The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15
BASIS OF HYPNOTISM.
Hypnotic Suggestion In Determining
Criminal Responsibility.
Learned Authorities Declare That a
Criminal Hypnotist Can Influ-
ence a Criminal.

problems of hypnotism. We see with
the same and even more interest the
phenomena of the hypnotic trance now
than we did in the earlier experiments
of the middle and later years of our
century.
The fermentation of popular thought
regarding it has kept in advance OF
scientific conclusion for the past fifty
years and has been nearer right than
the scientists as a rule. The vacilla-
ton of the French Academy regarding
the truth of hypnosis under another
name was as remarkable as the YER
satility of the French Academy of Med
icine, which now accepts the hypnotic
trance as an established scientific fact,
and the therapeutic value of hypnosis
on the continent of Europe is hardly
questioned in the more advanced cir
cles at all.
That such is perhaps not the fact as
to medical opinion this side of the At
lantic is due to a variety of causes.
Among these l will notice two that
have brought hypnotism into dispute
among US.
First, the travelling hypnotists, who
have made exhibitions and have as a
rule and with scarcely an exception
been frauds, hiring and using their
trained subjects from purely mercenary
motives, and when exposed have, of
course, brought discredit upon the
whole subject among the better classes
of our people.
Second, the medical profession have
as a rule substantially rejected or ig-
nored hypnosis in their practice Few
of the ADLER men who know Of it's great
value in therapeutics go so far as to
use it with their patients.
How many medical men in this city
practice hypnotism?
They would nearly all vote for law
that no one but a medical man should
be allowed to use it, without reflect
ing that to execute such law in New
York would practically be to abolish
hypnotism almost absolutely.
A keen medical observer tells me that
not one physician in a thousand in New
York practices hypnotic suggestion, but
he is wrong. Many do it privately who
have not the courage to publicly an
nounce it.
The public have. as they suppose,
the right to ask medical men to exam
inc and pass upon this question for
AIttitis bul lneE nave IUOheQ III vain IOI
light from this source.
HYPNOSIS IN AMERICA.
Carl SeXtus gives me his views on
This subject as follows:
There are two elements in American
social life antagonistic to the recogni-
ton of hypnosis.
First and foremost I place the medi-
cal profession. AS a rule physicians
very rarely and except in isolated in
stances know anything whatever about
the subject. They have never studied
it. They have never taken the necessary
preliminary steps to know how to hyp-
Dotize any one. AS a general rule %
per cent. of the medical profession have
never hypnotized a subject. So far as
my experience and observation among
medical men are concerned on this side
OF the Atlantic, those who know least
of the subject are the ones who usually
denounce ii most
For example, 1 read in a New York
paper in an account of the proceedings
before the Psychological Section of the
MedicoL Legal Society criticisms by DR..
II. w. Mitchell and DR.. Bettini di Noise
Assuming that the subjects of DR..
Simon and DR.. Wines We're shammng,
which is substantially denial of the
existence of the true hypnotic trance
learn on inquiry that While those sub
jects We're examined by a committee OF
at least five physicians who were pres
ent, Dr. II. W. Mitchell declined to make
any examination.
of what value is his opinion as to
their condition as against the five medi-
cal gentlemen who did examine?
I venture to assert that neither DR.
Di Noise nor DR.. Mitchell ever hypno-
tized a subject in his life and that while
they might not have the courage to deny
the therapeutic value Of hypnosis in q
large class of mental and nervous dis
turbances. or its value in surgical treat
ment. because it is now everywhere
practised by surgeons of position, still
they would, if closely questioned, prob
ably confess that they did not believe il
the existence of the hypnotic trance.
These observations could not be just
~ applied to the medical profession
abroad. Medical men of the highest
character and standing throughout Con
tinental Europe recognize and acknow-
ledge not only the existence of true hyp-
nosis, but its great therapeutic and sur
gical value.
The other class is the general public
who have been SO much imposed upor
by charlatans ard travelling fakrs ana
.nisled by the absolute ignorance of theil
medical advisers that they have beer
led to distrust the whole subject Hyp
motto science in America thus rests
under the shadow cast upon il by tbs
ignorance of a profession whose duty
1t is clearly to examine and practice it
and who have not hesitated in neglect
ing this, their plain duty. TO throw theil
influence against recognized scientffi.
truth"
STUDY OF HYPNOSIS.
The psychological section of the Med
ico-Legal Society decided TO take UP this
study as one of the legitimate and i'm
portant subjects of inquiry. The aim.
and objects OF that section have beer
stated at the last Medico-Legal Con
gress as follows:
The domain of investigation which
the psychological section of the Medico
Legal Society had undertaken in thi.
department had been subdivided by it.
officers into five branches or subdivis
ions-viz:
i. Mental suggestion. and especially
Of physicians. as TO experiments in prac
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