The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-04
CABLE DISPATCHES FROM The CAPITALS OF THE WORLD
PREsTO! AND
The BAD BOYS GOOD.
Hypnotism as Cure for Criminal
Trend in Children, Is New
~. Theory.
New York Herald Special Service.

New York Herald Special Service.
New York, Feb. 3.-That in hypno-
tism, as applied particularly to children,
lies the hope of eradication of criminal
tendencies from the inhabitants of New
York, is an assertion and the profound
belief of Gustav A. Gayer, student OF
criminology and practitioner OF hyp~
notism.
To this end he hopes to be able to win
the consent of parents or guardians OF
children with such tendencies, and the
approval of certain municipal and judi
cial authorities to an application OF
hypnotic suggestion to members of the
juvenile population who have fallen
into the hands Of the law and the juris-
diction of the children's court.
''Give me any child, I do not care
"and I will bring out the good side of
over the bad and abolish his tendencies
cases, and almost invariably-yes, in
100 per cent Of the cases-the treat
ment has been successful. Between the
ages of 5 and IA years every child is
susceptible to suggestion. After that
some of them are less amenable to it. -
1t is Mr.. Gayer's plan to have chill
dren from the court which has been set
apart for them sent to him at his home,
131 West Sixtysecond street, on Sat-
urdays, when he will treat them free
of charge. He says he had set apart
thsE day and was reforming children,
chiefly boys, who were taken to him.
Grows I'm to Re Useful.
"Signifcance of this method,' he
said, lilies in this, that instead Of the
prison or perhaps the gallows for the
boy when he grows up, and expense
to the state, he becomes good and use
full member of society. He is not sent
to reformatory to become more of a
criminal by assoc alton with boys worse
than he.''
Speaking Of the method of treatment,
Mr.. Gayer said:
~ place the boy in chair ano talk
to him until I get his interest. Then I
tell him to close his eyes and put him
into hypnotic sleep. After that I
simply talk to him. He may be ad-
dicted to cigarets. He is too young to
realize, when he is in normal condi-
ton, the danger they are to his health
and his brain, but after he has ben put
to sleep you can reason with his inner
consciousness or whatever you wish to
call it. I talk to him in a fatherly
way and show him how injurious It is
for him to smoke at his age and how
much more manly he will grow if he lets
it alone. Then I tell him that smoke
disgusts him, that he does not like it
any more, that he never will wish to
smoke again and that if he does his
tongue will burn him frightfully or he
will become nauseated.
FWhen he comes to himself the idea
of smoking is unpleasant to him. II
he was thrown among other associa
lions he probably never would look al
tobacco again, but falling back to his
surroundings, he may try to smoke
Then what I have told him will harper
does happen, and it happens so hare
that he cannot forget it. That is thu
way they are cured"
Chow long will it take to cure boy
Of such habit7' was asked
One Spell May Do. :.
"One treatment may do it for good,
he said, "but it may take three or four
Let me have boy for week and
will change him from one who wants t
do wrong to one who wishes to do onl
what is right, and IL make him manly
too.
Lying, stealing, cruelty and al
these things may be eradicated as easil
as smoking or drinking. All childre
are little savages, but in them are lai
emit powers for right. These power
are asleep, and what hypnotism does
to make it possible to reach them. t
develop them, and to bring them u
where they can have predominatin
influence over him. I do not chang
his habits. He does it himself becaus
he sees things in different light.
~ have not talked to Judge Wyatt
about treating children from the chic
rem g court, but I intend to see Distric
Attorney Jerome, as well as the judge
of the city court, about it. I think
shall consult Commissioner Bingham
too.
"What I should like to see in tn
city is an institution for hypnotic trea
ment of first offenders, men and wome1
rs we'll as children. They have thes
institutions in Germany, in France an
In Sweden. There should be depar
ment for women, one for men and OF
Cor children. These psychic institut
are a recognized branch of the trea
ment, Of criminals in Europe. In the
things the Europeans, I think, "a
ahead Of us. .Issr,
II hope to have the judge of tt
ehildren's court parole ;unruly childr,
In the care of persons who will bril-
them to me. I am positive that thou
hnds--yes, hundreds of thousands
persons can be saved from crime, to tt
benefit of themselves and the state,
this course.''