Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-06-27
HYPNOTISM..
SOME EXPERIMENTS IN A PARIS
HOSPITAL.
Producing the Hypnotic State
Emanations Of Light From Faces
Visible to Hypnotic Subjects.
Queer Manifestations.

lar interest on accOunt OF tne
y dispute as to the therapeutic
and psychological value OF
hypnotism, have recently been made
at the Charlie Hospital, Paris, under
the direction Of the surgeon-in-chief,
DR.. Luys. A careful account of these
experiments appears in McClure's
Magazine from the pen Of R. N. Sher-
ard. ~ ~sssF-,.---es
These hypnotic experiments may be
roughly divided into two classes The
first are experiments of a speculative
kind, that is to say, such as do not
produce practical effects. : The second
class includes such as often produce
such results. These last experiments
are mainly the diagnosis Of patients by
subjects in the hypnotic state and the
cura Of moral and physical maladies by
the power of suggestion.
The hypnotic state is divided by DR..
Luys into five phases of intensity
somnambulism, fascination, catalepsy,
lethargy and hypo-lethargy, with vari-
GUS intermediary phases, which have
not yet been tabulated. The hypnotic
state, in one or other of its phases, is
produced in the subject or patient in
two ways-by word of command or by
the use of the rotative mirror. The
rotative mirror is often used where
hypnotic influence is first applied to
an individual. The mirror much re-
sembles that used by bird-catchers for
sharing larks. 1t is composed of four
arms, OVERLAND with bright, polished
metal. The arms revolve by clock
work on q pivot, at tremendous rate
of speed. The patient is seated in a
high. backed chair with his back to the
light, which shines full. on the mirror,
and is hidden to keep his eyes fixed
upon it, and simultaneously to desire
to be sent to sleep. The clockwork
sets the mirror in rotary motion with
dazzling effect. Sleep is not invari-
ably produced. Many persons are re-
fractory but as rule in about twenty
per cent. Of the cases the operation is
successful, and after period varying
from five to twenty minutes the patient
is seen to drop to sleep.
"The eyes," says writer on the
subject, fare first attracted by the
ray Of light which fash from the wings
of the mirror, then little by little, and
at the end of period which varies &C
cording to the temperament of the
patient, kind Of fascination is pro-
duced, the lids get tired and imper-
ceptibly close, the head falls back and
the patient sleeps sleep which seems
natural, but which is really one of the
first phases of the hypnotic Sleep" In
other cases, that is to say, in the case
of patients who are more predisposed,
a slight shock is manifested during the
state Of fascination, due, no doubt, tc
the sudden contraction Of some muscle
or system of muscles, and the patien
falls into deep sleep, breathing hard.
He is then completely insensible and
apt for the reception of suggestion,
having passed quickly through the
several stages OF the hypnotic sleep,
sometimes to the last. In most cases.
however, where the doctor has to dc
with subjects who have often beer
hypnotized the simple word of com
mand, without passes or gestures O
any kind, suffices. With these he hal
but to say, $50 to sleep" and they
fall at once into hypnotic state o
greater or less profundity.
Doctor Luys says that the subject il
the hypnotic state has an intensely in
creased visual faculty. Indeed, one
of the symptoms Of this state is a very
noticeable alteration of the appearance
of the eye. It is stated by the doctor
and the experiments publicly mad
may be considered as convincing, that
thanks to this increased visual faculty
the hypnotic subject is able to see il
the human face what is entirely hid
den to ordinary sight.
For some time past the doctor hat
established that when magnet is pre-
sented to hypnotic subject in one O
the phases of trance the effect pro-
duced varies. according as the nortl
or south pole--that is to say, tn
negative or the positive end OF tn
magnets offered. The north pole
in all cases, produces state of intens'
delight, expressed by gestures ant
outcries of pleasure. The subjects il
this case declare that they see at tn
end of the magnet emanations of {
beautiful blue light. When the ba
is reversed the greatest horror an(
disgust at once affect the subject. I
asked what it is that causes this dis
may the subject will answer that it i
the sight OF fearful red light playing
around the end Of the magnet.
Investigating further in this direc
ton the doctor has discovered that tn
same subjects can detect in the human
face emanations corresponding to thos
seen at the ends OF the magnetic bar
Thus from the left eye and left ear ant
left corner of the mouth in persons ii
good state of health blue emanation
can be seen by the hypnotized person
: according to the declarations of sucl
subjects.
In cases of persons. however, suffer
ing from nervous disorders, or from
the results of diseases or accidents, thu
.-I~- mhrs oooor1inr IN IN.