The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
ExTERIORIzED sENsIBILITY.
New Freaks OF Hypnotisnl Served Up
in Paris.
Pail Mall Gazette


A very puzzling young person is at present
exercising the curiosity Of Parlsians. She is
known to fame as Nile. Lima. Till recently
She was artists model Then Colonel De
Rochas and M Jules Bots discovered her
strange capabilities, and Mile. Lima has since
passed much Of her time in hypnotic frances,
that must be seen 10 he believed Her
sponsors it will be we'll to remark, are
men of high standing and acknowledged
reputation and not professional organizers of
raree shows. Colonel De Rochas is at the
head of the EcOle Polytechnique a govern
ment institution, and one OF the foremost ed
ucauonal establishments in France. M.
jules Bots is among the most talented Of the
younger school of French novelists and an
accepted authority on hypnotsm and kim
dred subjects.
Presented under these auspices, Mile. Lima
cannot be dismissed as d vulgar impostor.
her pretenuons, at any rate, deserve to be
looked into. They are wonderful enough
Mile. Lima, Tor instance, IS the best subject
Colonel De Rochas has so far come across
for demonstrating the phenomenon he terms
the differentiation of sensibility." When
in trance her sensibility leaves her body
and can be localized by the operator in any
object he desires within few feet of her
If this object be pricked or otherwise man
ipulated Mile. Lima experiences exactly the
same sensation if the act had been per-
formed on her own person. whereas her
body while she is in this state is wholly
insensible. 1t may be objected that this sort
of thing might be feigned. Colonel De
Rochas. however, Youches for several cases
in which deception would seem to be out of
the question:. II one OCCASION, IOr exam
pie, the sensibility of Mile. Lima had been
transferred to Photographic plate. Various
experiments were made, and then the SUBJ
5ect was brought back, as it was thought
to her normal condition. After the laDse
Of a considerable time Mile Lima was sud
denly seized with shivering and then with
violent sickness. 1T was found that stimuli
taneously with the appearance of these
symptoms NJ. Euer, to whom the photo
graphic plate belonged had immersed il, I'M
known to the rest of the company and in a
dark room in a distant corner of the house
in a chemical bath, and was developing
it in the usual Way--a process which had
afflicted Mile. Lima with a sort of seasick-
ness
sic played an important part. 1t was found
that when a piano was played within hear
ing Of Mile Lima while she was under the
hypnotic influence she adopted attitudes
suitable to the music played. In every case
the attitudes were so strkingly beautiful
the operate artists and painters who had
been invited to witness the experiments
Here, again. the suspicion might arise of de-
ception. though there is no reason to be-
lieve that Mile. Lima has ever had any mu-
steal or dramatic training. But direct proof
has been forthcoming of the genuineness of
the phenomena A Polish musical composer
asked to be allowed to apply a test that
would satisfy him that Nile. Lima was not
merely going through a performance re-
hearsed beforehand. What he did was TO
play a Polish country dance that has fallen
even in Poland into almost entire oblivion
To his establishment Mile. Lima went through
the dance exactly as II ought TO be per-
formed though it was utterly impossible
that she could have learned the proper ges-
lures and measure.