The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-08
IMAGINARY WHIsKERs.
Disappear From Sensitive Girl by
 Hypnotlste Talk.

From the New York World,
 Laura, you are going to have peace- ful, tranquil, refreshing sleep You will wake from It refreshed and happy. The past will be hidden by a curtain of for getfulness. From ths on you will be glad. smiling, joyful
 Dr. John D. Quackenbos, professor In Columbia university who had done more' perhaps, than any other American to ap- ply so-called hypnotism to medicine, was giving a clinic at his residence, No. S3l West swenty-elghth street, yesterday, to demonstrate his method to several medi- eel men and some lay persons.
 The patient, a handsome young girl lay in an induced" sleep on low couch in his office. The blinds were so drawn as to throw a soft light upon doctor and pa tent. He leaned over lightly touching her brow with his left hand, while with his right he made passes over the girls left side as if to sweep away some trouble from her.
 All this notion that you have hair on your lip, hair on your chin and hair on your arms, Laura, will pass away like a bad dream. There is nothing of the kind; It's nonsense You have little down on your arms, but no more than any oru- nette may expect to have. If you dont like 1t, wear long sleeves. In my opinion, they are more modest, anyway
 But as for your having hair on your face one would need a miscroscope to see it. Nobody is paying attention to 1t.
 There is nothing in this notion of yours that people are looking at you and saying there Is hair on your face and hair on your arms. You will be ashamed of your self that you have given way to this non sense; that you have embittered your own life and troubled the life of your father nd fr,-f than a Now you shall sleep. When I wake you turn your back on all that nonsense and be yourself"
 A half hour later the girl was awakened. She smiled and looked bright and serenely confident. She had. as Dr. Quackenbos' monologue indicated, been oppressed by a morbid self-consciousness caused by the almost invisible dark down that shows on the skin of any woman of dark com plexion.
 The first patient was a girl from re- form school in 8 neighboring state. The matron had brought two pupils who at times were not amenable to the discipline of the institution. The girl lay on the couch, wide awake and resisting pr. Quackenbos' efforts to gain control of her. He spoke for long time In the most soothing of voices. telling her that she was in the hands of a sincere friend ~~--' thing for her as to help her to do some thing for herself.
 The listeners eyelids grew heavy as the hypnotist healer's words rippled on. Grad ually the patients apprehension faded away; the left arm lay limp above her head where she had flung 1t in restless movement Now the operators talk ran on in sauve persuasion.
 We all have our tasks to do and are 4Y,z F0. { fha e into the dreamer's ear You will be the better and happier for doing yours"
 The dreamer smiled and lay peaceful and quiet. When she appeared an hour later she talked with some of the women like the most doeile and sweetest tenn pered of girls.
 third patient had been an epilepdc since receiving blow on the back of her head An operation on the skull had re- moved the primary cause of the fits, but the fits were recurrent. Dr Quackenbos by Suggestive treatment" under hypnotic influence, had reduced these both as to frequency and intensity. On the way to his office she had had one attack, but very slight.
 Maria he said, you are much better, you are going to make yourself entirely well by overcoming these sick spells. You will come to me at the end of next week and tell me that you have hardly any of them, perhaps none at all. After that you are going to the country for ths summer. to have a good time. When you feel one of these sick spells coming on when you feel dizzy, you will sit down on the grass until it has passed by. You will have no fear of falling on the pave ment."
 A complete cure is looked for in this case by the surgeon who sent the girl to Dr. Quackenbos.