The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-12
A TYPE OF INSANITY
HYPNOTIC STATE so PRONOUNCED IN
A PAPER By DIR. e. ID. MOFFETT.
Considerable Discussion at Marion
County Medical Society Over This
Advanced stand.

one of the most interesting meetings of
the Marion County Medical Society this
year was held last night. when DR.. Z. ID.
Moifett ex-Superintendent Of the City Dis
pensary. read an able paper on Hypnotic
Insanity" taking the advanced ground that
the hypnotic state and insanity were closely
allied. Drs. Brayton, Lash, ,Burkhart.
Stearne, Painter. Bell. Thomas and others
discussed the paper. most of them taking
the opposite position. The paper is as fol-
lows:
In writing upon this subject i wish to
snow you the true merits OF hypnotisn.
ana 10 congratulate my profession upon the
fact that we have been slow to fake up
with this one fad which came TO US a few
of many diseases Yes. the greater body
ct cur profession discard IL altogether.
The hypnotic state is diseased condition
to prove that it is the worst form of dis
ease-that of insanity: Hypnotism. mes
body or state of mind which is character
lied by an apparent sleep with pervertion
or destruction of the will: or that part of
ment. For example: The person under its
influence will stare into space, or, with
closed eyes. seems to be perfectiy u'icon,
scious of himself or his surroundings. and
will follow the dictates OF supposed hyp-
notizer. no matter how absurd and con-
trary to the sense Of propriety- - -,
knowledge Therefore we know that We
are handling only the extreme possibilities
three ways-suggeston, deduction and in
duction. In our early childhood we know
of nothing except it be impaired 10 us by
friends or by some object; as a tree which
suggests some thought to the novice.
thereby a state called memory created
Likewise a mirror, or the gentle siroking
thoughts expressed. will produce the same
state of mind called suggestion And when
that individual mind has lost. by this pro-
cess. the will power governing Judgment
and reason, we have what is called true
hypnotism. Please remember this denni-
ton, for soon we will find what won
perverted condition of it which misleads,
has in this world. Advanced in years. We
lies the 10 p 5eS of theorising If If! YOU re-
member a few years ago / read you a
paper upon the subject OF Theory in Med
cies of the deductive method of reasoning
in medicine. BY induction We have much Of
Suggestion we have three stages@receptive
somnolent and cataleptic. First, to be able
to receive suggestion. the mind of the
again is the will brought into power. To
receive or not TO receive is the question.
Now. what harm has a thought or state
equilibrium Of mental forces well balanced
by the Will? None whatever. Right here
is the beginning and ending Of a weak and
WISE no matter how imperfect the con-
clusion. But he who receives and reasons
not with the will as the governor OF the
tons. Whether the individual has entered
a physical drowsy stage OF hypnotisI-i or
not, il We have that state of mind forces,
after receiving an impression from a
thought or an object. which is embodied in
the definition given, we have that mind
physiological laws, either physical or men,
tai. can be destroyed without being patno-
logical. The complete somnolent stage is
that In which We have catalepsy, and
what is called suspended animation. And
those cases which from severity OF pain
become unconscious without any apparent
Now let us see if it is not a logical con-
cluson that the mental state and causes
same phenomena as perverted suggestion.
So far as the mind and thought are con-
cerned insanity is the loss Of the proper CO.
Whitney, Wiii governing reason s'.l and judgment.
For example: brain tax takes on f, sagges-
trying to kill that individual. Il this be not
so and the reason and Judgment governed
by friends or by logical conclusion of self
reasoning, this brain is unbalanced When
ever a brain takes on a thought once 1t is
well-known law for it to be recalled at will,
and in time can become automatic. To have
this condition to take place 1T unusual times
we have the state called a1to-sngges,n ION,
place itself in a state or condition of thought
Unconscious to. the individual Actions
usually follow thoughts and this is the rea-
son we have to have asylums. One who has
had hypnotism practiced upon him is very
liable to get into the state of auto-sugges-
ton. Is not this true of all the insane. that
there is a constant recalling of some absurd
thought? And this is produced by the laws
governing hypnotism-the reason ana Juogo
unnatural suggestable cases. Here is my
argument: Things equal to the same thing
are equal to each other s.; -. .,o
mental force of the will which holds in bal
ance reason and judgment. Insanity equals
the Impairment of the same forces There
fore. hypnotism is insanity: conversely, in
sanity is hypnotism. Society is all agog of
this dreadful disease. Look at the youth
who persists in designations at the dance
and other enjoyments when all his friends
and physician try to bring him to his proper
senses And do you say that the law OF
pleasure and enjoyment is not the cause OF
ali this? well-balanced brain is one that
man is pushed to extremes financially to
keep up with society. Soon his salary is
too small to meet demands, his mind wan
and conviction result: and society laughs.
Society has been the medium or suggestion.
The law provides for the poor criminal. but
his downfall still goes unbroken. Let
corporation. a body or society be the cause
of ones downfall and 1t is all right. But If
an individual is the medium of ones errors
il is quite a different thing; as in the fol-
lowing: A man with reason unbalaEced
plots with one somewhat weaker than him.
self to commit a murder. The man who
will use his erroneous reasoning and inrfu-
ence to cause another to commit such a
crime, probably for a paltry sum, is hyp-
insane, the suggestion being
hate, jealous love. or desire for some spe-
cial gain. and the like, which has led his
mind astray. Is not the will here at fault?
The one who does the deed is hung for be-
ing a suggestibe subject; insanely so. While
the other is executed for discovering the
law does with those who are not insane
enough to let their neighbors know of their
weakness rr time to commit them to an
asylum. Some time ago man called at 4
my office for dates Of an injury received by
a bucket falling from building in course
Of repair The injury was glancing one,
and took off part of the scalp on the top
and front part of the head. No conclusion
or shock followed. He is now preparing for
a suit for damages. In course of his re-
marks he declared that the injury had af-
fected his brain and left him in such state
that he might Kill me then If he should get
mad. / wish to tell you the only relation OF
his injury TO present mental condition is
injury to the brain; Impossible condi-
ton. He is insane upon the subject, and
hypnotically so. The poor man is prone to
go on with his auto-suggestion until he does
This is the form of insanity which has
produced our assassns-Guiteau. Mayor |
Harrisons murderer, etc. just to think, |
in this day OF learning. and no law 10 take |
hold OF people who are possessed of insane
threats against their brother or against
of suicide and its at |
tempts. We are in much need of statutory |
provisions for such people.
Even religion is not exempt from this |
disease Take the early days of persecu-
or VirchcFa n