The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-24
TO CURE BY HYPNOTIsM.
school OF Psychology to Be Estnb-
IiShed by Philadelphia Doctors.
From the phlodelphla Record.

The study of hypnotism will be placed
before a scientific basis in Philadelphia
this summer. Several physicians of we'll
known standing have about completed ar
engagements for the organization of a So
ciety to thoroughly develop the art Of
hypnotsm. II is used to a greater or less
extent by almost every practitioner in the
city, but in a disconnected and desultory
way, while the new hypnotic society VIII
Try to centralize las use and systematic its
application al the treatment of diseases.
They viii reduce IT, if possible, to an exact
science.
Regular clinics will be established where
patients will be treated psyehol0gicaliy.
aud lectures given by physcahs on the
Sd0jeot of hypnotsm in its relation to
health.
The physicians who are organizing this
school are all homoeOpaths and graduates
OF the Halnemauu Medical College, of
Philadelphia They are DR.. J. w Hass-
Ter, me surgeon, who is connected with The
fiahnemann Hospital; Or. William D. Gu
I'm and Or. =. c. Gray, assistant lecturers
on physical diagnosis at the college. For
several years these particular physicians
have been making an exhaustive study Of
Psychological phenomena, with especial
reference 70 its effect upon disease They
D y
made by Bernheim. Tuckey. Luys, Char
cot and other leading physicians and
scientists Of Europe, who have gone deep
| ~ into the subject, and are to-day using
hypnotism very extensively in the prac-
ice of their professions. The therapeutic
results have been most satisfactory, and
IN Now York and Chicago houris hing
| schools of psychology are now in opera
| uon.
In France hypnotism has been the sub
| lect OF legis latiVe enactment, and none
but regularly graduated physicians are
| permitted to practice it.
| Chicago is the acknowledged center of
medical hypnotists in this country. and
| Prof. Parkin of that city, the editor of
| the Medical Hypnotic Magazine, will be
10 Philadelphia next month to assist N ee-
| tablishing the first school of medico-psy-
chology in Philadelphia.
! Dr. Gray was seen yesterday, after a
1 meeting of physicians had been held to dis
ouss the plans for the new school, and in
| speaking on the subject of hypnotsm, he
said
This method of treatment has. during
! the last few years, attracted so much at
I tenuon among men of science and mem
bers of the medical profession that it
| seems strange that a knowledge of it in
this country has, until quite recently, been
| almost entirely theoretical. The system of
| pyscho-therapeutics has so far attained its
| fullest development in most European
countries that its position is secured by
! the support of leading physicians and l'y
| the success attending their practice.
! The Introduction of the system into
new fields was vigorously opposed at first
| by persons who feared its mystical infiu-
| ence, but as the beneficial results of the
| treatment became manifest, people began
| to give it some attention, and, with the
| mystery solved, opposition decreased and
| has now almost died out
| In this country we have numerous
| schools of psycho-therapeutics conducted
on a strictly scientific basis and managed
! by regularly qualified physicians, where
| graduates in medicine are taught its meth
DDS by practical experience gained from
| their clinics.
These schools are quite numerous in
| the West, and recently there has been
one opened in New York city, and it is
! safe to predict that the near future
| viii see every medical college with a
/ chair for this branch of medicine.
The dangers of hypnotism have been
/ proved chimerical. In proper hands no
undesirable medical results can occur
| through its practice and l have been
unable to learn of one authenticated case
of its being used for criminal purposes.
1 More than this can hardly be said for the
prevailing system of medical treatment
Anyone who has given attention to this
method of treatment viii acknowledge
what immense power the mind has over
| the body. This power is exercised in
health and disease but is peculiarly evil
dent-perhaps because more closely OBJ
| serVed-in the latter condition.
"There is no more effectuai depressant,
no surer harbinger of disease than fear
| Much of the immunity from infection en-
! joyed by physicians and nurses is due part
! ly 10 the preoccupalion of their minds,
] which
and partly 10 the confidence begotten by
/ long familiarity with danger. on the other
| hand. it is imposs.ble for a healthy per-
son to develop, by pure imagination, the
symptoms of serious illness.
"Laymen who dabble N medical science,
and medical students at the beginning of
/ their course, are apt TO imagine that they
! have one or another of the diseases they
| have been studying, heart complaints be-
| ing, perhaps, the most common and in
| these cases they frequently develop some
! of the subjective symptoms. There are
many people who never hear of a disease
without fancying that they have il.
The Illness Of a distinguished sufferer.
! the progress of which is daily reported in
! The newspapers, VIII sometimes become al
| most epidemic. That fear viii promote,
/ diseasephas been abundantly proved dur
( ing outbreaks of cholera. smallpox the
| plague and other epidemics
! Pseudo hydrophobia is q recognized NAL
ady and no doubt many supposed cures
of hydrophobia have in fact been cures of
| this fear-induced imagination.
TN all ages wonderful cures. real anna
multitude OF shams. have been wrought
at holy PAGES dedicated 10 various saints
of various cults Among the throngs Of
pilgrims 70 Mecca, 10 the sacred rivers
and temples of India, to the shrines Of
! Buddhist hagiology, there are persons
who, having made the outward Journey
YEARLY and painfully, turn homeward
| with the gift of health The cheered, uo
! lifted and convinced mind works some
times with startling rapidly. on the dis
/ eased body.
Facts like these Show us that hypno-
tism is potent factor in the treatment Of
disease, and for this reason we have de
| termined to oDen a school of psychology
for the treatment of the afflicted in Phila-
delphia. This viii be the first one in the
| city. and as hypnotism is a scientific ana
established fact we can say that this is
rot an experiment and that it will open
| the way to a more. common-sense dealing
with many Imaginary ills, which now con
! fine people to their homes. Such peopi>
can be cured without being dosed with
medicines, and that is just what We pro.
pose to do"