The morning call., 1892-12-27
HYPNOTIC PEOPLE.
They Discuss the Senator
rlitChelI Bill.
HE HINTS AT DARK CRIMES,
An Act to Prohibit the Practice of
HypnotiSm Is Considered Ridic-
ulOus by Local Experts.


electro-magnetism. etc., the introduction Of
which was reported by telegraph few days
ago. is being talked Of considerably among
people interested in such matters.
The bill not only asks that hypnotism be
prohibited, but provides that any person
who shall apply q forfe ST animal mag
ne,ism or eleet-lcity. ID bis person for
the purpose ofsafecting another, or which
so affects hiw Shall be guilty Of crime
punishable by aeath.
Persons who have knowledge OF hypnotic
practices and fail to notify The authorities
are to be considered accomplces and their
punishment is to be fine ranging from
5000 to $4,000 or imprisonment for two
years or the period of ones natural life.
In local medical circles the bill is consid-
cred as ridiculous and its passage as impos-
sible.
The police look upon hypnotism as per-
fectly harmless and the men who practice
physical sciences laugh at the idea Of being
considered criminals.
One of the first men seen by CALL re-
porter was j. Franklin Brown, the we'll
known practitioner in the field Of hypnotic
science.
Mr.. Brown was found In his parlors at
1923 Sutter street and expressed himself
Mitchell bill.
1T seems to me perfectly absurd" said
he, that in an enlightened country the in
PRODUCTION of such bill should be possible,
Mitchell is being imposed upon and that be
does not know why he advocates SO rdlcu-
Ions measure"
The professor Of the mystic art of hypno-
tism then took comfortable seat and
started cut to give his reasons why the bill
"a ha r. nf
science crime is doomed to unavoidable
defeat.
"In the first place." said he, 'all these
stories about people committing crimes
when under hypnotic influences are nom
sense.
''The Society for Psychical Research of
London, OF which / am member. has in
vestigated large number of the cases and
exposed every one of them as groundless.
NO reputable man in my profession
would lend himself to abet crime, and We
would not apply our power for criminal
purposes any more than druggist would
use the poisons in his shop indiserimi-
nately to do harm.
"As matter of fact" continued Brown,
getting more interested as he talked. my
practice comes nearly all from the leading
physicians In this city or elsewhere.
They send for me or transfer patients to
me- when magnetic treatment is required,
and there is no more wrong in what do
the Materia Medica."
Here the healer of the ills of mortals by
the glitter of his eye or the electricity In his
figures produced his daybook and showed
that during two years and six months he
had cured q cases Of paralysis, 100 eases of
alcoholism and tobacco habis. besides 40
nervous diseases.
''Now. am l a criminal or am I doing
goodg" he asked after producing that
record.
Brown. however, admitted that hypnotism
as praeticed by showmen. clairvoyance.
oecultism and a number Of other iSms are
calculated 10 be harmful.
The Snowman will work upon the nerves
OF his audience SO that to the exeitsble par-
ton Of it he will appear as supernatural
being and they will become afraid of every
thing pertaining to hypn0tism.
Ills eharlatan tricks. his grotesque adj
vertisements and his humbuggery do more
toward making the general people think
our profession to be an evil one than any,
thing that is ever done by a legitimate
student OF practl toner Of the science"
So spoke J. Franklin Brown. who only
practices as healer and never gives public
exhibitions.
There Is. however, another kind OF hyp-
noiist in this city. who bines the lecture
and show business with the practice OF
magnetopathy.
His name is Joseph Grlgorowitch. and on
his door on Powell street, near Geary, is
sign which denotes him as Doctor"
The magnetopath speaks only broken
English, and explained his views on the
Mitchell bill in German, but he was, never
theless, very indignant about the whole
business.
The idea of passing law to hang n man
because he has advanced ideas and is gifted
with superior powers Is unworthy of pro-
gressive country like America Claims to be-"
said he. The greatest Scientists in Europe
are dealing daily with hYpnotism and are
trying TO perfect the present methods In its
practice. and why should 1t be prohibited in
this country?
to make people commit crimes.
80 IL Is. But so l. poison. chioroform,
superior intelligence and knowledge Of all
kinds.
III It's dangerous to be hypnotist. it is
also a crime TO be clever at other things,
must not necessarily do it,"
The doctor" became little excited as
he talked on. and mixing up his angry de-
nuneiations OF ths people who are the
authors of the bill in question with ac-
counts of his visits to the crowned heads
and potentates of Eur6pe, he closed finally
by admitting that when he is on the stage
and gives public exhibitions he has 10 use
deceptive methods.
the public wants to be amused and
when man pays an admission fee you have
TO give him something for his money!" he
put II, adding carefully that IN his parlors
and as healer he uses his power legiti-
mately.
DIR. w. l.. Berry, who has given the sub
Jeet oil bypnotism considerable attention.
was seen in the Receiving Hospital. where
he IS one OF the physicians in charge.
Il believe there is no harm in hypnotism
IL 1t is confined TO the practice by licensed
physicians only. "he said, "but 10 the hands
of eharla,ans it might be used for evil pur-
poses"
DIR. Berry explained thai while it Is i'm
possible to make hypnotist out Of every
physician, because many Of the latter lack
the power necessary, IL IS, however, quite
easy to compel every hypnotist who desires
to practice the science OF healing to study
medicine and surgery, so that he may be
able 10 obtain regular diploma and leglti-
mize his calling.
DIR. W. Z. Simpson, another one of the
Receiving Hospitals staff of surgeons. con-
siders the Mitchell bill uncalled for.
"Some OF the best doctors In the world
| experiment continually with hypnatism,"
he said, land some of the biggest surgical
Institutes apply that power on patients in
stead Of using opiates, il having been found
| quite applicable in that direction"
he also stated that ne considered hyp-
motto powers to be confined to so very few
people that using il for criminal purposes
was out OF the question.
'Chl0roform has been used for ages as
means whereby TO facilitate crime" said he,
"but nobody ever introduced bill making
1t a law to hang people who sell or handle
that drug legitimateIy."
Captain Lees of the detective force was
investigating sale robbery when Ques-
TONED, but he consented to tell In as brief
manner as possible that in his opinion hyp-
notism did no harm aud did no good
lie said he didn't believe in that kind of
humbug Never had heard Of any case
where it had been found useful. but con-
sdered 1t quite unnecessary to hang people
who pfacticed it. because they are harmless.