The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-26
parentiy cured. He has had no further
hallucina tiona ~
Cannot Compel Crimes.

Cannot Compel Crimes.
The doctor does not agree with some
OF the French hypnotists who hold that
their power over the subject Is so great
that crimes may be dictsted. He has
given this branch OF the study constd-
erable attention, and told of the follow
Ing experiment which me himself had
performed as q test. A girl was hyp-
Noticed deeply and was handed a glass
OF water with the statement that u
was "a ltghted lamp. A broomstack
was placed across the room and the
girl was told that II was a man who IN
tended to injure her.
~ suggested that she throw the glass
of water (she supposing 1t was lighted
lamp at the broOmstick. her enemy.
and she Immediately threw It with
much violence Then a man was placed
across the room and she was given. In
stead OF q glass OF water. a lighted
lamp. told her that the lamp was a
glass of water and that the man was
her brother. II was suggested to her
that his clothing was on fire. and she
was commanded to eNtinguish the fire
by throwing the lighted lamp at the
man (she supposing 1t was a glass OF
water). without her knowledge n per-
son was pla behind her to quickly
check her movements. II desired. She
raised the lamp. hesitated, wavered.
and then became very hysterical.
laughing and crying alternately. This
condition. was SO profound that she
came very near dropping the lamp.
Immediately after she was quieted !
made a. number of tests to prOve beyond
question that she was deeply hypnO-
tiZed.
best Subjects for Hypnotistn
DIR. Cooke believes that all persons are
susceptible to the hypnotic influence.
though. OF course, in a greater or less
degree, II only time enough be allowed.
He said to the writer: you may deter
mine that you will not submit. ana. OF
course, l cannot force you to. But the
next time you come l will have arranged
some mechanism or other means by
which l will cause on your part by a
sudden loud noise or the falling or
some object an involuntary start or
emotion. and before you have recover
ed from 1t l shall have produced some
degrees of hypnosis in you. The peo-
pie easiest to hypnotize are business
men and soldiers: I use those as types
only. In other words, 1t Is the man
trained to obey, of fixed habits Of obed-
ience to circumstance, duty or COM
mand.
DIR. Cooke was born in the south. He
early showed an aptitude for books.
and when he was old enough his parents
and friends read to him great deal.
In this way his elementary education
was acquired. He has marvellous
memory, and in early youth determined
to take up the study Of medicine. For
twelve years he practiced massage,
and this training gave him an exquisite
skill and deEcacy of touch, which has
since made him successful In physical
diagnosis.
While living In Philadelphia ne
applied for admission to the medical
schools, but the authorities told him he
would cut himself more than his sub
jects If ne ever got as far as the dis
seoting room. He was not discouraged
and came to Boston. where the author
tiles OF the medical school Of Boston
reluctantly accepted him as student.
There being no medical books for the
blind he was put to the somewhat heavy
expense of hiring reader, and so re-
markable Is his memory that all that
was read to him. and almost the exact
text of the lectures, became accurately
fixed in his mind.
Nayf hs, ol,1tua1 70 ,,,nSaJ IN,
all the parts Of the human anatomy