The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-07
HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.
What a student Of the science Has
TO Say About It,

/
peutics and the wonderful benefits thus
gained for the world OF medicine are well
| known to the general public. ] have Tor
/ 30 wears made a study of II at force which
| has been designated at various times IS
msngetism, 'mesmerism' suggss-
| tion. - etc. The advantages which this
! force offer 10 physicians IN controlling
/ disease cannot be estimated. his branch
/ of the study has received my particular
attention, and i expect next summer l D
lay my recent discoveries before meet
ing of doctors at Bell-uve Hospital L
expect to make a rational argument Tor
the doing away with anaesthetics ana
supplanting them with hypnotism. All
this in very interesting 10 the putlic
who are porn TO suffer, and TO whom the
discovery OF anaesthetics was the gre at
est boon ever given man; but the posi-
bilities OF hypnotism are even greater,
and IL extends in its influence furtber
than mans physical nature.
While its success in therapeutics Is as
sured. Think that its field is OF far greater
scope and importance in It's relations 10
the morals of men. Moraiists should IN
yestigsto this new force and it's appllca-
tion TO the attainment OF that which they
desire for in il think they can ffnd the
solution for many moral problems which
may now seem very PerEleXing.
CURE FOX htLfIOMANlA'
Eleptomania and many OF those smaller
perversions o. moral character when
cause no end OF trouble can be success
sfully treated and in a measure cured, or
at least put in a condition which would
preclude worry and annoyance. No one
who has not been intimately acquainted
with families in which such thing ex-
isled can approximate the constant er.
ror in which the members are Tor Tear OF
sx... 80 fk,a At lot /
OF highly respected families In New YORK
"a number of them-who have standing
instructions in all leading stores TO quietly
charge up anything that such and such
a person may take and say nothing about
IL.
In this way they save themselves a
great deal OF annoyance as well as humli-
iation TO the affi icted one.
But not only in the treatment OF the
smaller evils OF the moral side OF mans
nature do think hypnotism Is liable,
but in the greater ones as WELL j thlnk
that thieves and criminals OF all kinds
could be treated in a manner that would
materially reduce the volume OF cri me
and the nun Der OF criminals. OF course
experience would have to teach the best
manner TO attain the best results. Differ
emily diseased natures would have TO be
treated in different ways, but neverthe-
less, IL the idea of suggestion is properly
and scientifically carried out, the results
would be surprising.
/ have had some little experience in the
application OF the theory which 1 have
evolved. 1t happened that in my employ
j had a Young boy, who was without eX-
ception the most faithful servant ever
knew. With all his good qualities be
had bad one, which disqualified him
for position OF trust such as he held-he
could not seep his hands of things which
did not belong to him; in fact, he stole,
aud deliberately, too. / took great in
terest in the boy, and regretted TO see
him fall just for this single bad trait, so
i undertook to remedy the matter by
hypnotism. At first it was rather hard
work battling against trait which was
bred in the bone, for when l upbraided
him for his dishonesty he told me over
and over again that he could not help 1t,
but finally the art of man conquered what
was perhaps, an inherited characteristic.
BY constantly giving him the sugges-
tion that he was not to steal, finally
got him into the habit OF thinking
honesty, when the desire TO steal lett
him. Now the boy has since left me, but
he holds position OF great trust, and
has the highest opinion of his employers.
This is evidence of what can be done in
this line IL little care and consideration
are shown.
HYPNOTIC PREVENTION OF CRIME.
Hypnotism is a science; 1; is no feat OF
magic. Like other sciences, it's mysteries
can only be unraveled by careful thought
and study. Besides, 1t is a comparativ-
ely new science, and it 10 to be expected
that 1t will require soue time before it
Is even moderately understood; but from
my Investigations think its resources are
boundless, especially I'm correcting the
moral weaknesses OF men.
think in time we will have asylums
where prsdisposition to crime will be
treated by hypnotism. The old saying
goes that an ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure, and it will not be long
before the government will appreciate its
truth. With advanced science, asylums
for the prevention of crime are not an
impossibility. Asylums for such pur-
pos would be an economic method OF deal
ing with crime, much cheaper than sup
porting prisons and workhouses. There
is no city with well regulated police
system where those who are predisposed
to crime are not we'll known. The police
can furnish plenty of subjects for treat
ment.
Habit goes for so much in this world
that the scientific training OF the right
way OF thinking would have a lasting
effect upon them. They could get into
the position where they could not think
| wrongly. Hypnotism applied to moral
| ethics has great future before it. / will
watch with interest the progress OF this
4 II a Il = a