The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-20
LEGAL HYPNOTISM NOW.
BILL PERMITTING ONLY REGULAR
PHYSICIANS TO PRACTICE 1T.

PHYSICIANS TO PRACTICE 1T.
There Should Always Be the Presence
Of q Reliable Witness-The Death
Trance" to Save Life-Evils That Nav
Come From approximations Re,
markable Cases.
NEW YoRK, March 19.-Wm the bill
pass that has been introduced in the New
York legislature to prohibit hypnotism by
any other persons than regular physical ms ,
1t may be assumed that the real purpose of
the measure is to protect the revenues of
the regular physicians, who are disgruntled
by the thriving practice of some Of the
magnetic healers." At the same time, for
once, the interests Of the doctors and of the
community are in harmony. UnhappiIy,
even the restriction proposed will
nos afford any satisfying assurance
that the mysterious and terrible power
now known as "hypnotism" will be confined
to those capable Of welding it intelligently
aud worthily. But it will, at all events,
diminish the scope al potentiality for mis-
chief. Legal restrictions upon the practice
of hypnotism already exist in Italy, Aus
Hlh1 ohAbENA AdnQs DeDIudTk, bSlRiun.
France and other European countries, and
must certainly be imposed everywhere,
when the real necessity for them is duly APP
preciated. The present trouble is that this
physc force is Ignorantly underestimated
by very large proportion OF the public,
who. seeing that many so-called Hypnotic
eTs" and 'mesmeris's" are cbarlatans, and
notla few magnetic heaIers'' merely i'm
pudent frauds, hastily assume that "the
tphNlo huSi Ia hum nd
Not many generations ago electricity was
popularity regarded in much the same way.
Intelligent persons who keep themselves in
formed upon the progress OF science 10 this
age Of mental activity will not make this
mistake. They comprehend that there are
IN hypnotism immense dangers, be th imme-
date and ultimate, for the persons sub
jected to this influence and for the commu-
nifty as well through the irresponsible actions
Of such persons under unworthy con-
troll Hypnotism-which is simply the
scientific modern name for ''animal
magnetism" enables the ''opera-
tor" to dominate absolutely the will, men,
DRY. moral perceptions, senses and even the
physical being of the subject All this
has, by myriad scrupulously conducted
tests, been demonstrated beyond the possi-
bility of doubt. Well, therefore, might the
eminent DR.. c. @. Ran, In his great work
on Psychology" offer the warming that
mo one should allow himself to be mesmer-
lied unless for a good and noble end, and
not for mere play to pass time and under
no consideration without the presence
of q reliable witness" And this
power may be exercised upon psvcho-
pathic and homeopathic "sensitivesn without
their consent. or even their consciousness.
As long ago as 1890, Baron Depotet, in the
presence of Prof. Reoamer, at the Hotel
Dieu Hospital in Paris, mesmerized a wo-
man who was in another room
and did not even know that he
was in the building. DR.. Hericourt,
in 1885, and P. Janet in 1865, bypnotized
selslt!ves a5 a distance respectively OF
800 and 500 metres from them and
against the desires of their
subjects. 1t is even matter of
record that the power has been successfully
exerted in many instances at even
much greater distances. And not only does
1t overcome distance, but time: a mental
suggestion impressed upon the hypnotee
when IN trance compelling recurrence to
the trance condition at a future time, hours
or even days distant, as determined by the
operator, without his further effort or the
Consciousness Of expectancy of the sensitive.
Some OF the most interesting experiments
IN this direction have teen made by Dr.
Gilbert, but they have found ample verifi-
cation in those of Charcot, Binet, Fere and
other scientists
1t is not to be affirmed that any mesmer-
lzer has the power to magnetic every Sub
Ject' presented to him, and still less than
even those susceptible to the influence can
all be put into trance condition against
their will, but unquestionably there are
many who do not possess the strength to
resist it. Both Ochorswicz and VoisIn have
hypnotized mentally diseased persons
against their will. Perronet, in 1884,
AhaR 81
cases needs no other means for hypaotizing
than his own firm will. Having seen
mat this unnatural condition is easy
Of production by those skilled
IN employment Of the force, at dis
lance and without the volition of the SUBJ
lect, 1t is pertinent to inquire whether it is
d state liable to be dangerous to the subject
Ut; Braid, the inventor Of "hypnotsm,"
calls 1t "a mod3 Of inducing an artificial
condition Of the nervous system" That Is
putting it gently. The magnetizsrs-who
rely upon passes" and "wilr instead of
destroying the equilibrium OF the nervous
system declare that his method il IAN
aruhclal mode of inducing commissions.
uysterlcal paroxysm5 and palpitati0ns of
tle heart, most dangerous and injurious to
NOSE experimental upon" The magnetizsrs
auu the hypnotizers squabble with aud de-
uoGhce each other but inasmuch as the
.le olHerences betwaen them. which are
.eaily more In words than anything else,
ore OF lutte moment to the public, and they
may De looked upon as simply the old and
IIe" schools Of the same cult. Let US see,
ao"eVer, if thu old school, with all their
ensure Of DIR. Braid's style of mischief are
sot conscious of Inviting some dangers
gaetnselves One of the most practical and
Borough works ever prepared on the sub
sct Is Miss ChandOs Leigh Hunts private
Esructlons," which is only supposed to get
uto the hands of students and practitioners,
"uo nave to pay high price for it and are
|ec0ed to keep it secret. It fairly hristles
wv. IN cautions" and warnings like these:
q experienced magnetiZers know that
we're are certain diseases which can only be
SrasIered by putting the patient in sleep
Tleep that it is known as the death trance.
AZURE sometimes induces this spon-
aue9usly, but those who have been treated
~ magnetism or are subject 60 somnambu-
sp eu' are more likely to fall into this state,
oletlmes during the magnetic treatment,
,SI9eunes not for considerable time after;
st su herein lies the danger, for no doctor.
ss er examining the patients body, would
oluse % supply certificate of death; con-
Sstqentiy, there would be every chance Of
40 oelng buried alive. Actual
NV .,u may be the result.p
A. some very sensitive subjects, when un-
CO.,; control, are magnetized by the CONVEX
G s,ou OF person in the room, to which
ha listen with interest. though it may not
dressed 20 themselves. / once had