The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-21
CRIME CAN BE CURED.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF PROF. QUACK-
ENBOS OF COLUMBIA UNIVER-
SITY.

| hOucrh Meuicthe OAh NOT only Al
Ievinte Disease, Hut Can stop sin.
Finds 1t Possible to Reform
Thieves and Cure Cigarette
Fiends and Drunkards by Mental
InGuence-The Doctor Tells How
Ii Is Done, the stories of Success
the Discovery.
New York, May 19.-Dr. John Duncan
Quackenbos of Columbia University has
cured
Stealing by hypnotism.
immortality and drunkenness by hyp-
notism.
The cigarette habit by hypnotsm
Ever since the announcement was made
few days ago that his physician could
overcome crime and vicious habits through
suggestion, his house and Office have been
in a state of SIEGE Day and night APP
peal has been made at his door by those
who insist that they have no strength to
resist thieving or strong drink.
Young boys and little girls are brought
to this man by unhappy fathers and moth
ers, who have about lost hope seeing their
sons and daughters weakening slowly into
cigarette fiends. But to one and all DR..
Quackenbos has given the cheering coun-
sci, that there is no crime or sim no
matter to what degree of viciousness the
victim has fallen, but can be overcome by
a hypnotic sleep, when high moral aims
are suggested to the patients mind.
Il was early in the winter just passed
that DR.. Quackenbos began his self-im-
posed task upon the young boys who lived
in the Newsboys' Home. New York. One
or two of the little fellows at first rather
timidly presented themselves to the doctor
to be cured of the excessive use of tobac-
co, and were treated with such success by
this physician that it was not long be-
fore dozens of these small chaps were
urging the doctor to enable them to do
without the cigarettes which they were
shown to be so injurious to their strength
and lives.
While petty stealing has been cured In
many cases by DR.. Quackenbos since he
began to use suggestion for the correction
, of crime among the youthful offenders.
the case in which he takes the greatest
! pride and upon which he bases the theory
that even an habitual criminal may be
, reformed is the case Of a young fellow who
for five years had stolen right and left
, He had been arrested, and was in a fair
way to spend a part of his life in the
+ state reformatory, when his case was
, brought to the attention of the doctor.
, While this young man was not from
/ what can strictly be called the criminal
class, yet his associates were
| evil and he declared that when
: ! the impulse was uDon him
! he was oowerless to resist. His par
! ents were of the working class, and were
| too poor when he was d small boy 10 in.
7 dulge him in many of his cravings, and
he found that by stealing trivial articles
he could sen them and thus buy the
, things for which he longed So at the age
! Of y, he began petty thieving. He re-
4 peatedly was arrested. but the punish
. ment inflicted he declared in no way
. lessened his impulse to steal. Last winter
: while visiting one of the police station.
into which he had been brought I saw
I him and offered to aid him. The thief de
y clared himself not only willing to have
an attempt made TO cure his thieving way.
but he insisted that he would gladly b,
7 hypnouzed time and time again if there
. was the slightest chance Of his becoming
4 honest.
! AT the first opportunity which offered
this fellow was put into the hypnoti,
n state. He responded easily TO the power
4 and the suggestion was given him tha
n in the future he lead an honest life ant
A that the inclination to steal and roI
h should no longer be in his mind. That tn
g thought might in no way mlscarry, j
r was given him in the parlance of the THE
n and was emphaucally repeated to his ca
: three times. But the doctor was not con
e tent with this. He felt that the hang
! dog air and guilty look upon the face o
d the patient was a reflection of the llf
! which the young fellow wished left ia
:, behind, and the suggestion was given hin
"a that into his face should come q manly
\ frank expression, and that he should no
e be afraid TO look any fellow being, higl
! or low, rich or poor in the eye.
~ DR.. Quackcnbos asserts that the cffec
q of a single treatment upon this pat!en
h was simply marvellous. A week later h
v met this young man with his head erect
a his countenance open and bright and
n smile of Acknowledgement upon his face
His greeting to the doctor was, 81 haven
even a desire TO swipe a thing since las
" Sunday" And though months have passe
: since the hypnotic suggestions for honest
- were made TO him, still he insists when
"a ever he meets DR.. Quackenbos, that tina
- single treatment was all-sufficieut an
n that no matter what tempting opportun
a ties may come his way, only a loathin
- feeling for thieving fills his mind at sue
- - a time, and he quickly turns aside.
\ The doctors theory in regard to tn
n | future of hypnotism Is that II should b
- used in reformatories throughout this an
= other lands. He fees that in all institu
i tons for the young, if the authorities !
charge had hypnotic suggestion in a fel
generations crime and sin would be greai
" lessened He believes that philanthropy
- women who serve upon the boards of th
A various charitable Institutions and reform
atories were women and the young al
- cared for, could do a great and noble wor
- for humanity If the science of hypnotisl
- was thoroughly understood and practice
"a by them. But the person, the doctor a!
" serts, who places man or woman. DO
= or a girl in a hypnotic state must hav
- the best of thoughts, not alone for the II
- dlyldual thus hypnotized, but for societ
~ as a whole.
~ DIR. Quackenbos stands high in the me-
- ical world where his specially has bee
- the nervous diseases. He belongs to a
- ola Dutch family, and IS a fellow OF 1t
. New York Academy of Medicine. as we
Nv as Of the New Hampshire Medical societ,
Of In In