Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-10

disturbance known as blushing as the
result OF shame or embarrassment; by
the sudden loss OF appetite at the It'd
ings of evil news; by the cessation of
the hearts action TO the degree of
fainting in fear; the effect of fear in
stimulating the. activity of the sweat
glands and the precipitation of an at
tack Of gcut through anger
Dr. Gehring invites the attention of
physicians to the practical application
of this hitherto vaguely recognized in
law psychologist access to and in
fuence upon the bodily functions
through the channels OF the mind
with reference to the alienation of
suffering and The curing of diseased
conditions There are not wanting
illustrations of the direct results OF
suggestion occurring in the waking
state The simple act of yawning is
a striking illustration of this. A per-
son yawning in a street car will soon
have the entire car yawning in unison
stopped at the threshold of a dentists
shop. This is due solely to the strong
desire which the sufferer feels at the
time that it might stop, nothing more
than suggestion. Nervous and shy
children easily acquire the habit OF
stammering through initiative or sug-
gestive causes The contagious nature
of succeeding accounts of murders and
suicides upon individuals whose psy-
chic normal may BE near the danger
line is well known to the layman and
is established as a fact by students Of
sociology. Emotional epidemics are
matters of common history and can
be easily traced to the causation
through suggestion as many of the
germ diseases are to their specific bac-
terial origin.
A large proportion of individuals are
susceptible to the hypnotic condition
and therefore to suggestion. Peculiar
ity OF temperament and nervous or
ganizStion have much TO do with the
patients susceptibility and upon the
nature OF these temperamental peculf-
arities depends to some degree the
success of the operator. DR.. Gehring
then follows with several very interest
ing experiments. He relates one case
in particular of insomnia. The pa
tient was woman in middle age and
the insomnia was of most aggravated
type. She would fall asleep at 10 or
II O'Clock, only to be awakened within
an hour or two with the sound of as
a pistol shot in her ears which caused
her eyes to fly wide Open after which
acute wakefulness. She arose unre-
freshed and even more exhausted than
before A hundred remedies were APP
piled without result and then treat
ment by hypnotism was begun. After
a period OF six weeks her sleep was of
profoundly refreshing nature. Since
the experiments in hypnotism were
begun, now over two years the sleep
continues to be restful and normal in
amount.
DR.. Gehring follows with a dozen or
more interesting experiments in the
treatment of insomnia. and concludes
that in view of the fearful prepon-
derance of nervous diseases. the COM
plexity of the relations between dis
orders of the body and co-existing
mental states, developing the more as
our civilization meets the results of
the present social conditions, no one
can deny the urgency of the needs that
demand Of the physician the bringing
of every legitimate resource to his aid.
He hopes TO find in hypnotic suggestion
as yet unsounded depths and I'M
touched heights of usefulness