The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-18
WHAT HYPNOTiSM is.
DIR. J A. Hi'scher Briefly Explains it
to the Social Science Club.

to the Social Science Club.
Following is the paper read by DR..
Hielscher before the Social Science
club Tuesday evening, which we were
aEnabie to give last evening:
HISToRY-Like many other sciences
Gtle origin OF hypnotism is lost. That
&c existed in remote and early days
aaere is 10 doubt; for illusions to 1t
ace lnadein the very first pages OF the
&ftbIe. Going back still further some
thousand Uud years, we again find
zraces Of it in the early Egyptian
manuscripts and bas-reliets. Also, in
the various early writings of Greek,
Latin and Hebrew authors, where
E0entiOn is made OF this science.
Later on we hear OF the Royal
Eouch' for the cure Of the kings evils
or scurvey as it is called today.
The various sOothsayers, coniurers
and witches OF early days, combined
,gipaOtism with other occult methods,
AT performing their seemingly mirac-
RiiUus deeds. These deeds can more
or less be explained at the present
aime, but in those days, they We're
beyond the average intellect, and
1ence, these persons were deemed
possessed by the Dark One, or being
HI league with his Satanic majesty.
The dervish, hermits and other pc
1culIar people-mainly religious orders
practice d species of self-hynOtiZa-
zion.
The first authentic notice that we
have of this subject is by Mesmer, u
doctor of Vienna who in 1874 first
called attention to peculiar power
possessed by him. He gave a good
description of the various phenomena,
and called it Mesmerism, or animal
magnetism. His belief was that
there existed d magnetic fluid force
which goes from the operator to the
subject and hence produces the de-
sired effect. Mesmer used it quite eX-
EeRsiYely in the practice OF medicine,
obtaining some brilliant results.
Later on he moved to Paris, where
}te founded s:hoOl. fashioned after
his ideas, and where he taught his
science. AS all new things will, it
created quite a stir amongst the
HSEysicians, some believing, many
doubling and prOclaiming him a
rank fraud.
The general government in 1874
COOK notice OF 1t, and appointed Il
years later they made a majority re-
EIOrt which condemned it, and min
gritty report which partially ap-
pr0ved oft, recon- mending, however,
that it be placed under police super
vision. Our own countryman, Benz.
Eranklin, then minister to France
'EEou this country, was member OF
Stlfs committee; and to his credit be
&c said gave the minority report.
Mesmer died in 1915, but his pupils
spread over the four quarters of the
globe, carried the germs of this new
science with them and proceeded
GGrther to study and Investigate.
About lS4l, DR.. Grimes, an Ameri-
can, took up thesubjecU, investigated
the same, made some new discover
les and thus became the father of
A.ypnotism in this country.
since that time many new Oper-
Eators and investigators have sprung
up in all parts of the world, and
many startling results have been OBJ
aatned. At the present time the
greatest interest is shown in Paris.
<ghere, under the leadership of Char
COT aid his pupils, the subject is De-
aug investigated from a scientific
standpoint. The true is sifted from
E&ae false; the cbaff from The wheat.
and hypnotism, is being placed upon
n, sound scientific basis.
DEFINTI0N-Thew word hypnotism
1as a missioner. 1t was coined by DR..
Braid OF England, and derives it's
origin from Greek word which
means sleep. 1t is defined as San alb
normal state into which some per-
SONS may be thrown either by a vol
untary act of their own, or by the
exercise of anothers will"
While ia the hypnotic condition the
subjects special senses may be height
ened and the power of the muscles
Increased. Complete insensibility
may be produced. 1t is apt to be
kollOwed by headache and nervous
seoRdition, if the seance be too pro-
ioaged. On emerging from the hyp-
motto state, the hypnotized person
has no remembrance of what hap
a9eaed during it's continuance.
About one person in three is sus-
Sceptible to hypnOtism, and those of