The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-14

specialist in nervous diseases well
known in this city cites this case of
hypnotism
WAS PITT TO SLEEP.
The patient was an old negress,
family servant who for weeks had
suffered from nervousness and in
somnia. / vas called IN to see her and
found her very much unstrung. 1t oc-
CURED to me that / would attempt hyp-
nosis. At the time wore rather low
cut vest and large pearl shirt stud.
Pointing 70 the stud, I said.
Now, auntie, want you to look at
this stud steadily just as long as you
She fixed her eyes on It, and after
9 few minutes Il said to her in soothing
tones:
are very sleepy. You cannot keep your
eges open. They are closing. So, you
are asleep
'sShe fell asleep as quietly as a child
and slept for hours. Within few days
she was cured"
Hypnotism has been used successfully
In cases of epilepsy, somnan1bufism,
night terror in children. abnormal fear
OF thunder and lightning, st. Vitus's
dance and in quickening the intellect of
Predetermined children. Insane persons
are extremely difficult to bring under the
influence; nevertheless there are cases
of mania where hypnotiSm has been of
the greatest benefit. 1t is by no means
panacea, however, and the physicians
who have made such good use of 1T
would be the last to contend that it is.
some time ago young woman came
here from the West to be treated for
st. Vituss dance, and some of the
specialists in nervous disorders tried
hypnotism upon her. but without the
slightest success.
A curious instance of the extent to
N frI1 n ror hp
carried is the case of man thirty years
old who could neither read nor write
and had no desire to learn. He was
under treatment and his physician had
hypnotized him on number of Occa-
sions. Once when the patient was in
hypnotic state the doctor suggested
to him that he should set about learn
Ing to read, assuring him that he would
lind 1T quite easy. When in his natural
state the man had no recollection of
this suggestion, but on his recovery he
immediately set 10 work to learn read
Ing and at last accounts was making
extraordinary progress.
One error OF common belief in the
matter of. hyDnotism is that only per-
sons of inferior will power character
are amenable to hypnosis. This, the
physicians say, is not true. A man may
be of powerful intellect. sturdy will and
forceful character and yet be fine sub
ject for the hypnotist. Another man,
weak, shallow, irresolute of character
TO put him in the hypnotic sleep.
One of the mysteries of this yet mys-
FERROUS agency is the way in which it
works. What it is in person that
makes him good or a poor subject for
hypnotism no man knows. 1t is by no
means a new science. Forty years ago,
when 1t was known as animal mag
netism, DIR. Esdale. of India, did Won
ders with 1t, particularly in surgical
cases, where, by it's use he put the
patients into a condition of anaesthesia.
A clique of medical men made bitter
attacks upon 1t at that time, and when
anaesthetics were discovered the editor
of the Lancet made great rejoicing
because, he assumed. they would sup
plant animal magnetism. They did, and
it is only lately that hypnotism has
returned to its place in medical science
among physicians of the English-speak-
Ing nations. Many doctors believe that
in time hypnotism will be recognized as
q special and separate branch of medi-
cine. and that it will be made a special
study in the medical schools. 1t is con-
stantly growing in use in this country,
and although it has many enemies in
the old school. it is gaining converts
every day. DR.. r. Osgood Mason is one
who believes in it's future.
Many people have wrong ideas about
Uhypnotism, he said recently in dis
cussing the subject. They look upon 1t
with a sort of superstitious awe and
believe that there is something wrong
mesmerists who go about the country
giving exhibitions are partly RESPONSE
BILE for this belief. Such book as
'Trilby,' for irstance-although the hyp-
notism part of the plot is theoretically
possible and is finely carried out--tends
to show only one side of hypnotism, the
dark, uncanny side. The fact is, hyp-
notism Is great power for good. and
is almost always used for good. OF
course it may be wrongfully used.
Ether, opium, alcohol, great blessings
when rightly used, may, in ignorant or
criminal hands, do great harm. So may
hypnotism.N Doubtless there should be
laws to reach wrong doing in the use
of this agent just as in others. AS peo-
pie become acquainted with the subject,
and they will become so in time, they
will learn that hypnotism is a powerful
agent In nature for benign purposes,
and that, rightly used, there is nothing
supernatural or in any way unnatural
Or wicked about it. It's use should, how
ever, be confined to those trained to
know its powers and capabilities. and
no one should under any circumstances
submit to hypnotism without full knowl-
edge not only of the skill, but of the
purity of purpose and character of the
ms m llSp of a