The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15

proclivities we'll marked, could be- be-
cause: l. A person cannot be hypno-
tized against his will 9 A person so
hypnotized is not absolutely and in all
things under the domination of the will
of the hypnotist.
These two statements accepted, /
think throws hypnotism out of criminal
Jurisprudence"
Thompson Jay Hudson, while con-
ceding that persons in a hypnotic state
are constantly amenable to control by
suggestion, denies that hypnotism has
any place in crime.
James r. Cocks, NJ. D., in his recent
work says that he does not believe that
the average individual in the hypnotic
state could be made to commit crime.
In a discussion on this subject in the
Medico-Legal Congress DR.. William Lee
Howard of Baltimore, in speaking of
the experiments he had made in Bal
timore, says he has repeatedly at
tempted to induce subjects to make fe
lonious attacks on persons under the
| most aggravating circumstances with
! out securing the least indication of
obedience. He says further:
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION Diff
CULT.
For instance, while my subjects
would stab right and left with paper
placed within their hands they have in
variably refused to use it. I account for
this on the ground that a person in the
active hypnotic state possesses a dual
existence, and is perfectly conscious of
what he is doing. In most cases he VIII
carry out the expressed wish of the
operator, provided it does not affront
his sense of propriety or seriously cross
his ideas of right and wrong.
For several years | have made use
of hypnotism in surgical practice, and
my experience in this direction leads me
to the conclusion that hypnosis is men
tai state rather than a physical condi-
tion-such, for instance, as ether ana
Chloroform narcosis. Time and again
have | had patients, who responded 70
all the tests of hypnotic anaesthetsla
before the operation, when called upon
to face the actual ordeal come out Of
the hypnotic state, the fear of the opera
ton being a stronger suggestion than
that of the operator, consequently the
|
self preservation, which is never set
aside, even in the profoundest hypnotic
state
In conclusion, let me reiterate my
basal proposition. Given criminal or
immoral subject and a hypnotist OF like
character, and criminal or immoral re-
suits may be obtained"
DR.. L. 0. B. Wingate, late Health
Commissioner of Milwaukee, Wis, and
Vice-Chairman Section on Psychology.
MedicoLegal Society, in a valuable
paper read before the International
Medico- Legal Congress at Chicago, Au
gust, 1898. entitled Suggestion Not
Hypnotic and Crime" summarized his
conclusions as follows:
CRIME MAY BE INDUCED.
Il. There are many persons who are
on the border line of responsibility.
y. Such persons only need certain
forms Of suggestion to cause them to
commit criminal acts.
80. Suggestions of crime are largely
disseminated by published sensational
accounts of criminal acts and evil do
ings, and by certain pictures posted in
public places.
II Suggestion of crime is often conta
gious among a certain number of per
sons possessing partially unbalanced
minds.
-. Organized effort can do much to
prevent crime, by investigation and
study of the phenomena of criminal suy-
gestion.
Sc Efforts should be made to suppress
and regulate the production of the large
amount of unhealthy suggestion now
being disseminated, and such work is
as important and promises as good re-
suits as the efforts being put forth to
control contagious physical diseases
Dr. T. D. Crothers of Hartford, one
of the Vice-Chairmen of the Psychology
cal Section, Medico-Legal Society, in ar
| article entitled "Hypnotism," says: Il
am inclined to doubt this power to make
person do a criminal act, unless the
mind is already criminal in it's in
| stincts."
On the same subject Thomson Jay
Hudson of the Washington bar, author
of the Law of Psychic Phenomena."
and other works, has contributed a
valuable paper upon the Legal Status
of Hypnotism in Medical Jurispru
| dence."
| Hudson adopts Berheim's definition of
lhypnotism as the induction of a pecul-
lar physical condition, which increases
the susceptibility to suggestion" with
one modification, viz: substituting the
word induces" for increases"
Hudson accepts Liebaults views as