The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-20
THE SUBTLE FORCE
OF HYPNOTlSM
Now Successfully Used In th: Practice
Of Medicine.
EXPERIENCES OF THE PHYSICIANS
Beneficial Uses Of the Power Whose
Existence Tens Of Thousands Still
Deny..A Professor Who Mcddled
With . Professional Hypn0tist.

According 10 the sun, hypnotism IN
New York has broken out In epidemic
form. 1t says: Public interest In the
mysterious agency has been aroused
locally by the exhibitions Of profession
al hypnotists now performing at places
Of amusements, and there have fol-
lowed all kinds Of experiments by tyros
who find enjoyment in the exercise OF
a power which Is by no means devoid
OF an element Of danger. Outbreaks OF
interest In the matter have been peri
odical here, and when the excitement
hase died out and the parlor expert
ments have become mere memories,
those who are really making any scien-
tific use OF hypnotism keep right on at
their work and study in this compara-
lively unknown force. turning 1t to
what account they can. These are
mostly physicians.
People in general are divided into
three classes Of belief, or disbelief, of
the subject; those who utterly refuse to
admit that there is any such thing as
hypnotism, those who regard 1t as q
form OF necromancy, o weird and un-
canny supernatural power given to q
few persons of demoniac tendencies,
and those who, recognizing 1t as q
psychic force. seek to establish 1t by
experimentation as a branch of science
Even though scientific men now admit,
practically without exception, the ex-
istence of this power, there are thou
sands Of intelligent people who regard
1t as q pure fake. Undoubtedly the
performances OF many self-styler mes
merists, animal magnetists. and elec-
tro biologists, who travel about chiefly
In small towns, giving exhibitions with
two or three confederates, are largely
responsible for this skepticism. In this
country, where There are no laws
against the practice of hypnotism, as
there are In many European lands, any
person who chooses may set up as a
hypnotist. real or pretended. Outside,
the many pretenders, there are three
classes who perform, or attempt, hyp-
notism: the physicians, who make use
OF hypnotism in their practice; the pro.
fessionals, who really possess to a
marked degree the power of exerting
this influence over others. and the anna :
teurs. who attempt 1t for fun.
USED BY DOCTORS.
The physicians who use 1t are prob
ably the largest class of the three. II
must not be supposed. however that
these doctors are the ones who adyer-
tise themselves as magnetizers. On the
contrary, they are, as q rule, 10th to
nave 1t known that they exert hypnotic
innuence In certain cases, because Of
the prevailing prejudices against it,
ana OF the belief of many that any
doctor who claims the power is a quack.
Yet hundreds Of reputable and respect
ed physicians In this city employ hyp-
nosls not only In cases Of nervous
trouble but also as an anaesthetic in
surgical cases. This was done success
rolly forty years ago by the famous
surgeon. Esdaile. 1t has been done re-
Gently by DR.. George +. Shrady for
surgical operations, and in cases Of
nerve or brain trouble. DR.. Starr, DR..
hammond. DIR. r. Osgood Mason, and
many others of their high standing
have found 1t effective where other
remedies had failed.
a typical case In surgery was that
OF woman in one Of the hospitals
here who was obliged TO UNDERGO a
painful operation on the thigh. DR..
Shrady was to perform the operation.
For certain reasons, concerning a con-
stttutional popularity Of the patient, 1t
was deemed inadvisa BILE to give her any
anaesthetic. She dreaded the pain of
the operation, which was not a danger
Gus one, and begged the physician to
give her something to deaden the pain.
II occurred to his mind that being Of a
high-strung nervous temperament, she
might be susceptible to hypnosis, and
Derore the time set for the operation
ne experimented on her with the result
Of finding her an easy subject TO hyp-
notice to an extent, although she did
not fall into the profound condition of
somnambulism often seen in these
cases When the time for the operation
came and the patient was put upon the
table. DR.. Shrady said to her:
Now. will tell you when we are 60
Ing to begin. but first we must prepare
the instruments and bandages, and
while we are doing that you must lie
perfectly still and not raise your head"
At the same time he made passes
down her face and across her forehead
until she became tranquil Making
sure that she could not see what he was
doing, he took up his knife and made
an incision, saying:
Now. ! am preparing by fixing the
bandages on the place. You feel no
pain"
Speaking thus to her as he cut and
probed, he went through the entire on.
Grafton. the patient under his assur-
ances that there was no pain, suffered
nothing. After the operation was over
she asked:
When are you going to begin to cut
In many surgical cases trials of hyp-
notizing rail-. the patient returning to
the normal condition under the pain of
the operation. but the attempt is sue
cessful In SO many cases that 1t Is q fire.
Quent resort of surgeons under circum-
stances where the use Of drug anaes-
thetics is impfacticable.
FOOLISH PREJUDICE.
Prejudice against the employment OF
this agency in such cases is foolish"
says DR.. Shrady. "Often hypnosis is
preferable to anaesthetics IL it can be
successfully used, as there is no danger
OF effects provided the physician under
stands the practice"
Nervous diseases are very often treat
ed with the greatest success by hypno-
tizing. Hysteria, hypochondria, ner-
vous prostration. insomnia, and even
such obstinate diseases as St. Vitus'
dance and dicsomania have been cured
by 1t. A well known nervous special
list OF this city. whose name is not men,
TONED because the parents of the pa
tient In the case were not told by what
means their daughter was cured, effect
ed complete cure in the case of q
young girl afflicted with st. Vitus'
dance by repeated hypnotizations.
Little by little through his insistent
suggestion and command to the patient
while in the hypnotic condition she
gave over her twitching and jerking.
After each visit 20 his office there was
a DerceDtible decrease in the malady
and the girl Is now completely cured.
But the repeated hypnosis left an after
effect upon the girls mind. SO that now,
whenever she sees the physician,
whether on the street afar of, or in a
room, her ewes become fixed. and she
moves toward him like q fascinated be-
ing. 1t Is, in fact. q case Of self hyp-
nosis consequent unon the mental i'm
preston associating the physician with
that state. In time 1t probably will
wear off. In other cases this same doc
tor has failed signally to cure the same
disease by the same means. Another
up town doctor for several years now
has treated an old colored woman. who
has been a servant In his family for