Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-07
HYPNoTIsM AND CRIME.
DR.. Valentine Declares Hypnotfsm
Should Have NO Legal Status.

DIR. Valentine Declares HypnOtlsm
Should Have NO Legal Status.
An interesting paper was read today be-
fore the section on diseases of the mind
and nervous system at the Arlington Hotel
by DR.. Ferd c. Valentine of New York, his
subject being, '.Hypnotism. Does 1t Men
ace Public Weal?' DR.. Valentine referred,
he said, to cases that came to the notice
of physicians where moral offences were
con- mitted and the excuse was Il was hyp-
notised." If this excupation is to become
valid in law there will, he argued, be no
crime for which the offender can be held
responsible. All hypnotisers acknowledge
that first attempts at inducing the hyp-
motto state are either futile or produce only
slight drowsiness, and it Is necessary with
people of average mental balance to repeat
and repeat the experience until the subject
has been trained This being acknowledged
by all hypnotisers, he said, II seemed in
solent mendacity for a woman to assert
that she unwittingly became a transgressor
against those morals that are the essential
basis upon which the whole social scheme
of civiliza ton Is unequivocally built.
1t is safe to say, he continued. that hyp-
notism is no excuse for a wrong which the
very essentials to hypnotism prove deliber-
ate and intential generalization. Any one
able to distinguish right from wrong Is con-
sequently responsible for yielding his
volition to that of another, and is equally
done while under the alleged hypnotic in
fluence The subject is invariably a vol
untary one. That he Is never involuntarily
a subject is shown by a search in reliable
literature on the matter. which nowhere
produces the records OF a person hypno-
tised during normal sleep. during alcoholic
intoxication or in the torpor induced by
anaesthetics or otherwise.
1t Is beyond dispute, continued the doc
tor that under what for convenience sake
Is called the hypnotic state people may be
induced to do absurd things, but in all
cases II is safe to deny tina any subject,
no matter how well trained, would be caus-
ed to commit while in the hypnotic state
any deed which the law castigates. There
are fewer and less marvellous hypnotic re-
suits in America than are obtained In Eu-
rope. He thought perhaps the pursuit of
the almighty dollar kept possible subjects
from pursuing ideals. because the Ameri-
can is less trained to obedience.
After referring to the exhibitions OF mes
meric or hypnotic showmen, with their paid
subjects. DIR. Valentine said:
1t is by no means intended to convey
that all hypnotizers and their subjects are
frauds. This would be a sad and unjust
reflection upon honest scientists who work
earnestly for the benefit II suffering hui
mainly. Mild Iunatics are perhaps con-
trolled by the hypnotic infu ce: hysterical
patients are cured by il of their imaginary
ills; some drunkards may have acquired an
aversion to liquor through Tiff these re-
suits circumscribe the powers of hypnot-
its powers. as its limitations. Will be event
uaiiy better defined. But Efforts recently
made to introduce hypnotism as a factor
in the exculpation from punishment for
crime Is a danger not only to the COM
munity as such buti Also to he advance of
hypnotic study. While hypnotism Is yet
young 1t is naturally a field for unscrupu-
lous farsants or worse, but that they are
mountebanks will remain difficult 20 prove,
as long as willing subjects can be found.
And while people are mercsna-y or covet-
Gus of applause or DESTROYS Of provoking
wonder. so long will subjects seek the
Snowman and diSport Enthusiastically
or otherwise. as is their bent. II is beyond
doubt that a majority of these subjects
believe themselves entitled to the woncer,
admiration or disgust Of the gaping crowds,
at SO many cents or shillings per head
To briefly recapitulate: /. The the-Rpeu-
tic possibilities Of hypnotism are not de-
MED A patient who persuades himself. or
is persuaded, that he can lie cured by the
hypnotic influence, Is as we'll or better
cured than by drugs or appliances that do
not appeal to his view Of the case.
2. The hypnotic state should never be
allowed a status In law or morals. While
II is certainly better that a hundred rogues
escape than that an innocent being be pun
ished, there is no human mind conceivable
that can be induced by hypnotic sugges-
ton to do what its owner knows to be
wrong Those moral detectives who can
not distinguish right from wrong are proper
subjects for the insane asylum.
Many more propositions could be adduced.
hut IL the above are established hypnotism
will have its status defined and thus will
be deprived Of all power for evil. 1t must
be clearly understood that no one can be
hypnotized without his own fullest con-
sent and cooperation, consequently any
law Of the land or even un written code of
morals violated while under the alleged
influence" is as punishable as IL ccm-
mitted in full independent possession Of the
mental faculties. With this view every
tad ctah h,-rp Tie
will no longer be a menace TO public veal"
Immigration and Cholera.
The meeting Of the section on hygiene.
climatology and demography yesterday af-
ternoon was given up In part to discus
sion of sanitary precautions In cities. DIR.
Rouck, DIR. Stewart of Baltimore. DIR.
Shakespeare of Philadelphia, DR.. Cyrus
Edison Of New York, and other well-known
physicians took part in a debate on reso-
that all immigration be suspended from
ports in which cholera prevails Finally
a committee of three, consisting of Drs.
Shakespeare, Edison and Lee was appointed
to draft the resolution in a form that would
be acceptable. The resolution as reported
by this committee and adopted declared:
That II is the sentiment Of this section
that In view of the prevalence Of Asiatic
| cholera In Europe at the present time and
the constantly increasing number Of foci
Of infection, immigration from European
countries in which cholera exists should be
temporarily suspended. as this action at
fords. I'm our opinion, the only certain means
of averting threatened invasion by the dis
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