The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-30

Sometimes aud at Other Times Does
Not Know When She Sees-The Re
markabIe Test With the Fingers of the
Expert and What 1t Proves-Is Now in q
Hospital.
New York, July 2e.-The most remark
able case of dual consciousness known TO
contemporary science is now undergoing
treatment at Bingnampton On. " state
Hospital.
The patent is a tnirteen-year-old girl
Her frs. name is Dora Her last name
is kept secret, inasmuch as her parents
who belong to prominent family in the
interior OF the state, are anxious 70
avoid all unnecessary publicity.
For some years prior to March she
had attended school in her own town.
She had made fair progress. But she
had long been subject 10 hysterical al
lacks, which at asst became so frequent
and SO violent that her parents were
forced to discontinue her studles. IN
Anr;l she went TO the State Hospital for
treatment. She has improved rapidly
In a month or so the authorizes expect
to discharge her as cured.
DR.. White, the al.enist, who mas spe-
cial charge of the department. OF nerV-
ous and mental diseases. has made
series of experiments upon the cniid
which are full OF the greatest interest
and scientific value. These experiments
have been conducted both when she was
awake and when the doctor had put her
into hypnotic sleep. He diagnoses
bar case as one of double Consciousness
She can carry on simultaneously two
mental processes. resulting in duaiity OF
actions. Yet only one Of these processes
g conscious: the other is automatic, or
sub-conscious.
The first discovery made by the doctor
was that fler range Of vision was ap-
parently limited Yet 1t was only APP
narently so. There is no lesion OF 'he
eve no defect in the pupil or retlna.
Nevertheless al a particular point "here
objects ought to be visible to person
Of average sight, she is totally unapfe
m distinguish them. The truth is mat
at this point the nerves or slght make
their appeal only to the seH-consclous
Salf and not to the conscious. Tnere-
FIRE she is not aware Of the fact wnicn
none the less is a fact. that she dc'-
ually does see at this point.
Now, in order to prove this, the the
doctor holds UP two. three or -FOUR mn
gers. as the case may be, outside or the
range of her conscious vision. yet with
in the limit Of her actual vision He
asks her if she sees his fingers The
rznlv Is NO Then he tells hef 10
close her eyes and guess the number that
he has held up.
She invariably "guesses" correctly
She AYERS that she names the first num-
her that comes into her mind. But
how does that number always happen
70 De correct? The doctor explains this
on the theory that she had actually seen
the fingers when her eyes were opened.
but the vision had not been realized by
her conscious self, but only by the sub
conscious. The blindness, in other
words. is purely mental. She sees, but
she is not conscious that she sees. Her
sub-conscious self, however, takes note
of the objects in the area that is blind
one to the principal personality.
The first experiment proved that the
suh-consc.ous state can be made 10 act
upon the conscious one. The second ex-
pertinent which now follows is TO prove
that the conscious state can similarly
be made TO act upon the sub-conscious.
The patient is again blindfolded. Her
right hand is made to rest upon piece
OF paper on the table. She Is asked to
think OF name. She announces that
She has done So The doctor quickly
slips a pencil into her hand. In few
moments she begins 10 write a name.
When she has finished the bandage is
taken off her eyes ana she is asked TO
look at what she has written. She can
not remember that she has written any
thing. but she acknowledges that the
name on the paper is the name she had
in mind. Consequently that name has
passed from her conscious 20 her self
conscious SELF.
Experiment number three shows both
sides Of her consciousness working sim
ultaneously. each without sny knowledge
Of the other. She IS given a book 10
doctor. passing behind her. thrusts a
pencil into her hand. and in a low tone
of voice asks question. She does not
interrupt her reading for a moment.
But simultaneously with the reading her
hand writes the answer 10 the doctors
question. Other questions follow and
are answered in the same way. Here
= is evident that the two sides of her
consciousness are employed at the same
time. While one is reading, the other
is writing. But the girl herself is
aware % the fact that she is reading
Sac has a perfect understanding Of the
subject. But she has absolutely no
knowledge of the fact that she is writ
ing
Another series OF experiments has
been tired with the child in the hypnotic
state. DR.. White holds shat she fact
Of Doras being good subject for hyp-
notes proves tina, her brain is radically
sound Sane people. he says. are easily
hypnotizei insane people not. 'Ot
couTs. much depends upon the ability
and the personality Of the hypno;izer.
But a skillful operator can hypnotize
over Ninety per cent ~ sane people.
on the o7aer hand, the mos: skillful can
not hypnotize one ot a hundred Inmates.
For there must be the willing co-opera-
ton ot the patien; from star; - finish.
ana this cooperation csn no; exist in
the case Of an insane person
In the hypnotic state Dora Is con-
scious only 81 the presence - Dr..
White. unless ne points out - her the
existence otothsr byscaniers She IS
made 10 memcrze a sentence. and then
told that On awskiag sac mus. write Il
SoH-n She IS oln informed hat she