Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-05
ABOLISHING THE ROD.
Hypnotism to Supercede the Method
Suggested by Solomon
TO MAKE BAD CHILDREN GOOD.
The First Test in the United States to Be
Made in Pittsburg.
EVERY HOME CAN HAVE A HYPNOTIsT

dren who annoy their elders and grow uI
into bad citizens, are to have a new deal.
The reformatory agent is not to be the
time-honored slipper nor the shingle; whip.
ing is to be back number henceforth, and
sending to bed, putting in the corner and
the rest of the code of Juvenile punish.
n,ents are to be relegated to the rear DR..
BENJAMIN Franklin, of 21S Ferguson block,
Fourth avenue, says the old methods OF
restraining the tender sapling that shows q
tendency to crookedness are to give place
to applied psycho-therapeutics. In other
words hypnotism is the new machine by
which warped souls NAV be made straight.
DR. Franklin says that he believes that
bad habits in children may be corrected and
cured, whether they be physical or moral,
by hypnotic treatment. Hypnotism is gen.
orally known in vague sort of way as q
process by which artificial caralepsy, or a
condition of inconsistencies wherein most
of the senses are paralyzed and certain
others made more impressionable. is in
duced. Its application in the practice of
physicians in this country is almost un-
known, but in France it has taken its place
as a recognized means for the cure of divers
diseases, as well as a moral reformatory
agent. DR.. Franklin makes the matter
practically interesting to Pittsburgers by
offering to treat free any % children, be-
tween the ages of and 16 inclusive,
who are now in any of the schools of Pitts
burg or Allegheny. The only other condi-
tions he makes are that the children shall
be accompanied by parent or guardian,
and apply at his office between 2 and 5
o'clock.
Vices That Are Cured.
The doctor promises to eradicate among
others the following vices from his young
patients: Persistent laziness, lying, klepto-
mania, or plain everyday thieving, tobacco
chewing or smoking, malicious mischiev-
business, uncleanly habits, habitual disobe-
dience, and the use of profane and vile Ian
guage. The only means he will use will be
hypnotism, or to use his exact term, psyche
suggestion.
Yesterday DR.. Franklin unfolded some
thing more of the subject to a DIS
PATCH reporter. He said: ''The study
of hypnotism is no new thing with
me. / have been interested IN it
since / left the army in 1866. Not till the
last six years, however, have been able to
procure all the data desired. In 1860 DR..
Durand, of France, wrote: Psycho-Thera-
peutics provides us with the basis of an in
tellectual and moral orthopodia, that is
right plan of instruction, which will GER
tainly some day be introduced into schools
and correctional Institutions His words
were prophetic; they have been abundantly
fulfilled In his own land The Nancy
School, of France, has become famous by
its successful application of this simple
science which seems so mysterious. AT
Nancy, Prot. Liebaul., Bernheim, Beaunis
and Liegeois, all members of the
faculty, Prof. Be,illon. of the Fac
ulty of Medicine, of Paris, and Dr.. Voisin,
of the Salpetriere, Paris, associate
of the celebrated neurologist, Prof Charcot,
have treated thousands of children, some
merely stupid or lazy, others more radically
depraved or vicious, upon this psycho-sug-
gestive plan, always with good effect and
never with bad. So successful has Dr.
Liebault, of Nancy, been in this application
of hypnotism to children that Europe is
ringing with his fame, and thousands of
children, cured of evil, disgraceful and dis
gusting habits, are living witnesses to the
efficacy of this combined moral and physical
remedy.
A Rival OF the heeley Cure.
SIT is remarkable, and not fattering to
US, that SO little has been heard OF psyche
therapeutics in this country. Sufferers
from the various forms of narcomania
under which head are classed the alcohol
morphine aad tobacco habits, have been
cured in large numbers, it is true
by hypnotism, but the little children
who are after all more important in the
scheme of redemption have not been
allowed to share in its blessings in America.
In France, as / have said, the improvement
OF the race has been extensively promoted
by hypnotic treatment, children by the
thousand, and grown-up criminals, thieves
and other enemies Of society have been re-
deemed in this way"
"What is the formula, doctor?"
There is no formula in set terms ANY
one may be hypnotist, although of course
the hypnotic influence of one man NAV be
greater than another" replied DR.. Frank
lin.
'Tell us how the hypnotizer proceeds,
then
"In the case of child? Well, the child
may be supposed to be sitting in front of
ME, DR.. franklin went on, land simply
suggest to him-well presume it is boy
that he is to go to sleep, looking fxedly at
him all the while and bidding him to look
intently at some object, say the snake ring
on my finger. Look intently at anything
and you instinctively will screw up your
eyes 1 raise the ring gradually above the
customary level OF the boys sight, and as
his glance follows it the upper lid grows
tired These are simple inducements to set
the machinery of sleep to moving Directly
/ see the patients eyelids culver 1 know
that l have won, and the next moment he
is in a lethargic condition closely resem-
bling sleep. But though he is unconscious
in many ways, he is able to hear and heed
my voice.
New Way to FIJI Churches.
"The hypnotist then gets down to work
He suggests positively to the patient the
reformatory measures to be taken. For
instance, in treating Q man for alcoholism
the other day, / suggested to him that next |
Sunday morning, at O'Clock, he was to 20 |
to church. He hadn't been to church in
two years. and his wife had complained |
that he was getting into bad company and |
staying out o'nights She laughed and |
shook her head when / told her husband. |
sitting there asleep, that he had to go to |
church. When he came out of the trance |
he knew nothing of what he had said or |
what bad been said to him-patients never |
do remember what transpires while they
are hypnotized. On the following Monday |
he came into my Office and remarked with /
q laugh: Doctor you can't guess where 1 |
was Yesterday? Do you know that fer the
first time in two years got up at O'Clock |
and went to early mass. What's more l |
signed the pledge with Father - for
five years. He had carried out the hypno-
tic suggestion to the letter"
"And you find children susceptible to |
suggestive hypnotism, too?"
'Yes, as much as, if not more so, than