Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-04-04
FROGS UNDER HYPNOTIC SPELL

lated her experience in hypaotizing
frogs. According to this lady, frogs,
which have lived in an 'aquariuua
through the winter, and have become
very much emaciated by spring, a.
a result of long fasting, are particu-
larly we'll adapted for experiments OF
this kind. 1t appears it is only neces-
sary then to turn them on their
backs to have them at once fall into
the hypnotic state and shortly into the
cataleptic, in which condition the
sense organs suspend operation, that
of feeling, including sensibility to
pain, becoming dulled, while the pu-
pills of the eyes contract, the action
OF the heart Slackens and the respira-
tory movements become barely per
ceptib1e, this state lasting for half
hour or longer.
Other experiments referred to by
Miss Stefanowski showed that when
they were deprived of water-that is.
kept in a comparatively dry place,
they were also susceptible to hypnotic
influences, and that frogs freshly re-
ceived in the spring had. the same
tendency, but were more resistant,
though gradually losing this quality
with the prolongation of. fasting She
also found that from this profound
hypnotic condition they could be re-
vived Immediately with the vapor of
ether, chloroform or alcohol, and that
the sudden or progressive elevation
of temperature interrupted the hyp-
motto state, while on the contrary the
lowering of the temperature seemed
favorable to it.
In commenting on Miss Stefanow-
skis address, Prof. n. Vaschidi re-
marks, referring to the accompanying
illustrations, that in looking at them.
it is impossible to resist comparing
their positions with those taken by
hysterica1 persons when in the hyP-
motto state and noticing their similar
ity. He then goes on to give some ex-
periments of his own in hypnotizing
frogs, in which he repeated those OF
Miss Stefanowski, obtaining substan-
TALLY the same results, but in addition
he tried what he could do with well.
fed frogs, in perfect condition, by sim
ply fixing their gaze with his own
This was somewhat difficult to accom-
p1ish, but by holding them in his hand
on their backs he succeeded in a nuni-
Der of instances in putting them to
steep, dAQ SuCCCSS W DIS u4-
even, he expresses himself as being
satisfied that they can be hypnotized
by the eye as effectualfy as human be-
ings He next experimental with
frogs in their natural condition by
placing them in a basin or bowl or
water on a table where he could fix
himself in an easy position. He de-
scribes these attempts as very ardu-
Gus, and states that he had to gaze az
them for long time, but that event.
ually he succeeded, as was abundantly
shown by the attitude OF attentioa
and ecstacy assumed by the frogs, to-
gether with the fact that there was no
reaction when they were touched with
a feather or red-hot wire. From this
condition, however, though profound,
he says, they revived very quickly and
frequently with jump. We havs
here, he remarks in conclusion, a con-
dition which makes US wonder at the
nature of this mysterious force thas
proceeds from the windows of our psy-
cho-organic life, affecting in a frtAS
anaesthetic manner both men and ami
mails.