Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-03-28
GOLDSBORO. n. c.. THURSDAY, MARCH

cidal suggestions have, as they
report, been faithfully carried
out to the letter in the waking
state
These experts agree, however,
that this degree OF obedience to
criminal suggestion is only OBJ
tanned after the subject has been
repeatedly put to sleep and
practiced upon. It is even more
important to note that in all
these private laboratory expert
ments the hypnotized persons
were selected because of their
extremely hysterial tempera-
ment, and were all willing CO.
operators in the efforts to pro-
.3uca the results desired. But
1t does not appear in the case of
Blixt, at Minneapolis. nor did it
appear in the case of Mcdonald,
in Kansas, that any condition
corresponding to the somnam-
bulist or trance state described
by Charcot or Bernheim was
ever produced in either murderer
by the man who was allowed to
have hypnotized him. It is one
of the accepted axioms of the
hypnotic experts that person
genuinely hypnotized can be
easily prevented from remem ber-
ing anything that was suggested
to him during his trance. By a
simple order of the hypnotizer
his subjects memory of the Grim
inal command can be, as they
assert, completely obliterated.
so that he would be quite posi-
tive when he awoke and after the
commission of the crime that his
hypnotizer had nothing what
ever to do with it.
The very fact, therefore, that
a man who has been caught red
handed in crime, as Blixt and
Mcdonald both were. at once de-
clares that he was hypnotized to
do it, that he knows the name of
his hypnotizer, and also just
when, where and how he was
put under control" is of itself
presumtive proof that he is tell
ing a falsehood, for if the scient-
ific experts are to be trusted he
could not know these things, if
he had been truly hypnotized,
unless his hypnotizer had been
so foolish as to abstain from Civ
ing him the simple command by
which his recollection of the
matter would have been utterly
destroyed.
That there is a power both for
good and evil in hypnotism
seems to be fairly well establish
ed. How far that power extends
is however, in very great doubt,
Scientific inquiry is being pushed
vigorously into this new realm of
psychologist influence. We may
be sure that there is a certain
possibility of evil and danger in
the use of this new mesmerism-
for Mesmer was undoubtedly the
pioneer Of the whole cult of
magnetism, for which hypnotism
is but the fin de steele name-or
the governments of Austria,
Italy and Switzerland would not
! have passed special laws forbid
ding it to be employed by any
but licensed physicians.
There seems, indeed, to be
good ground for thu opinion OF
| Freedrick BjornstrQm, the most
eminent medical expert on the
subject in Sweden, who says, in
his treatise upon it: SIT is our
opinion that magnetism OR hyp-
notism, the farreaching effects
Of which on both tie physical
and psychical life of the human
organism cannot nowadays be
denied by any cultivated person,
should be dealt with by the Leg
islature like deadly poisons.
None but licensed physicians
should be allowed to practice
hypnotism. What would be sale
if tramps were allowed to trave
around and show the power O.
opium, chloroform or chloral tt
put persons to sleep, Or the
power of strychnia to make one.
limbs stiff, or the power of al
cohol, belladonna, hashish, &C.
to produce strange visions ant
delirium? We are astonished tina
hypnotizing in public is not al
ready prohibited in all civilized
countries where the question o
poisons is regulated by law. o.
the other hand, hypnotism shoul'
} be freely allowed in the servic
of medical science. For it's pro
per practice both the physician
, knowledge and the moral respon
sibility of his position are nee
} essary."
Il Now that hypnotists are travel
} ing around in this country, a
, they have long done in Europe
giving public exhibitions of tn
, art, these remarks of the distin
guished Swedish phsyician hav
an American application, and W
note that several State Legisla
lures, including Pennsylvania Is
are already being petitioned fo
, restrictive legislation.
: In the meantime the new fad c
2 criminals seeking to escape pur
: ishment by unloading their res
: possibility upon their allege
. hypnotizers cannot be too sterl