The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-21

ly induces the subject to think Of sleep,
and with the thought comes slumber
1t simply amounts to this: Sense ard
activity are Subtracted from the SUBJ
Ject's mind, and in their place is sleep.
That is all there is of it, Once the
subject accepts the suggestion of the
operator, 1t naturally follows that he
Will accept suggestions other than those
which are first given. Yet, according
to my belief. it is absolutely impossible
to make person who is hypnotized
+ perform a crime. No person can be
hypnOtiZed against his will / am
fully aware that in saying this, partic-
ularly the first assertion made, L am
contradicting generally accepted be.
liefs. Yet | do not hesitate to say
what I have said Is not only true, but
that the statement is the result OF
thorough. extensive and complete in
vestigation and experiment It is no
deduction from theory, but fact, fact
fact.
You ask me why a man cannot be
induced to commit crime while under
the influence Of hypnosis Simply be-
cause the power of the hypnotist does
not extend that far A person may be
made to become thoroughly insensible
to pain, and his mind may be turned
in various directions, up to a certain
limit, but that limit reached, then a
halt must be called or rather, the
hypnotist finds himself incapable OF
forcing further action on the part of
his subject. Truly, he may make the
subject think of crime by offering such
a suggestion, but he cannot force him
to commit action Of that sort
1T Is very plain to the hypnotist who
has given the subject thought and
who has tested his ideas by experiment
that hypnosis as applied to women to
relieve them of frightful pain is or
inestimable value. For instance, in
the matter of therapeutics, it is eX-
ceedingly useful. You see, for GEN.
turtles it has been admitted that there
was no medicine that eQualed sleep.
Therefore the doctor who can place
his patient at a critical time under the
influence Of hypnosis, is really giving
her an opportunity to find in that
blessed oblivion the relief that can be
gained in no other manner, except by
the use Of anodynes. 1 am sure that
there Is no woman who would object to
being placed under the influence Of
hypnosis If she understood how bene-
fetal it would be to her under such
circumstances.
Il do not hesitate to make the assertion
that hypnottSm Is of far greater benefit than
| the ordinary sleep. Neither sleep nor med
tcine can approach in power the effect of
thought reacting by suggestion upon the or
ganism. OF course, the hypnotized subject
is possessed of but single idea-whatever
may have been suggested by the hypnotist
II it be woman, she is practically isolated
mentally from the world about her. She pos
sesses no thought, no knowledge of the pain
she is really enduring. Under the influence,
then, Of this suggestion the nervous force of
the subject, liberated freely from or accu-
mulating in certain organs of the body, reacts
without hindrance upon the morbid affections
to which it is directed, and that often with
prodigious intensity which seems to work
miracles. The subject wakens at the proper
time at the suggestion Of the hypnotiSt, and
has no recollection or idea that she has been
subjected to a great physical strain.
1t is not true that hypnotism is danger
Gus, provided that the power Is exercised by
fit persons. But if the would-be hypnotist
is not a proper individual to use the wonder
full power then his influence is evil indeed.
L would say that the successful hypnotist
be sure Of success when he begins, and
above all things, be the possessor of a man
ner which Is persuasion itself. These quail
tiles insure any person the power to place
subject under the influence of hypnosis. Since
mankind has existed, they have voluntarily
put themselves into an ordinary Sleep There
is no difference in the way in which thew
enter induced slcep-if they wish it. The
hypnouzer is nothing in the world but an
Intermediary. He only helps his subjects to
go to Sleep just the subject enters into
slumber habitually each night
Much of what M. Liebault says Is like a.
revelation to those who have a mere super
hctal knowledge of hypnosis and what it
performs. Here his utterances are always
looked upon as being absolutely authoritative
The wave Of interest and investigation which
has swept over La Belle France has stirred
thousands to look into the mysteries which
Dr. Liebeault and his cGnfreres have long
studied. OF course, this portion of II relat-
ing TO the effect of hypnotism upon woman
Is put one of the ramificatfons of what seems
10 De science of tremendous import.