The morning call., 1894-09-23

cles are capable of main aiming when he
is in normal state. This latter Is one
fact that cannot be too strongly empha-
sized, and which Spoiis good many OF
the pretty romances that modern story
writer's are just now weaving through
hypnotic wool.
The subject can do nothing under the
hypnotic influence that be could not do of
his own vOlition while self-controled. At
the command, or even at the mere sug-
geStion OF the operator, he may do things
probably will DO things-that he would
never dream Of doing in waking state,
as in the case of young man knew who,
upon the experimenter's telling him, while
he was hypnotlzed, that the house was on
fire and that his only way of escape was
to climb lightning-rod to the house roof.
did so, although he afterward declared he
could not possibly have accomplished this
feat when awake. The hypnotic subject.
moreover, will never. as at least one recent
writer has made one dc, conceive and exc
cute any plan Of his own while hypnotized.
He has no thought beyond that of the
operator, and that thought he accepts i'm
plicitly. In the case L have cited the
young man never questioned the practi-
by climbing upon its roof
Another point that should be remem-
bered is that the fact of having once mes
meriZed or hypnotiZed a person does not
thereafter give the operator any further
control over that individual, unless the
subject again and voluntarily allows him
self TO be put in the hypnotic state by
him. Repeated experiments of this sort
make it constantly easier for the expert
menter to produce the condition in that
particular subject, but the latter, il he
really understands the matter, can always,
and successfully, resist the preliminary
stages. This Is why an understanding of
the subject by the lay mind is desirable.
Once thoroughly exploited, hypnotism
will be fully Invested of the mysticism
that nov makes it so fascinating and so
dangerous.
1t is quite fashionable nowadays to eX-
plain affiliations not otherwise understood
on the ground that one or the other of the
parties is hypnOtiZed-an explanation as
absurd as it is satisfactory to the ba-
trachiap mind. l have heard more than
one matrimonial alliance that a few years
ago would have been considered wholly
explained on the ground of mutual attrac-
ton thus accounted for by one human
frog who solemnly jumped at the con-
clusion and was followed by the whole
admirng pOndful. 1t sounds wise, but,
like hydropathy and the tariff for revenue
only, 1t is not applicable to all cases.
Hypnotism, in fact, has very little if any,
thing at all TO do with that other subtle
and little understood quality that for went
of better name we call personal mag
netism. 1t is purely physical condition,
produclble from purely physical causes.
One may hypnotic oneself. That phe-
nomenOn so common that even the per-
ennial jokes about it fail to arouse more
than passing smile, sleepiness in church,
is only one form of [ 9 hypnotic STATE.
The quiet and ''dim relieious light" of
the sacred interior, the steady sound of
single voice and the attitude of the wOr-
shipper sitting quietly gazing at one parti-
cular point all conduce to it. 1t is some
thing besides sleepiIess-a truth attested
to by the fact that even without becoming
interested in the discourse one may sud-
denly, from being painfully sleepy. become
wide awake and alert merely by having
the gaze diverted to some other direction
than that upon which it has been bent. I
have frequently aud consciously produced
the hypnotic state in myself in church by
gazing fxedly at one particular pipe in the
organ or pillar in the building. After
certain point if the subject is undisturbed
the condition passes into true sleep, but it
begins as the hypnotic state. and just be-
fore the condition of true sleep is reached
were any one present to arrest it and take
advantage of it ali the phenomena of hyp-
notlsm could be exhibited.
The drowsiness that often overtakes one
while sitting beside running water is
form of hyplotism.
The peculiar characteristic of hypno-
tism is the surrender of the mind of the
subject TO that of the operator. He does
nothing he is not told to do, he thinks
nothing that the latter does not suggest
to him. Left alone he will sink into slum-
Der from which he will awaken uncon-
scious of anything he has thought or done
while In the hypnotic state. The operator
must, however, audibly impart his wishes
to the subject There is no such thing as
making even the most abject hypnotic
subject read and obey your unspoken
thought. He has no other powers than
he possesses while awake, and out of the
operators presence no control can possibly
be exercised.
A recent writer in the Arena makes
some exceedingly interesting statements
regarding the use of hypnotlsm in surgical
operations. If correct understanding of
The subject can be arrived at it seems to
me that herein lies solution of many Of
the problems that confront the surgeon.
Here is an obtunder, an accluder of pain,
10 which, their own convictions tn the con-
trary Notwithstanding, the majority of
human beings can become susceptible. 1t
has no bad after effects, as do choral, NOR
phine, opium and the other narcotics. 1t
brings no accompanying shock to the sys-
tenn as does the admins tration of ether or
laughing-gas; nor does it threaten death
to the patient with weakened heart or
lungs. Who knows but that we may yet
see morphine, chloroform. opium and all
their derivati1ns reIega;ed to the medical
museum, while the dentist, the surgeon
and every other inflctor of pain resorts to
hypnotism TO produce visions of bliss in
the sufferers mind during serious opera
tions. This does not seem a wilder fan
tasy than the prophesy of ether would
have been fifty years ago.
The thing to be ascertained is the actual
effect produced in hypnosis. Once we
have arrived at this the profession may
find in il an invaluable abettOr in surgical
work and cases of insomnia. Until we
hama frIiu Otu,ii,a the uhiaos In