The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
THE INTERPRETATIONS CURE.
Hone for Morai Idiots snd Others " This
Remedy stands the Test.

incoherent, and filthy in words and acte. He
accesses Of fury were GAINED by p~lunging he
into hypnotic sleep, only to reassert thcmselNe'
with unbuundcd violence upon awakening
Then moralizing suggestions were made dur
ing the sleep, and with q surprising result. Tn
woman became rational. o%bedient, Luxurious
and both in thought and behavior n moral ex
ample to her surroundings. II proved to be 8
radical cure. and she was given a position a.
nurse in one Of the Paris hospitals, where SIN
has fulhlled her duties to the complete satisfao
ton of her superiors. Since then. many wei
authenticated eases of a similar nature are re
ported, which have clearly deinons,rased t ma,
also cured by the process. Psychological IN
sight and prudence on the part OF the physleisn
thence. are required. Taking these facts into
consideration, have we not here n powerful NOR.
alizing agent that ought to gain admission also
To- our reformntories and penitentiariesr The
problems of our social work arc surely beset
with great Difficulties, and The present drr msE n
The rational way II looking upon hypnotic sug-
gcstion is that II differs only In degree Of Inten;
reform. In substance they are alike.
Our criminal, ,population is ~ outgrowth Of
educational i%nautnce is called upon 70 develop
and to suppress through moral, intellectual. and
every child character individually, II Is both a
science and al art. .cndeavoring to adjust, oppns-
ing elements and blend budily health with men
WI hIl l''Ih NNTtIlklIs lsFlUIlllE Hflu TINT w
who masters education masters the world. The
truth Of this W.. lccOmc .rognizant OF through
clone e to the educator more a source of dcsrsir
than encouragement. The Inherited tendency
may be Of a,surprising vehemence, and the latent
germ invisible. aud yet, nourlshed by many Rcn-
erntions, bursts forth with seemingly uhcon-
qucrablc strength.
We do not share the opinions OF criminal an
thropology. especially the Italian school. that
declares itself helpless to graphic with. the
heredity fatality. such conditions OF helpless
meas open up u future Of habitual crime. Grim
inality thus becomes n diseased state. an in
durable nenrosisi which has the dangerous ex.
face to face with n large number of criminals
who. urc the victims Of degeneration and con-
hitherto adopted and employed. Through all
our honest cndeayors and discouraRing failures
we still cling to the hopeful doubt that perhaps
heredity, or acquired perversity, may be strong
only in proportion to the inadequate means OF
opposing the bnd influence.
Industrial schoois have proved their SUPERIOR
ity over disciplinary and reformatory schools,
because here the morally smitten children are
the predominancc of Inherited Vice by prevent
ing rather than correcting evil. Nevertheless,
viii not allow themselves to be weakened.
Searching for new means. the scientific study
a. plausible idea 10 SeSams a dsmonstryss sHa faet.
Hypnotic suggestion. which has unlocked many
any varied sources Of benefit. TO sufferers. takes
to-day rank as n most valuable auxiliary to edu-
cational reform. A Few examples may substan-
tintc its claims to sober consideration.
~ UpN dEfil w. W u SfnN w III. ' OlNln, Ills
character had grown more and more insupport-
able. especially since his seventh year. He had
buttons as incorrlglble and on account of being a
bad example To others. lie was spoken of as a
liar, thief. cruel and malicious, ana had recently
robhed his mother Under peculiar circumstances
to satisfy his base desires. The third attempt to
hypnotic him was successful. and IL resulted
from the given suggestions. that he discontinued
to steal. a treatment was given every three
days, and after five weeks he appeared COM
WAS Obpnipnt and kind IN his mDfhgr Tuter in
restigation found the boys moral character good
and no relapse occurred long after all suggestive
DIR. DE long of Hague, Holland, whose expert
cnce Is very. extended. reports from both his
hypnotic clinic and his private practice numer-
Gus and durable changes in depraved children of
many vices.
Or: we,terstrand of Stockholm, whore he has
a large clinic for hypnotic suggestion az thera-
peutic treatment, brings the same testimony,
according to which early vice has been checked
DR.; Liebault Of Nancy gives many examples
OF children, who, In spite OF the greatest care
behind in intellectual and moral develop,
men T Tht h nall improyedp i by hypnotic st;gges,
case of a young idiot who never had been able
to read OF reckon, and who. after the lapse of
T y c, months n} lri, lenr1ed ne alPha6et And the rudi-
tanned In cases OF vicious, impulsive, obstinate.
and lazy children.
IDIOTS alike. are facts OF rare merit and most
serious Importance. commanding the attention
DI MI those VINO nave at heart the welfare of
future generations. 1t is. no doubt, unnecessayY
10 remark that the hypnotic suggestion does no,
regard normal children, as those belong TO The
OF educational teachers. Only when, for
'ome reason, NJ impression can be made upon
he Individual in the waking state. the sleep
'ugsestion is Justified as possessing greater
The hypnotic suggestion t., therefore, to
Dc used only when all other means have failed.
We know that even then its nold would be Large.
Hypnotic suggestion creates nothing. IL re- |
ives or deadens the spark for good or evil Ia
ent In every human breast. II Tushes to the
background all lower instincts which ordinarily
and obstruct n healthy moral growth,
as Ger01 de s%sa: i han ,n'e a,SeEy rs ms greater; rs pe enc
method Ii "A natural one, and its influence we
ave been subject 10 before our birth through
ife. which initiates before conscious volitiOn
'rasps the intellectual purpose. As Prof. Bern
leim has f%eelingly said, the mother is the most
illustration o: suggestive power.
The student Of the worlds progress knows
has to-day passed out OF ihs domain
Z fancy and charlatanry. The theoretical
pinions OF those, who merely believe this or
z the eyes OF science. 1t is thus known that
he individual will under hypnosis suffers no
ihile the surgeon operates. The obstacle,
,n n,nnr wGTld prevent NE best result, Is but
ypPosis NAV npoye ipiur iimproPeTiy applied
18th all things in educational matters rs well
; IN medicine. He who administers ether
eed not be a surgeon, and yet W. would not
eject Tor that ONCE a man that was ignorant Of
lrgical principles, IL may be an apparently
lsy thing TO produce the condition necessary 10
digestion, but an inexperienced. not To say a
lallcious person, Is not therefore a desirable or
imlsatIle practitioner. He might, perhaps.
ith0ut any mishap, produce anasthesia, but
ow would he Operatcf There is no more I'M
in hypnotic experiments from the
ledical point OF view than in any other seri-
Us and responsible occupation, Even II he
Jay he n physician, he Is not able "a perform
operation OF any Importance IA well as a sur
ron who, through practice, has acquired the
eeded skill. This applies "a hypnOtism aud
suggestion in the same degree, and
Is one or the principal reasons why so few
understand il, and do not succeed
hen they suDertiCially male trial. One might
'Tni il % more refined and higher degree OF
rain surgery, a kind Of mental OrthOppdics.
5 a valuable branch of modern medicine. Il de-
.ands the knowledge that study and practice
We, and not the mere smattering Of worn
nrases glibly explaining. ~ curious parlor ex-
,rlments without a psychological basis.
admit that psychology forms A
sCessary and important auxiliary 10 their sci
The physician who recognizes thai fact
m save much private and public misery Inv
'ndering an early assistance. and a. "A moment
'rhaps, when a HES future is in the balance
: the true educator must he a psyCholngist. so
~ Physician ought Ia he one. Modern medi-
ne has entered upon a new era, aud no longer
material research rNtOlled az the pXpense Of
at more subtle one which studies mans inner