The record-union., 1896-12-14
HYPNOTIC SLEEP CURE.
Diseases May be Cured Without Medi-
cine.
Scenes in the "Sleep Room' of the
New York OSt-Graduate
Hospital.


York Post Graduate Hospital. The hos
pital authorities have officially named
it the ''sleep-room."
To the patients it is the room of mys-
terry. 1t is the home of a new and
modern method of treatment. a method
which promises to become before many
years one Of the greatest aids to medi-
cal science that has ever been con-
ceived
1t is here that the much scoffed at
hypnotic power proves to be blessing
to the afflicted. Pain is hanished and
pleasure takes its place. The most dis
tressing operation becomes to the suf-
ferer matter of congratulation.
DR.. William P. Wilkin, who is we'll
versed in modern thought as it relates
to medical science, has made a special
study of the "sleep-rOom' and it's eff
fects. The facts that are stated in this
article, SO far as regards the technical
details of the treatment. were told the
writer by Or. Wilken. They are strange,
indeed, illustrating, as they do, what
was long considered the fanciful theory
that the influence of mind over matter
and mind over mind could be brought
to the aid of the disciples of Galen.
There is nothing in the first glance at
the "sleep room" which indicates that
anything of an unusual nature happens
there. 1t is very plainly furnished.
being practically bare of everything but
benches along the WALL a few comfort
able chairs and several screens. A dis
tinct method lies in this plainness. for
exceeding care is taken that there shall
be nothing in the room to distract the
patients attention in the least from the
person from whom the hypnotic sug-
gestion comes. 1t is essential to sue
cessful hypnotism, of course, to con-
centrate the patients attention.
II may say" said DR.. Wilkin, that
my experience in treating a certain line
of diseases has been such that the pre-
judice first felt in employing this method
"a prejudice quite prevalent among the
profession In this country-has been en-
tirely removed, and I fully believe in
the benefits to be derived by hypnotic
suggestion properly employed. Hypno-
tism has great value in treating GER
tain diseases, though it's place in thera-
peutics is peculiar. My feeling is that
it's value Is more striking in it's effects
than wide in applicability.
There are many conditions. mental.
moral and physical, to be met among
the sick and to be combatted by one
method or another. These conditions,
some of them, cannot be met by ordi-
nary therapeutical resources, and they
make the successful management of a
case ofttimes most perplexing.
1.-The method / employ for inducing
the hypnotic sleep is the one in most
general use, and is commonly referred
to as 'Bernheim's method 1t is very
simple. In the first place, it is so ar
ranged, as far as possible, that every
condition will favor the development
Of the thought we wish should dominate
the patient-namely, that he go to sleep.
To this end then must be considered
the mental state of the patient, the at
titude of the operator, and the en-
vironment. 1t is my opinion that re-
volving discs, or any method of SEEM
ing mystery, employed for the purpose
of inducing hypnotic sleep, are an impo-
sition on the patient. l prefer to in
fuence him b yappealing only to his
confidence and intelligence.
1T is explained, then, to the patient
that, for the proper treatment of his
disease he is to be hypnotiZed; that
the treatment, it is believed, will be ef-
fectual in it's results, and that certainly
there is nothing unpleasant in the en-
ployment of it. His nervousness and
any scruples or fears are overcome by
a reasonable explanation of our object
and method, or by any means suitable
to individual cases. We aim to secure
his entire confidence and to place him
at ease.
THE attitude of the operator only
need be quiet, confident and firm-any
nervousness or agitation. or uncertainty
on his part is communicated immedi-
ately to the subject. There should be
no noise in the room, and it is probably
more favorable to have the room some
what darkened.
Then the patient is placed in chair
sufficiently easy to produce no physical
constraint; his head rests against the
back of the chair, or against the wall,
he is directed to fix his eyes upon some
object which is held up before his face.
or upon any object in the room. And
so, having the patient in mental and
physical condition favorable to the hyp
motto state, he is told quietly, repeat
edly and firmly, to go to sleep His
brow is usually stroked. In a short
time his eyes look sleepy. his eyelids
become heavy and tremulous. He is
then commanded to close his eyes. The
hand of the operator is passed gently
over his eyelids, and the patient is in
formed that he cannot open his eyes
until he is told to do 50. In almost
every case the patient will be in the
first stage of hypnotic sleep.
I'VE find it best only to make one or
two suggestions, repeated over and over
several times at one seance. At the
next treatment another suggestion is
added and repeated with the first one
made. In this way the condition of
the patient is gradually corrected. The
duration of sleep varies from ten min
utes to half an hour or more. To end
the sleep. patients are simply COM
manded to waken.''
The length of time which a subject
is allowed to remain IN the hypnotic
sleep varies from five minutes to half
an hour. A longer period than this is
necessary in special cases where the
patient is particularly nervous or ex-
hausted from pain or overwrought from
delusions that people want to injure
him. A case in which it was found
necessary to supplement- the hypnotic