal published monthly in Paris upon it's
progress, and Mt least fifty prominent physi-
clans and scientists who are making it
special field of investigation. Since 1885
forty-six books have been written Upon it,
SO that hypnotism can he truly said to
have quite goodly literature of it's own.
AS America has caught the contagion OF
research it is more than probable that the
next decade will see the figures mentioned
largely increased by American societies,
newspapers and literary work
That people could be put into trance or
artificial sleep has been known for centu-
rics. In tho east rs far back as 500 =. C.
fakirs have practiced the Same tricks as
are being tried today by the physicians of
Europe and America. Both Hindoo and
Chinese writer's of that time referred to
these curious psychological experiments in
very much the same manner as the daily
papers do to DR.. Charcot at the present
time. According to DR.. Bjornstrom, n
leading Swedish physician and author,
there is n sect in Egypt that has practiced
bypnotism for forty centuries, and to cap
the climax, au enthusiastic New York The
osophist claims that the deep sleep into
which Adam was thrown Mt the time of
Ewes creation was merely a case of mes
meric sleep.
Hypnotism made no great impression
upon the European mind until the begin
ming of the Eighteenth century, when in
the province of Dauphne, France, the en-
tire population went crazy on the subject
AT one time not less than 10000 people of
that district imagined that they were
prophets directly inspired from heaven.
From that time OH there has been an unin-
terrupted line of hypnotizers and hypno-
tized amateur and professional, genuine
and fraudulent.
Only in the latter part of the Eighteenth
century was there any attempt made to
explain the phenomena from scientific
standpoint. Before that time they were
regarded as the manifestations of good
spirits CIR of devils. In 1713, for example. q
famous cX-monk known as Father Gass-
ner, established n spiritual sanitarium in
Regcnsburg, where he is said to have
drawn around him 10000. His treatment
was simplicity itself He would mesmer-
ize his patient until the latter went into
commissions. This showed conclusively di-
abolic possession and was considered al
most miraculous by his followers By re-
storing the patient to consciousness he was
believed to have exercised the devil md
effected 4; cure
This curious field was first brought into
the highest prominence by the celebrated
Swiss physician, DR.. Friedrich Mesmer
A strange combination of discoyerer and
quack, of brilliant intellectual powers and
deficient moral qualities, he kept Europe
In a turmoil from about ITO to 1855. The
mere fact that the words mesmerize md
lnriC ,,,l L. q,
dured the wear and tear of more than
century bears witness to the power of
the mans personality.
The expressions animal magnetism and
personal magnetism were his creations
and are as much in vogue today as in his
luxurious parlors on the Place Vendome
He seems to have known p r. Barnum,s
great principle that human nature loves
to be humbugged and will pay for it pro-
portionately." for the few scientific truths
which lie apprehended were SO weighted
down with charlatanry and mummery of
the idlest kind rs to escape the attention
of the scientific world of his time.
Though denounced by such men MS
Franklin, Lavoisier and Bailly, and in
after years neglected and forgotten bv the
people whose idol he once was he did n
great work for the race despite the dis
honest surroundings under which it was
conducted, for after all modern hypno
tlsm Is nothing more or less than mes
merism. In creating the new name sci.
entists hive only beaten about the bush.
Mesmcr was followed by the notorious
impostor Cagliostro, by d'Eslon, Marias
and. greatest, the Marquis de Puysegur.
The last named had strong scientific
bent and early called attention to mes
meric features which Heretofore had been
overlooked. He was undoubtedly the first
10 give careful study to those phenomena.
which for lack of better words we sum mn
and Indicate by such clumsy terms as SOM
nambulism, clairvoyance, cairaudiencc.
mind reading, thought transference. will
control and the like.
Since his time comparatively little new
and original work has been done in this
field of research, but an immense amount
has been accomplished in studying details.
ascertaining conditions and classifying
phenomena. 1t will probably surprise the
reader to know that over 300 large volumes
have been written upon the subject by sci
entiiic men of high standing and that the
work goes steadily on. Among the more
eminent Investigators may be mentioned
DR.. James Braid, DR.. Hack Tuck and DR..
Ireland, of England; the late DR.. George
n. Beard, DIR. Grimes and Dr. William +.
Hammond, of the United States; Baron
Won Reichenbach, Dr. Preyer and Profess
sor Weinhold, of Germany; Professor
Hansen, of Denmark; DIR. Bjornstrom, of
Sweden; Professor Azam, DIR. Broca, DR..
Liebault, Professor Richet, and, last in
point of time, but one of the greatest in
talent, Professor Charcot. the neurologist,
of France.
When person is hypnotized he may be
in any one of three states-the cataleptic,
the lethargic or the somnambulistic. In