The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
The Art of Mesmerism Has Now At
tanned the Rank of Genuine
and Useful Science.
THE MARVELLOUS ALOUETTE
A GLASS BALL FILLED WITH BLUE
SAND WHICH PUTS ONE To SLEEP.
other Strange Instruments Used for
Like Purpose-They May Serve as
n Device for Our Enemies.
Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-Labor-saving
machinery is being quite as extensively
substituted for manual and mental toll in
the generation of hypnosis as in the manu-
facture of any other product. There are
hypnotic dynamos which grind out hyp-
motto power quite as effectually as do our
electric dynamos grind out bottled light
ning,' and were some novelist to picture
a progressive, up-to-date Svengali to-day
such a character would be but the man
behind the gun-the man at the switch,
perhaps it would be more appropriate to
put 1t. To WELD a wand or make passes
with the hands would be primitive as
Ben Franklins elementary methods of
tearing the lightning from the sky.
Weird and uncanny, perhaps. is the
thought than an enemy might set such a
hypnotic trap for us, shielding it in some
shadowy recess where it might be timed
10 go off and enslave us. And grim indeed
is the vision of the twentieth century bur-
glar, thrusting such a device under our
very optics, in those vice. small hours of
the night when padded feet are sometimes
wont to glide across our floors But such
a mechanical anaesthetic would be far pre-
ferable to a sponge saturated with chloro-
form dangled from a fishing pole thrust
a transom.
l recently penetrated the mysteries Of a
progressive hypnologist's sanctum, where
was given behind the scenes privileges or
dinarily granted to the talent only. And
desire your attention TO this word "hypnoI-
ogist." 1t has come to be the swell :erm
TO designate the truly scientific mesmerist.
The fakirs have dragged "hypnotist" down
into the mire of plebeianism, and have
trampled upon il.
HYPNOTIZED BY BLUE SAND.
Quite the newest mechanical aid to the
hypnologist is the hypnotic ball" 1t might
be taken for the half of an hour glass
mounted upon a short handle Of ebony
thrust into the severed waist 1t is, in fact
a glass ball half filed with sand. and hav-
ing bottle-mouth into which the wooden
handle fits snugly. Stuck into the interior
| extremity of this handle is a pin whose
head extends to the center of the transpar-
ent globe. The sand is dyed bright indigo
blue. So is the head OF the pin, which is a
| globular bead. Thus we have Il little ball
| within larger transparent one and be-
tween the two a magic-li1e powder.
The subject concentrates his attention
upon the pinhead. while the ball, held at
about the height of his head, is revolved by
the operator with both circular and ro-
| tary motion. The movement is made with
| in foot of the subjects eyes. The rotary
manipulation causes the sand to fall like
a cascade behind the pinhead-thus there
are three ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. rotary and
vertical, endeavoring TO puzzle vision as II
conscientiously follows the ball Thus the
ocular muscles become quickly fatigued-
the influence being an exaggerated and con-
densed form of the soporific stimulus
caused by the rapid flight of landscape
past window or the rapid change of
environment viewed from a rapidly-mov-
ing swing. What fatigues the ocular
muscles, Of course. induces sleep, and ply
Biological drowsiness is but the vestibule
to the hypnotic state. The eyelds becom-
ing heavy the hypnologist has but to ut
ter the command Sleep and the subject
is then ready to abide by his will
The "electro-hypnotic head band is an
other novelty. 1t is of rubber and is
clasped about the forehead. From 1t sus-
ponds a tiny incandescent bulb, which
may be made TO hang between and above
the eyes. This rivets the attention of some
subjects better than does the hypnotic
ball. 1t is well-nigh impossible to look else
where when the glowing bulb hangs so
tantalizingly near. 1t is even more diff
cult to think of anything else under such
circumstances; hence, perfect concentra-
ton as we'll as eye fatigue is effected A
simpler hypnotizer is practically the same
arrangements, save that a bright, nickel
ball is substituted for the incandescent
globe.
THE HYPNOTIC LAMP
1t would seem paradoxical that light.
hitherto regarded the most potent enemy
of Morpheus, may be harnessed and utilized
as a soporific. And yet this is being done
also by aid of the hypnotic lamp" The
subject having run the gauntlet Of the first
two tests without succumbing is seated
snugly in an armchair, while behind him
upon a pedestal which elevates it above
his head burns the hypnotic beacon fed by