The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-02

tion of What This Force May Mean In
Surgical Operations.
In the history of civilization frequent
allusion is made to an occult and weird
force, seemingly possessed by a few
people of unusual temperamental deyel-
opment, called odylic force. This force
was first Systematically studied and
taught as well as exhibited by DIR. Mes
mer. a Suabian, in 1918. At a later date
Baird of England took up the subject,
and after long and patient study made a
still further advance in its application to
beneicent purposes, and DR.. Carpenter
of London followed upthe study Of what
had already been named as ~hypnotism
and made it TO some extent useful in the
cure of disease.
Like electricity. the mesmeric, mag
netic, hypnotic OF odylic force is still a
great mystery. Nobody knows its true
origin or its o~ssential character. They
are both occule and known only by their
phenomena. While electricity is being
daily harnessed to the car of civilization
and progress and compelled to serve
mankind il a multitude of ways. mag
netism or mesmerism has come more
slowly into the service of man.
The odylic force is vastly more subtle
and elusive than the electric. and there
fore yields q far more tardy response TO
the question of science: What art thou:
Whence contest thou:" On account Of
its great power for evil as we'll as good
many governments have forbidden its
practice and PRONUNCIATION, notably
those of France and Germany. 1t has
always been discountenanced by the
church as a species of heresy and witch
craft. and until about 80 years ago it was
practically under ban everywhere.
Since the inductive method has been
adopted for finding out natures most
sacred secrets, she has begun to whisper
her occult mysteries into the souls of her
most inquisitive children, and we oule
to know more and more Of her fine sor-
ceries. Fer the most part this fine force
has been devoted to the g~rotesque. and
through its influence men and women
have bean .nade guys and merry andrews
instead Of loving devotees and faithful
servitors.
Yet many thoughtful men see in this
strange force a subtle power for good
and are betal;ing themselves to its study
with "A devoFion and purpose that seems
surely bound to divorce 1aesmerisla from
monkeyis,n and harness one more Of the
fine forces Of nature to the %triuIap1.a.l
car of science. Jugglery aud jinrgiSm
fasren themselves upon two manY uHde-
veloIel resources of taerIce and hayeto
be shaken OF sometimes with the ener.v
that piled the pillars Of the temple upon
the devoted head Of Samson AID his per-
secutors. But that emery Is now active
~ at work clearing the hypnotic field Of
the philistines that have infested it.
The people Of orr fair capital have
been given "A series Of exhibitions of the
marvellous powers and capacities Of this
still too little known force Dr. II. L.
Flint of New York. an educated and
conscientious physician and one of u
family of great ph. ~sicians, is giving
nightly proferts Of this mysterious force
in our midst. and while to the casual OBJ
server the humorous and ludicrous
phases of the exhibitions are the attract
I've features, yet to many thoughtful
minds there is a deep and profound sig
~nificanca in it.
Chemical anasthesia is held to be the
greatest discovery of all the ages, and
yet here is a subtle force that does for
many people not only all that chloro-
form can do in lulling pain and Danish
ing horror and fear, but does more, for it
car Danish disease in at least some of its
forms without putting the patient in
peril. 1t can make its yotary sing a
happy roundday while the surgeon is
severing his mangled members 70 save
life. 1t can convert all pain into a beau
tiful dream OF happiness and eliminate
the infiammatory process that makes re-
covery problematic in so many cases.
Among the odic phenomena produced
by DR.. Flint is n which makes the blood
run cold in all sensitive and sympathetic
spectators. In his daughter, a beautiful
and delicate girl of 10. he induces cata-
1epsy. a state which SO Stimulates death
that in India people in that condition are
buried for many days and then return to
active life as il they had only slept q
night, and while in this condition, with
every muscle in the body rigid and hard
q sole leather, she is laid across two
chairs placed under her head and feet,
and q large limestone rock weighing 500
pounds 10 laid upon her chest and aldo
men, where it is broken into fragments
with a heavy sledge hammer by some
powerful man who is selected by and
from the audience.
From a private demonstration Of this
phenomenon made in my own Office,
without an, chance for collision or de-
ception, and every possible opportunity
] could desire TO test the g~enuineness Of
the demonstration, | can only say | am
more than ever profoundly impressed
with the wouder AMI n~,@jestv Of the Gre
ative fiat TIT. gave rs sha cyclic force
Dr.. q w. Eoby N Kaasas Farmer.