The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-21
WAKE FOREST notes.
HYNoTiSM CONS,DsRsD PRANTI-
CALLY AND HISTORICALLY.
Officers Elected For Commencement;
Which Begins This Year May oath
1.-The Preacher Chosen-.Re-
yiuol
vivaI Services.


ciaD-The special interest of the college
community the past week has been hyp-
notism Mr.. Beverley, of Fredericks-
burg. Va, gave public demonstration of
the phenomena in the chapel on the even
ing of March -, and again March 10.
Besides, he hypnotized many persons
at his rooms at the hotel and at the
laboratory. Several of the college pro-
fessors showed special interest in the sub
ject and, with the assistance of DIR. Pow
ers, made physical tests of the hypnotic
condition, as for example the rightly of
the body and modification of the pulse,
respiration, and temperature.
The view that the successful operator
has an unusual supply of animal magnet
ism" or electricity in his person was test
ed with electrical apparatus by Prof.
Lanneau, with a negative result.
President Taylor on the evening of the
18th gave before the Wake Forest Scien-
tifc Society the lecture which had been
postponed from an earlier meeting, but
which gained n new interest following
so close upon the practical exhibition by
Mr.. Beverley. He sketched the history
of Hypnotism and set forth the four
theories which have been offered to &C
count for the phenomena, namely, the
supernatural theory, the animal magnet
ism, emanation, theory doth Of which
are discarded by scientific students of the
subject), the neurosis theory of Charcot
of Paris, and the suggestion theory of
Liebault of Nancy. DIR. Taylor then gave
in some detail with illustrations his own
working hypothesis. which conforms for
the most part of the Nancy school. He
held that in hypnosis the intellectual ia
culties proper were crowded into the
background aud the lower nerve centres
came prominently forward free from the
controlling and inhibitory influence Of the
higher centres. Zone loses his head, but
holds on to his spinal cord" Whatever
suggestion was made to the subject in this
condition was acted out by the lower
nerve centres without necessarily rising
into Consciousness. The conditions in the
subject were stained attention, willing
ness to undergo the experience. and ex-
pectancy. Passages of the hand Of the
operator about the head and face of the
subject and the penetrating eye were not
essential to inducing the hypnotic condi-
tfon. The fixing OF the eye and attention
of the subject upon any bright object
would suffice. Animals could be hypnot-
lied. At one time man named Wilson
had hypnotized all the animals in the
London Zoo from the elephant down. He
had himself got not a little sport when
boy by hypnOtizing the old rooster i'm
the yard DR.. Taylor closed with the
statement that all Intelligent persons
ought to study these deeply interesting
matters, especially physicians, for in the
near future hypnotism would come to be
recognized as an indispensable therapeu-
tic agent, and added practical suggestion
against allowing oneself to be too often
ST would allow no man to
trifie with my neroons system"
The Literary Societies have elected
the following commencement marshals:
Eu., Messrs. John Brewer, of Wake For
est, Will Baldwin. of Savannah, and
Charlie Heck, of Raleigh; Phi, Messrs.
Il. B. Gresham, of Charlotte, A. J. Ter
rell, of Mcdowell, and l.. Larkins, OF
Fender The marshals gave their an
nual treat on last Saturday evening in
the chapel. when Messrs Caudle, R. I'll.
Mcneil, J. G. Mcneil, and Robt. Law
renee and Professors Paschal and Poteat
made brief addresses.
DR. +. G. Mcconnell. of Lynchburg,
Va, will preach the sermon to the grad
uating class. Commencement week be-
gins this year on Monday, May "a.
Solicitor Walter e. Daniel, Of Weldon,
visited Wake Forest this week. He
graduated here with highest distinction
in '7S.
Special religious services begin here to-
morrow DIR. w. e. Hatcher, of Rich
mond, is expected to arrive on the 22nd
to preach for DR.. Gwaltney.