The evening times., 1899-02-23
SCIENTIFIC HYPNOTISM.
Philadelphia Physicians Employing
II to Treat Nervous Patients

II ~ Iutfents-
Philadelphia, Pa, Feb. 23.-Hypnotism
for humanitarian purposes is being used
with remarkable success in this city
Among the prominent physicians in this
city who are using hypnotism as an aux
iliary to medicine are DR.. ]. Madison Tay-
lor, who was attending physician to the
late James G. Blaine at Bar Harbor; Dr.
Charles X. Mills, brain disease specialist:
DR.. Felix Dercum, neurologist; DR.. J. ChaI-
mers Da Costa, DR. Charles W. Burr, and
Profs. w. Romaine Newbold and Lightner
Witner, of the University of Pennsylvania
When seen on the subject, DR.. Madison
Taylor said: The subject of Practical
Uses of Hypnotism will be dealt with ex-
tensiyely by me at the meeting of the Phil
adelphia County Medical Society, when
will give facts in support of the theory.
have witnessed many beneficial results
from the use of hypnotism, and am a
strong advocate for the use OF it for medi-
cal purposes Among the physicians it is
not in universal use, but DR.. Osgood Ma
son, of New York. and DR.. Frederick X.
Sturgess, of Boston, have used the art with
gratifying results.
"Hypnotism should be used by physicians
only, as 1t becomes a powerful instrument
for evil in the hands OF unscrupulous per-
! sons. 1t is being used quite extensively
in medical circles in this city. Ny address
before the County Medical Society will be
taken up and supported by Drs. Mills, Da
| Costa. Burr and Dercum''
For the past three years the subject of
| hypnosis has been discussed and expert
mented with in this city. II enables
physician capable OF exercising the in
fuence to effect temporary and even per-
| manent cures of the most violent disorders
without the use of drugs or medicine of
any kind.
In some instances physicians have sub
Jected their patients to a hypnotic state
during consultation which the medical
adviser has found an urgent necessity 1t
! is well known that a hypnotist must have
stronger will than the patient, and the
latter is more susceptible when in a re-
duced physical condition.
Only a few days ago one of Philadel-
phia's leading practitioners received call
from patient who had recently undergone
a dangerous operation. The invalid, who
was woman, had been reduced to a phys
| ical wreck. and partly through worry and
partly through the effects OF the opera
tion was worn out and unable to sleep She
had a dislike for narcotics and would not
willingly take sleeping draught. The
| medical man gazed steadily into the pa
tient's eyes for a period of three minutes
at the same time carrying on a conversa-
tion in a low voice. He did all of the
talking and spoke in an impressive man
ner.
After a lapse of three minutes the pa
TENTS head gradually sank and she passed
| into an apparent trance. At the end of
sixty minutes the doctor revived his pa
tient. She was rested and greatly i'm
! proved.
| In talking of the matter afterward the
! doctor said:
Il could have kept the patient under my
influence for long time. She was per-
| fectly flexible in my hands and under the
| control OF my will in every way The
practice of the art is exclusively useful in
such instances and it is quite possible we
shall eventually be in a position to per-
form operations while patient is hypno-
tized.''
Those who do use hypnotism in their
daily practice in this city are exceedingly
careful in even mentioning its name be-
| fore their patients, and attempt to ex-
| ercise the hypnotic influence is made
without the full consent of the patient.
Besides. there must be a voluntary sub
mission on the part of the patient before
| anything satisfactory can be accomplished
| though there are cases on record where
| the strongest kind of opposition has been
| overcome.
Hypnotism in all its forms is akin to
sleep, and its various stages of drowsi-
| ness, full sleep, deep coma, trance and
ecstacy may be grouped under the COM
mon conception of dissemination. since
| normal consciousness is undoubtedly dis
placed, if not destroyed.
1t is now daily occurrence in this city
for some nervous wreck in the shape of
human being to enter the Office of ply
sician possessing hypnotic influence, to be
changed from a quivering, writhing, un-
happy wretch in the space of a few mo-
| ments into peacefully sleeping body,
oblivious to the distress and anguish
| which had almost robbed it of its reason.