The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-11-04
HYPNorIsTs' POWER.
Women Said TO BE More Easily In
6uenced Than Mcn--The Limits
of Coercion.

|
The doctor told me that 1t would b,
impossible to induce somnambulisn
in an unwilling patient. Women ar,
much more easily hypnotized thar
men because the majority of then
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 1t
gives her. II small piece of wood is
given to her and the doctor tells her
it is serpent she viii! drop 1t 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.
II the doctor persists In his order she
Is generally seized with violent ncrv-
GUS attack. AS rule, 1t is noticed
that after having been hypnotized
once or twice patient has 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 somnambu-
hstic state. He then orders that she
must eat at certain hour after she
wakes up. In every instance she
obeys.
l asked the doctor II he thought
patient could be induced by the hyp-
notizer to write a will in a certain per
cons favor. He was of the opinion that
this would be quite possible If the sub
5ect was hysterical and had been sew
eral times under %. influence OF the
hypnotizer. But If he was her medical
attendant and she was Ill 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
blindness more when lying on sick
ped than at any other time. French
law has foreseen this, and wisely for
bids the doctor who attended O. de-
ceased person during last Illness to
become heir to the estate. A little
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 studded at the Salpetriere,
be does not entirely agree with its
teaching on hypnotism. He practical.
y represents the halfway school be.
tween Salpetriere and Nancy. DR.,
Aorner does not think that the patient
vas entirely under the hypnotic infiu.
snce in recent instance where the
ub1ect attempted to commit murder
'et knew that the weapon was
harmless. This was demonstrated
~ Giles de la Tourette In some of
lis marvellous experiments. There
re three stages in hypnotism- 1
lethargy and somnambulism. !
II the third stage the subject is entire ;
y under the influence of the hypnotic =
r. During one experiment patient j
vas told to poison one of the doctors
he put what she supposed was poison [
lto glass and asked him to drink, 5
aging the weather was so exceedingly &
OF that she was sure he must be thirs- f
Y. He refused once or twice, but she t
ersisted. AT last he consented, but \
her to drink first. This she Il
to do, but did not wet her /
ps. He then drank from the glass. /
nd fell back as If dead. She had abso- a
ltely no remorse, yet firmly believed
he had committed murder. In another I
Experiment. the patient was given pis- t
d, and told to kill a certain house sur t
con. AS soon as he came into the .
nom she fired point blank at him. h
DIR. Korner believes that the patient Il
ust first have grudge against the t
opposed victim. As long as the germ a
spite or dislike is there the hypno- b
ger can increase it in the mind of the Fl
IbJect until he or she firmly believes C:
the necessity of committing murder O
r. korner's opinion on the question f'
hether patient could be hypnotized 81
to writing will is identical with the r,
aw expressed by DR.. Potelet.-Cor. 7
,ndon Chronicle. d,
Royalty in Differing Roles. VI
INT oil n e1