The San Francisco call., 1896-03-18
Claims He Used Hypnotism to
Relieve a Stenographer of
Writer'S Cramp.
WAS THE SUBJECT ASLEEP 2
DR.. Abraham Says She Was, but Miss
Rae Alexander, the Defendant,
Denies the Allegation.

at is my vish," was the exclamation of
DR.. Albert Abrahams who played the part
of medical Svengali in the presence of
Miss Rae Alexander who had come to him
for medical treatment. His wish was that
should disappear and he claims his wish
was carried out, but the young lady dis
putes the claim and the result is that she
is now defendant i'll an action brought
by the doctor to recover for professional
services which he alleges are reasonably
worth $100.
Miss Alexander, pretty, vivacious
young woman, is by profession stem
ographer, and in order to carry on her
business it is necessary that she should be
MIN BILE with the fingers in order to place
on paper the many signs that represent
the spoken words of others.
This requirement she fulfilled until some
time ago, when she was stricken with
''pen paralysis" which is sometimes
called writers cramp." She visited sew
eral physicians, who prescribed the old
time remedies and treatment for the
trouble, but as they did not afford her the
sought-for relief, she, in company with
his Office on Geary street and asked what
he could do toward giving her relief
The doctor, who is close student and a
believer in hypnotism as remedial
agent expressed the opinion that he could
make her regain the use of her hand if she
would follow the course he suggested.
The lady, anxious to try any ism" that
would give her the opportunity TO earn
her living, consented to place herself uh-
der his treatment. There were number
of visits to the Office, the application OF
that mysterious force that enables one to
take possession of the mind of another,
the placing of Miss Alexander in condi-
ton, so it is claimed, that she was no
longer mistress of her actions and did only
what the doctor wished; and at the end
of the Svengali seances the doctor told her
that she no longer had pain.
At the last seance the doctor presented
the sequel to hypnotism in the shape of
bill for $50 for professional services. Miss
Alexander demurred, asserting that she
was not free from pain and could not re-
sumo her usual vocation, while the doc
tor asserted that the writers cramp" ex-
listed only in her imagination. The doc
tor wanted his fee; Miss Alexander put
down her foot and said NO." and her
friends supported her in her determine
tion to resist payment. The result Is the
suit alluded to.
"This action" said DR.. Abrahams last
evening, sis only s. matter of principle
with me. 1t is not the amount of money
that care for, but 1 performed services
for the lady, cured her. and 1 am entitled
to my fee. / am aware that it will cost
me more than the amount of the bill, but
am moved to act In this case by pure
principle.
This young lady," continued the doc
tor, ''was suffering from writer's cramp
when she called on me first, and the attack
was so bad that she could only make
scrawls on paper. l treated her by hyp-
notism, with the result that when ceased
my treatment she was able to write as we'll
as ever.
~ do not care to enter into the details
of this new treatment at this time, as that
will all come out in court when the case
comes up for trial; but can say that this