The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-10-28
HYPNOTISTS' POWER.
Women Said to De More Easily In
Muenced Than Men-The Limits
of Coercion.

Muenced Than Men-The Limits
of Coercion.
i have had further interview with
DR.. Rene Potelet on the subject of
hypnotism in France, according to the
teaching of the Salpetriere school.
The doctor told me that it would be
impossible to induce somnambulism
in an unwilling patient. Women are
much more easily hypnotized than
men because the majority of them
suffer either from hysteria or neu-
rasthenia. In the case of men an av-
erage of three in ten are hysterical.
When female patient has been hyp-
Noticed it is quite easy to make her
believe that she is in garden full of
singing birds, and her face turns up
ward and reflects all the pleasure it
gives her. If small piece of wood is
| given to her and the doctor tells her
! it is serpent she will drop it with
| horror and start back in fear. She will
| obey the doctor in all minor matters,
but Immediately he suggests some
thing to which her natural instinct or
education objects she refuses to obey.
If the doctor persists in his order she
is generally seized with violent nerv-
GUS attack. AS u rule, it is noticed
that after having been hypnotized
once or twice a patient has a great
liking for the doctor who hypnotized
her. The extent to which this goes
has been frequently remarked in the
case of patients who refused to eat for
several days. 1t has then to be found
out who last hypnotized her, and he is
asked to put her into a somnambu-
listic state. He then orders that she
must eat at certain hour after she
wakes up. In every instance she
obeys.
asked the doctor if he thought
patient could be induced by the hyp-
notizer to write will in a certain per-
sons favor. He was of the opinion that
this would be quite possible if the SUBJ
ject was hysterical and had been sew
eral times under the influence of the
hypnotizer. But if he was her medical
attendant and she was i'll there would
be absolutely no need to use hyp-
notism. 1t is well-known fact that
people nearly always desire to leave
money either to their doctor or some
old servant. 1t is because they appre-
ciate acts of loving attention and
kindness more when lying on a sick
bed than at any other time. French
law has foreseen this, and wisely for
bids the doctor who attended a de-
ceased person during last Illness to
hot 10 H.
souvenir is all he is allowed to ac-
cept.
l have also seen DR.. Korner, a we'll
known consulting physician in Paris.
Although he studied at the Salpetriere,
he does not entirely agree with it's
teaching on hypnotism. He practical,
ly represents the halfway school be-
tween Salpetriere and Nancy. DR..
Korner does not think that the patient
was entirely under the hypnotic infu-
ence in recent instance where the
subject attempted to commit murder,
yet knew that the weapon was
harmless. This was demonstrated
by Giles de la Tourette in some of
his marvellous experiments. There
are three stages in hypnotism-
catalepsy, lethargy and somnambulism.
In the third stage the subject is entire
ly under the influence of the hypnotic
er. During one experiment patient
was told to poison one of the doctors.
She put what she supposed was poison
into glass and asked him to drink, |
saying the weather was so exceedingly
hot that she was sure he must be thirs-
ty. He refused once or twice, but she
persisted. At last he consented, but
requested her to drink first. This she
pretended to do, but did not wet her
lips. He then drank from the glass,
and fell back as if dead. She had abso-
lutely no remorse. yet firmly believed |
she had committed murder. In another
experiment the patient was given pis-
toll, and told to kill certain house sur
geon. AS soon as he came into the |
room she fired point blank at him.
DR.. Korner believes that the patient |
must first have grudge against the
supposed victim. AS long as the germ |
of spite or dislike is there the hypno- |
tier can increase it in the mind of the |
subject until he or she firmly believes |
in the necessity of committing murder. |
DR.. Korner's opinion on the question
whether patient could be hypnotized
into writing a will is identical with the
view expressed by DR.. Potelet.-Cor.
London Chronicle.