The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-19
OGDEN DEPT.
RERHLD eRHNcH OFFICE.
5l3 UTAH LOAN & TRUST BUILDING.
Ogden. September 10.
HYPNOTIC REFoRM NATION.

DR.. De Monco has theory that it is
possible to reform criminals and pre-
vent crime by hypnotic power.
He is convinced that crime is the re-
suit of a disease of the brain and that
it is possible to arrest and prevent the
pernicious effects of this disease by
turning the person against himself. >
as he puts it.
His plan is to subject the patient to
hypnotic influence, and while under the
control of the operator. to suggest or
impress upon the mind of the individ-
ual that it is wrong to do certain
things, and that such impressions will
be lasting, and when temptation
comes the influence for good which the
hypnotist impaired will arise and ar
rest itself
For the purpose of demonstrating his
theory in a practical way the doctor
came up from Salt Lake City Tues
day evening and went out to- the Re
form school, where, in the presence or
the board of directors and several
newspaper men. he operated on two
inmates.
Rosa Peterson is a bright little girl
of about y years of age, who is con-
fined in the reformatory because she
will persist in picking up things that
do not belong to her.
She said she wanted to reform and
was willing TO undergo the test.
The doctor placed her upon chair
and gave her a bright piece of metal,
which she held in her hand and gaZed
at intently for few moments, when
she elapsed into a sound sleep, or what
appeared to be sleep, although she
was able to converse and would do
anything which the doctor told her to
do.
He gave her drink of water and
told her it was good water and she
said it was all right, and the next mo-
ment from the same Elass he gave her
another drink and tCN her it was bad,
very nasty, bitter as gall, and she be-
gan to spit and sputter as though she
had swallowed a very bitter dose, de-
claring that it was awful bad.
He snapped his fingers and she opened
her eyes and gazed intently at his fin
ger, and no matter how fast he
moved it she would follow it with her
eyes and even arose and followed him
about the room, utterly oblivious to all
else save that moving finger, upon
which her gaze was riveted.
She relapsed into a sound sleep at
moments warning, and while SUM
hering told how bad she had been and
promised never to do so any more.
The doctor next experimental on
colored boy, William Russell, about IA
years of age. This boy went to sleep
in a moment and did not arouse even
to answer questions. His arm was
extended at right angle to his body
and at word of command became
rigid and remained extended for TWEEN
tY minutes. While under the spell the
doctor commanded him to reform and
never steal any more, after which he
was awakened, after considerable diff
Guilty. He declared he could remem-
Der nothing after he went to sleep, The
two patients were very different. The
little girl could remember all that was
said and done while under the influ-
ence. Both were very much impressed
with the performance and the doctor
has hopes that his attempt will prove
beneficial, and if it does, few impress
sions, he thinks, will serve to destroy
all tendency to commit theft.
The effect of the test, of course, will
not be apparent for some time, al
though yesterday there was reason to
believe that it had done some good, as
the girl was very careful about what
she did and the colored boy was not
entirely recovered from his trance of
the night before. His sleep was so
deep and sound that it seemed hard
for him to get out from under the in
fuence of the spell. If this first les
son is at all beneficial, other tests will
be made in the hope that it may work
a complete cure.
SO far as known this is the first in
stance on record where hypnotism has
been tried as a preventative Of crime.