The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-20
EYPNOTIZED BY A SNAKE.
An American Explorers Marrow Es-
cape In an Amazon Forest.


What in modern days we have called
hypnotism is a thing which, under one
name or another, or unnamed, has ex-
listed as long as animate life in the
world said Dr. A. c. Brayman, who
has devoted considerable study to hyp
notism, both as an abstract science and
in it's bearing on medical practice,
quotes the New York Sun. In the
most ancient histories we have evil
Gences Of this force in the belief in the
power of certain men to bewitch 9TH
ers, which in the Latin races survives
in the fear of the evil eye. And from
the earliest times in civilized rural
communities, as among all savage peo-
pies, the belief in witch dOctorS-men
and women who cure ailments by in
carnations of one sort or another-has
prevailed. No doubt these occult heal
ers often accomplish all they profess,
and the secret of the cure is the hyp-
motto influence they exercise upon the
mind of the patient.
In lower forms of animal life we
find manifestations of this power in
the charming of birds and animals by
snakes. The thing that led me first TO
study this subject was when in boy
hood L saw a frog fascinated by a
snake. The snake, which was about
three feet in length, of a non-YenomouS
species, lay coiled by the roadside, it's
head resting upon it's coils, the forked
tongue darting from the mouth, while
its eyes were fixed on the frog, which
sat motionless gazing on the snake a
foot away. This was as they were
when [ found them; how they came
| together l could not tell. There appar-
emily was nothing to prevent the frog
from hopping away out of danger, but
he chose to squat there within reach
of his inveterate enemy. l had an err
rand that took me a mile beyond. l
left the two as they were, did my er-
rand and hurried back The snake had
retreated into the long grass, where I
found it with the frog, half swallowed,
in it's mouth; the frog7 was fully alive,
but was making no resistance or at
tempt to get away from the snake.
CHARMED BY A SNAKE.
Ten years later, on the Amazon
river l had startling evidence of the
hypnotizing power of the snake family.
In my occupation ofm collecting bird
skins for mounting l was threading a
forest path, carrying in my hand a
gun loaded with very fine bird shot,
while my Indian guide followed, car
rying a heavier gun charged with buck
j
upon deer or jaguar A bird of
brilliant plumage flew into a tree which
overhung the path, and as / peered
into the foliage trying to discern the
bird | became aware of something
swaying before my eyes and a flashing
of priSmatic colorS, producing on me
something of the impression of a
kaleidoscope. SO unobtrusively had
/ this thing come into view that it
daWned only slowly on my mind, pre-
/ occupied with the search for the bird,
! that the object so softly reaching
toward me was the head and six feet
of the neck and body of an enormous
water boa. From it's mouth the forlSed
{ tongue was shooting and vibrating and
changing lights We're from it's eyes
bent on me. With my cooked gun in
my hand 1 did not think to use it or
run away. but stood gazing, literally
! spellbound, as the snake, slipping from
the Dough on which it lay advanced
/ it's head toward me.
Il heard my guide shout from behind
me. The snakes head drew back with
an angry hiss as the Indian crowded
4 past me, raising his gun to his shoulder
as he did so, and with the loud crack
4 crack! of the two barrels he seized me
with both arms and rushed nae away
from the place. Then l saw the snake
which had dropped from the tree
Writhing and twisting in the path
an immense fellow, % feet long and OF
/ girth in proportion. It's head was
shattered by the two charges of buck
shot, but the commissions of the body
were enough to show the rep
tiles enormous strength and give ms
an idea of how [ should have fareC
if once it had thrown its coils around
me. The boa would have done this in
/ a few moments more the guide told
me, and if he had not rushed to my
! aid l would have stood still, fascinated
1 and never stirred to avoid my fate In
other words, the snake had charmed
or hypnotized me beyond all power OF
resistance ot retreat.
A MURDER PREVENTED.
The two episodes just related were
in my own experience. A third case
Illustrating the human power of hyp-
nothing, occurred with a friend Of
mine named Jerome Parker, who, al
the time, was residing as sheep ranch
man in the Argentine Republic. He
had in some way offended a gaucho, as
the cowboys OF the pampas are called
a race of wild riders of mixed Spanish
and Indian descent, with the vengefu
and bloodthirsty characteristics of botI
strains of anceStry-unknoWn to my
friend, the gaucho had determined tC
kill him. The time and place that he
selected for carrying out his design was
a holiday festival in a little plaza towr
called Santa Clara. Parker was there
but, as after the fashion of ranchmer
at that time in the Dampas, he carried
pistol in open view, and, moreover
had friends with him likewise armed
the gaucho thought it too risky to try
the business with his knife, and so hi
resorted to the other deadly weapon
the lasso. But to use this effectively
it was necessary to catch my friend of
his guard, and the first effort of thu
gaucho was to engage his attention.
During the first part of the day
there were tricks and games by horse
men and other performances in skill Il
amuse the crowd. At last the gaucht
referred to-, dismounting from his hOrs
and taking his position in front of Par
ker, began a performance with hi
lasso. He had two musicians as &C
companiStS, and, to the strains of ;
weird air played in slow time on a gui
tar and an Indian drum, he made tn
rope writhe and roll on the ground be
fore him in endless coils like q thin.
alive, then swung it above his head il
loops and sDirals, his feet at the sam
time keeping step, and with lasso still
twirling he set foot into his Stirrup AM
swung himself upon his horses back
then, as the crowd about gazed in rap
ture at this strange performance, tn
Iasso suddenly shot forth, straight q
an arrow from his hand, and the loo
4 settled about the shoulders of Parker
With a yell the gaucho wheeled hi