The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-06-27
HYPNOTISM.
SOME EXPERIMENTS IN A PARIS
HOSPITAL.
Producing the Hypnotic State
Emanations of Light From Faces
Visible to Hypnotic Subjects. =.
Queer Manifestations.

4 OEuC tAptIp meutS Vi puTtlcu-
~ lar interest on account of the
y dispute as to the therapeutic
and psychological value of
hypnotism, have recently been made
at the Charlie Hospital, Paris, under
the direction OF the surgeon-in- chief,
DR.. Luys. A careful account of these
experiments appears in McClure's
Magazine from the pen Of II. N. Sher-
ard.
These hypnotic experiments may be
roughly divided into two classes. The
first are experiments of speculative
kind, that is TO say, such as do not
produce practical effects. The second
class includes such rs often produce
such results. These last experiments
are mainly the diagnosis of patients by
subjects in the hypnotic state and the
cure of moral and physical maladies by
the power of suggestion.
The hypnotic state is divided by DR..
Luys into five phases of intensity
somnambulism, fascination, catalepsy,
lethargy and hypo-lethargy, with vari-
ous intermediary phases, which have
not yet been tabulated. The hypnotic
state, in one or other of its phases, is
produced in the subject or patient in
two ways-by word of command or by
the use of the rotative mirror. The
rotative mirror is often used where
hypnotic influence is first applied to
an individual. Tho mirror much re.
sembles that used 10y bird-catchers for
snaring larks. II is composed of four
arms, overlaid with bright, polished
metal. The arms revolve by clock
work on n pivot, at n tremendous rate
of speed. The patient is seated in
high. backed chair with his back to the
light, which shines full on the mirror,
and is hidden TO keep his eyes fixed
upon it, and simultaneously to desire
to be sent TO sleep. The clockwork
sets the mirror in rotary motion with
n dazzling effect. Sleep is not invari-
ably produced. Many persons are re-
fractory but rs rule in about twenty
per cent. of the cases the operation is
successful, and after a period varying
from five to twenty minutes the patient
is seen to drop to sleep.
''The eyes," says writer on the
subject, ''are first attracted by the
ray of light which flash from the wings
of the mirror, then little by little, and
at the end of n period which varies ac-
cording to the temperament of the
patient, kind of fascination is pro-
duced, the lids get tired and imper-
ceptibly close, the head falls back and
the patient sleeps sleep which seems
natural, but which is really one of the
first phases of the hypnotic sleep" In
other cases, that is to say, in the case
of patients who are more predisposed,
a slight shock is manifested during the
state of fascination, due, no doubt, to
the sudden contraction of some muscle
or system of muscles, and the patien
falls into deep sleep, breathing hard.
He is then completely insensible and
apt for the reception of suggestion,
having passed quickly through the
several stages of the hypnotic sleep,
sometimes to the last. In most cases.
however, where the doctor has 10 do
with subjects who have often been
hypnotized the simple word of com
mand, without passes or gestures of
any kind, sutiices. With these he has
but to say, ''Go to Sleep" and they
fall at once into II hypnotic state of
greater or less profundity.
- Doctor Luys says that the subject in
the hypnotic state has an intensely in
creased visual faculty. Indeed, one
of the symptoms of this state is very
noticeable alteration of the appearance
Of the eye. 1t is stated by the doctor,
and the experiments publicly made
may be considered as convincing, that.
thanks to this increased visual faculty,
the hypnotic subject is able to see in
the human face what is entirely hid
den to ordinary sight.
For some time past the doctor had
established that when magnet is pre-
sented to hypnotic subject in one of
the phases of trance the effect pro-
duced varies. according as the north
or south pole-that is to say, the
negative or the positive end of the
magnets offered. The north pole,
in all cases, produces state of intense
delight, expressed by gestures and
outcries of pleasure. The subjects in
this case declare that they see at the
end of the magnet emanations of
beautiful blue light. When the bar
is reversed the greatest horror and
disgust at once affect the subject. II
asked what it is that causes this dis
may the subject will answer that it is
the sight of fearful red light playing
around the end of the magnet.
Investigating further in this direc-
tion the doctor has discovered that the
same subjects can detect in the human
face emanations corresponding to those
seen at the ends of the magnetic bar.
Thus from the left eye and left ear and
left corner of the mouth in persons in
a good state of health blue emanations
can be seen by the hypnotized person,
according to the declarations Of such
subjects.