New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
MESMERISM IN PARIS.
THE POLICE GIVE PROMINENCE TO AN
ALMOST FORGOTTEN SOCIETY.

The police interference with the Mesmcrist
Society has acted first-rate advertisement
for that body. AS its name indicates the Mes
merst Society goes in the track of the dlscovercr
of animal magnetism who was the lion Of Paris
a short time previous to the French Revolution.
The storms which subsequently burst in rapid
succession over Europe caused Mesmer to he
forgotten, until the elder Dumas cast halo
round him in three of his best novels. But if
he lived in romantic fiction, he was ignored by
all the faculties of medicine. In 1889, however.
a Mesmerist Congress was held in Paris. It's
chief promoters were Comte de COnstantin and
Doctor Gerard. Colonel Rochas scientific pro-
feseor at the EcOle Poytechnique, then came into
the idea of seeing what there was behind the
claims of Mesmer and if they bore examination
OF becoming his disciple. The Congress was
success A regularly constituted society sprung
out of it and now contains forty members "A
sculptor named Altar lent his studio in central
part Of the town to the Mesmersts TO hold their
meetings, and Joined them The object of the
society, apart from the cult of Mesmer, was to
heal the sick. They held that the Author of
Christianity was IA mesmcrist, but had not given
the world formula whereby to guide it in heal
ing by means of human magnetism. One of
the statutes forbids members TO take money
from sick people who come to them to be healed
according to the Mesmeric mode. These Mes
merists differ in theory and practice from hypnot-
lists of the medical schools of Paris and Nancy.
They claim to have left Charcot and Lhuys far
behind This is what NJ. Altar has said to me
on the subject
I'VE are magnetsts and exercise no dcspotism
over the subject. Charcot and Lhuys
proceed by paralyznG the brain. The last state
therefore of their patients is worst than the first
Il will elucidate what | say by example.
Doctor Lhuys ordered soldier hypnotized by
him to go and make love to his coonels WIFE
When the poor man awoke out of his hypnotic
sumber he was terrified at what he took 10 pe an
irresistible desire, and one which he knew must
lead to certain ruin if INDUCED in. But he
went forward to obey the operator who had
paralyzed his brain TO get hold of his WILL An
other famous hypnotist said to a patient whom
he knew to be perfectly honest. 1 command you
TO steal the watch of NJ. Such-a-one tomorrow
at 3 o'clock This order was punctuaUy opeSeo'
II is possible that he had forbears VINO were
thieves and that latent instinct was revived
and hence his obedience. Nevertheless the power
exercised by the hypnotist must have ln]uTu 'ne
subject by diminishing his free Will ana as COLI
sequence his moral nature
asked NJ Altar, " Do you operate on waking OF
sleeping subjects
.On both. We prefer the subject to remain
awake"
Does he always remain lucld
ALWAYS This is why no harm comes OF what
we do. No bad consequences were ever fecorue"
and could not be- for we. | repeat. never seek 10
cot hold of the will by parayzlng the praih'
1barcots subjects often leave his hands out oil gear
,detraoues) They stay for weeks or even ioi
montbs stultified They are waterlogged NUNS
7 knew of one who was under tharco's spo" ~,
six months after she had left the Saipe''lerc anu
CON. 70 live in London. Our system gives rise 10
On extraordinary power of introspectloh' Inc
sI.erinc subject sees within himself lie Is an
,,,.Lefulne,s in regard TO his inner being. lhis
sr1,.rdness WAS an astonishing phenomenon 10 US
when we were not used to IL.
"Can every patient asked, give '"c'' u'"s-
noss of his state 7" =, ann III.
:. According 10 nv experience he can i"e
-..,n,noss 90 the diagnosis is marvellous. "ne"
:, = o;ven the medical treatment based on IL MYTHS
that is if human magnetism is po"eii''"
ia there anything else reniarKape 'ha' 'ou Wv"
tell me?" o. Co,ore, Rochas
Yes We arc guided by what Ooioiiei 'oe.",
forms eyternalness teNtcIiortei. Ihere l. q" -.
medium Of conductibiity common 10 "i''
..o,inn s n give the sense Of what those near Us
do IN G
ao on the scientific method OF not a'iv"ins
Al o. influence my Judgment Will ho'
e"S ',,,nost that much that puzzles in the cohouo'
~ 49, may no due to this eXternalhcSs Inv
" I'D tho selfish draw TO themselves h'o''
.,,a;r share of the universal medium iorn'i"S
.,r,an. This is why weak persons oi'."
.-rossod and overpowercd or headachy III INC 'o'l'
~ =, o,bers in robust health ana vi ""es inP
go ra Msnostions. Through human m'shc''n''
~ sans;hlitv both of operator and supJe'' o'n "
,,.a s;multaneously. The enveloplhs iii'
.,.,nno ~ the one fuses with that 81 INC ''i''
porhans il would be more exact 10 Bay .",' ,,.si
;r,o contact The operator NAV ara" "o -,
al eakness from which the enpIec' II ' ,,,
h;,,solf The sensibility OF the saoJeo' 'E
hocone so keen that if you make WIN p -
o..,ure Of prodding him at yaruS "IS'' n'S .i,o
IN 90, u Colonel Rochas Is trying 10 "n' Wv
,ou, NJ this phenomenon. Inc hNPo,n''' 49,.
,uce from the effects have been dcscfioi''s -
,,;s Evervwhere in nature doupie WIN
:,,,- IN Coils are assimila'ing or oiso'
rr,o double action interlinks all oiga'''"
II weakling the work OF dlsorsa'i'na'i'" ~
-. ,han than of assimilation. IL Su ing =,
on,crs into sympathetic remuohs VIZ" o,;n
scnds a vitalizing current To hlln 'la' "a aorr.
-. ros,,res the balance. An orator. I" carry
away his audience, must ne i'ns o,d ,,orsops
IL with good reason that we dislike cola ~So
and dry sticks" They are .ne ,h u,, NAME
~ao,,e or at any rate those who keep their imagine
tisln to themselves. - ...ot and man.
" Altar is person Of CHEEKY aspect anu III ,n" -
W. -d decidedly a magnetic man. he 10
lieut. the height and figure OF "ai'e' ",'ad
and reminds of him. As nc 1sihe ~; e 600 and
80 at a figure in pipeclay Win 'hc eIse
800 touch that experience gives