The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-11-24
TRICKS OF A HYPNOTIST.
A Profe ssional Subject Fools a
Number Of Physicians.
He Goes Through All tho Catalogue OF
Manifestations and Laughs at the Ef-
forts of the Mesmerizers-In-
senslbility to Pain.

|
Mr. Ernest Hart, editor of the Lon
don Medical Journal, reveals many OF
the tricks of professional hypnotists in
an article in the Century, entitled ''Ihe
Eternal Gullible." After quoting lit
orally from the confession made to him
by hypnotic subject, L., Mr.. Hart
continues
Being curious to study the technic OF
SO exceptionally gifted an artist as
''L.," accepted his offer, to use his
own elegant language: sTo give show
at nv house" / invited several med
ical acquaintances interested in hyp-
notism, including DR.. J. Milne Bram-
well, DIR. Hack Tuke, DR.. Outterson
| Wood, Surgeon Colonel J. b. Hamilton,
Mr. Wingfleld and others, to be present
on the occasion. l.. brought two other
subjects with him, one of these was in
troduced by him as his cousin, but |
there was SO strong family likeness
between the three that they might |
easily have passed for brothers. There |
are few people who, as Sydney Smith
said of Francis Horner, have the ten
commandments written on their faces"
1t is, therefore, not the fault of these
ingenious youths that their physiog-
nomy is not exactly, to put 1T delicate
ly, such as would generally be accept
cd as guarantee of good faith. They
went through all their ordinary plat
form business, Stimulating the hypnotic
sleep, performing various antics under
CONTROL and in particular going
through catalepsy," to use my friends
own phrase.
Not the least interesting part OF the
l ''show'' was the preliminary hypnoti-
cation of L. by the demonstration of
physiology already referred to, whose
eyes had not yet been opened to the
fact that he had been imposed upon.
When he commanded l.. to ''sleep," the
latter obediently did so, with all the
n usual appearances of profound hypno-
u tization, muscular relaxation, facial
congestion, upturned eyeballs, not
moving when touched, apparent insen-
sibility, stertor, insensibility to sound,
light, and external stimuli. The per
formance was splendid and complete
~ Mr.. - enjoyed moments triumph
y But L. instantly woke up again with q
leer as soon as the operator announced
that he was under influence" Mr.
- made several further attempts tC
hypnotic his former subject, each tim'
with the same result. The situation
y was comic, yet had in it an element o
pathos; the operator was so earnest
believer that the shock of his awaken
ing was almost painful to witness.
LIS performance was not destitute o
merit, but to the critical judgment i
O' left good deal to be desired. He over
did his part, the congestion of his fac
being exaggerated to degree almos
suggestive of impending apoplexy
:, while his snoring somewhat over
us stepped the modestv of nature. Thes
points were dwelt on by more than on
of the gentlemen present, but am nc
altogether free from a suspicion tina
in some of the cases at least the oil
seryation was of an ex-post-facto n;
2 s ture.
One of LIS companions seemed to N
to simulate the hypnotic sleep bette
than he did, but l.. at once dispelle
tirs any illusion there might have been
unexpectedly gripping him behind tt
knee. Some exhibitions of ''post-hy
motto suggestion" given by the tv
e. were well calculated to tickle u
groundlings in a music hall, but cou
l. hardly have deceived any serious o
server The ''catalepsy business" hi
more artistic merit. So rigid did
make his muscles that he could
lifted in one piece like an Egypti
mummy. He lay with his head on t
back of one chair, and his heels
another, and allowed fairly hea
n man to sit on his stomach; it seem
r to me, however, that he was here wi
In straw or two of the limits of
endurance. The ''blister trick, spo'
Vt by Truth as having deceived so
medical men, was done by rapidly
.om. ing and sucking the skin of the wr5
H. did manage with some difficulty
raise slight swelling, but the ma
of the teeth were plainly visible.
One point in LIS exhibition VIII
was undoubtedly genuine was his
I. marlsable and stoical endurance
pain. He stood before us smiling |
open-eyed while he ran long neee
into the fleshy parts of his arms
MS: legs without fiinching, and he alloy
'e ex one of the gentlemen present to pl
dot his skin in different parts with str
y y "! :le crenated pincers in a manner WI
t,van, bruised it, and which to most pee
Warm would have caused intense pain.
turas allowed no sign of suffering or disc
Oh fort to appear; he did not set his te
:, So,,,o n or vince; his pulse was not quicker
81, to and the pupil of his eye did not di
ion Of as Psychologists tell us it does W
M M II pain passes certain limit. 1t may
. ioS oS,or or said that this merely shows that /
or re. the limit of endurance was beyond
such normal standard, or, in other VIC
est in that his sensitiveness was less
oi : ,i5 .ii5 that of the average man. Atany ]
on his performance in this respect wa
remarkable that some of the gentle
present were fain to explain it
supposed 'post-hypnotic suggest
the theory apparently being tina
is. and his comrades hypnotized on
,ye OK. other, and thus made themselves
o. dol sensible to pain.
on the ----------- ----
d uck Farming.
smoky 1t is worthy of note that the Chi