Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-22
GULLING THE PUBLIC
THE CONFESSIONS OF A PROBES
SIGNAL "HYPNOTlST.~
His Papers Turned Over to a Noted Eng
Hsh Editor-Ernest Hart of the London
Medical journal Reveals Some of the
ImpOstures of q HITnbug

Mr.. Ernest Hart, editor of the London
Medical Journal, who has made particu-
lar study of morbid pathology, has an in
teresting article in The Century on THE
Eternal Gullible, With Confessions of q
Professional 'Hypnotist. " Mr. Hart
says he does not deny the physical facts
of hypnotism and its heteronyms, but he
considers the general Interpretation of
them erroneous.
Some little time ago, says Mr.. Hart, l
was the recipient of the confessions of a
professional subject, who had come 10 sec
the error of his ways, or, as l fear is more
probable, finding his occupation gone Cfor
your Subject loses his commercial value
by overuse) was not unwilling to unfold the
story of his professional life for a con-
sideration. They are unfortunately too
long to give in full, but 1 may say that
the original documents submitted to NE
prove that in the most noted. hypnotic ex-
hibitions given on public platforms at
the Aquarium in London and other places
of amusement the performers, both hyp-
nOtiZers and hypnotized, are, almost with
out exception, conscious humbugs, going
through a prearranged SHOW" and, to
quote the Yates sacer of the heathon Chi
nee, the same with intent to deceive. =
In the inner circles of the music halls the
Zine" of the professional subject is, ]
find, as well recognized as that of the con
tortionist or any other variety of mounte-
bank. He is engaged in the usual way
and his earnings are proportionate to his
professional skill-that is, to his power Of
quilting the groundlings. Nor, taking
int hp b1a
which he has to go through, can it be sale
that his line of business is particularly re
munerative. His muscles must be under
extraordinary control; is palate must be
disciplined to tolerate and his stomach &c
retain such delicacies as castor oil, mus
tard, cayenne pepper, paraffin and ipocac
uanha, and he must bear pain with the
impressive stoicism of an Indian brave.
1t is clear that a professional subject
must not only be born, but must be made
and to the making of him there must &c
an amount OF trouble worthy of better
cause. His professional equipment must
include some measure of histrionic ability
as in his time he has many parts to play,
Above all, he must, like the Roman au
ours, cultivate command of countcnancC
which shall prevent his laughing outright
in the faces of his dupes.
My interesting penitcnt has allowed me
tho privilege of seeing his business CORE
spondencc, from which the story of hi.
professional life from year to year can bC
extracted. According to these documents
his first introduction to mesmerism wa
at St James hall. This important even
is best described in his own words:
"When I first went to the above show
] was sitting among the audience when
mcsmerizcd subject rushed up to me ant
said the place was on fire. He tried t.
pull me away from my scat, but woulo
not go, till at last Mr.. - came up ant
awakened him. AS l was -u;.v,.-g tn,
building that subject came up 20 N ant
apologized for the trouble he had occasion
cd me He asked me whether l woult
have II ticket for the following evening
He gave me a ticket, and l came again
the following evening. When l saw hin
again, nc asked me if l believed in it. !
answered yes He asked me if thought
l could do the same. ! said no. He sale
he would teach me if liked"
My pcnitent has been endowed by natur,
with countcnanco which resembles Pin
dars verses in being significant to tn
initiated" l am therefore not surpriscC
that he was quickly recognized by tn,
sympathetic intuition of a kindred spirit
as one born to hypnotic greatness. In hi.
modest diflidencc as to his capacity in tina
direction we may recognize the 'uncon
sciousness' which, according to Carlyle
is a distinguishing attribute of the high
est genius. An appointment was mad'
for the following morning at an address
in tho classic region of Drury lane, ant
there the neophytc received his first lesson
when | came there, l saw half "a dozeI
other young fellows, who went through
all sorts of tricks. Mr.. was not pres
cnt. Then he presumably the amiabl,
subject who had disccrncd the latent pcs
sibilities in our friends expressive physi
ognomy) told me to sit down and close my
eyes and pretend to fall asleep, and he
stuck needle in my arm and asked if ii
hurt much. | said no. After few more
tricks, like falling from my chair, was
asked to como up for one week for 10 shil
lings Being without employment, ] &C
cepted. When l camo up for the first time
on the stage, the mcsmerist tried to pnt
me to sleep, but 1 did not (sic), as ! was
afraid.
Some further tuition was necessary, and
for "a short time the candidate was not
trusted to DO anything on tho stage be
yond going to sleep, in the meantime
learning different tricks at the seminary
in Drury lane. He was an apt pupil, and
very soon he was able to do several things
which he had been taught, such as laugh,
cry, smoking tallow candles and being
fireman" The rapid progress of our here
is proved by the fact that apparently with
in a couple OF weeks of his being taken in
hand by the principal Of the Drury lane
academy Aforesaid, whom he calls his
'agent and trainer" he, in his own
words, went through catalepsy (sic), oil
drinking. needle and all other tricks"
In the course of time we find our now
fully ficdged subject" whom l will call
L., performing with well known profes-
sor of hypnotism at the Royal Aquarium
and elsewhere. He seems to have been at
first taken on trial, but having gone to
sleep, been pierced with needles and drunk
glass of ''paraffin mixture" to the salts
faction of the mesmerist, he was engaged
as a regular '.subject" at 81 15s. a week.
By this operator l.. was, in his own words,
put in catalepsy' (sic) and had two FL
lows laid across him, with the master
himself on top.
In fact, SC promising a subject was he
~ Lo Cafpr+n1 he Tho