The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-01

formed on the stage, and We have all
heard of children conducting mock trials
that have resulted fatally.
All this goes to show that initiative sug-
gestion almost always is very strong In
taken not to awaken this instinct In them.
not even to make them afraid sf punish
ment.
We should first of all remember that
with children the first acts are decisive.
and whether these have been produced by
imitation, by verbal or persuasive sugges-
ton, the habit will soon make them take
root
Education il has been said, lis a sum
OF habits" and good education, therefore,
should consist in implanting in the child
nothing but good habits. and it is very
important to do this before the character
OK the child has been formed, at the time
when the brain of the child may be mod
eled like soft wax, IL you only know how;
but on this point We are not all equally
good artists. The proof of this is that a
child. like young animal, will not obey
derstand how TO take il.
There are cases where suggestion seems
to be powerless. especially with children
in whom the spirit of opposition is very
strong and who always want to do lust
the opposite of what you want them to do
II. for instance, you would tell the little
daughter OF the famous psychologist,
Baldwin. that certain thing had a very
pleasant TASTE, she would Immediately
turn from it in disgust. even if she had
used to be delighted with it. and if you
would ask her TO shake hands with you.
she would hide her hands behind her
back, even at the early age Of two years.
This spirit of opposition also accounts
for the fact ,hat has so often been OBJ
served that children educated by Jesuits
have become fanatic atheists and agnos-
tics.
Children whose intelligence has been de-
yeioped very early are as a rule not very
responsive to suggestion; they are often
born 'raisonneu-s," and their childish
objections should not be discouraged or
ridiculed: they should always be given
just and appropriate answers, and after
they understand you.
As easy as it is to educate child from
the very start when its mind is a blank
page on which you may Ninscribe anything
you wish, as hard it is to correct errors
after when bad habits have been formed,
TO use medical or hypnotic suggestion, but
t.,is IL only justihable in extremely bad
cases.
Auguste Yoisin and Professor Charcot
have very successfully used hypnotic sug-
gestion TO eradicate vices from the minds
OF idiots at La Salpetriere, but pedagogic
hypnotism was first used methodically by
DR.. Edgar Berillon, who has proved from
an experience OF fifteen years experiment
ing that hypnotic suggestion applied by
an expert is very powerful. absolutely
harmless and its effects and results last
ing.
/ shall shortly describe his methods. Let
US suppose that child is brought to him.
who cannot be broken of the habit to bite
its finger nails. He will hypnotize the
child and put it down in an easy chair
with its arms resting on the arms OF the
chair. He will then put his hands firmly
on top of those of the child and talk to
Il in this way: Now try to put your hand
to your mouth and bite your finger nails
You see you can't. The pressure on your
hands is too strong. Now IL you ever
want TO bite your finger nails again you
will feel the same pressure and it will
always be too strong for you. You will
never be able to lift your hand" He will
repeat these words several times and the
;eance is over, and ii is a fact that when
yer the child afterward will try to bite
Is finger nails it will feel absolutely pow
.rless and the hand will remain unmov-
lble, as if paralyzed.
IN the same way he has cured innumer-
ible child kleptomagiaes, who really are
n no way responsible for the thefts they
commit under the influence of an irresis-
ible impulse. He will hypnotic the child.
show it a coin and say. You see this
coin. don't you? You feel like taking il
md putting it in your pocket. You do
To- The child will Immediately do it and
he viii then go on Now take the coin
md put IL right back in the place where
you rock it from and after that you will
always do so. If you ever fall by the
emptation you will after this always
eel so ashamed OF yourself that you
vii Immediately put back anything that
you have taken" After these mental
gymnastics have been repeated few
lines the child has invariably been cured
forever.
Powerful as hypnotic suggestion is, it
las It's limits 1t may make lazy children
iiIigent. but il cannot create intelligence
where none exists. and il should. in fact
,efer be employed as factor in normal
.ducation il is OF merely therapeutic
-aiue
II il is used in cases where il ought not
o be applied. it may make child SUBJ
nissive. quiet and for time source of
ride TO its parents, but the child will
alter become a weak. vacillatiug person.
ntirely without any convictions. an easy
,Iey TO stronger minds.
Suggestions TO the-child under normal
on the contrary. will be
useful. and should be studied
nd applied in fullest measure by parents
nd educators. and is always sure to bring
.ood results. that can be obtained in no
ther way: but. as said before. il must
,esin early in life to have the desired
feet. and in this case it's results will be
ife-lasting and sure.-Professor Felix !
2eginault in the New York Journal.
GAMBLING AN EPIDEMIC.
College Professors. Students and Leg |