The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-22
IIy pnetIsm and Neurasshrnla


There are no two medical subjects in
regard to which more popular misap-
prehension prevails than hypnotism and
neurasthenia. The lay reader who aeeks
Trustworthy enlightenment concerning
them may find It in Abnormal Paychol-
ngv, by DR.. Isldor II. Coriat. second as
sistant physician for diseases - the ner-
vous -ystem in the Boston City Hospital
and neurological Ia the Mount Sinai Hoe
pltal jMoffat. Yard and Company, The
work Is designed primarily for the instruc-
tion and guidance 81 physicians " no have
to deal with abnormal mental conditions.
hut It furnishes the general reader with
much accurate information in reference
TO matters which play an important part
in modern medicine. concerning which
no educated person il content to he ig-
norAnt
The principle Of dissertation. or splitting
Of the mind. IL one Of the most brilliant
discoveries 81 recent psychological re-
search. IL ~ commonly spoken Of AS the
theory Of the suhconscious About one
half Of DIR. Coriat's book relates TO the
exploration ~ the subconscious. that is 20
say Of that independent CONSEQUENCES In
human beings which IL coexistent with
the healthy consciousness but detached
from II One chapter 10 devoted tn the
Question. What Is Hypnosis'- Every
body knows what absent mindedness IL
Hypnosis bears a very close resemblance
to At. Hypnosis. according TO the author.
- "a special mental state an artificial
dissertation ~ conscious - strongly
resembling and in some casee absolutely
identical with normal absent mindedness.
hut more intense and protracted induced
by suggestion and readily terminated by
suggestion Many interesting cases are
descrihed to illustrate the operation Of
hypnotic suggestion. which - perhaps
most potent in eTectins cures Of chronic
alcoholism Here the results are often
- wonderful that II seems A. though the
entire personality ~ the patient had been
reconstructed
The -neurasthenia- ~ medicine 10 the
nervous prostration- 81 society. Or
Corist ASSERTS that there 10 no other word
IN medicine which has been =, loosely or a.
vaguely used The nelrnsthenic state
ha says appears ~ he but one ~ the many
eNprsssi one Of disc ociation ~ the person
sli'r II - partly fatigue neurusls and
partly ~ emotional origin symptoms ~
fl'gue may he induced in fresh strong
dog nv insulating the animal with the
blood ofs fatg'iAd dog There thus seems
to ie q Neritaha poison ~ fatigue Nev-
o-thsle-s chemical Investigations have
thrown no HIGHT rn neurasrh~nia. no change
being tracAlble In the phosphoric constiin-
eut- ~ tn" brain In most cases the
patients sense &c fatigue IL a memory
~ past muscular fatigue rather than repre-
sen, alive ~ any actual present exhaustion
~ the nervous systsm PAT experience
has left - impression on the brain. Just
a. . pa--on feels an amputated limit long
af'.- b." has lus' n CONTRARY - the general
impress, us,ir1S'N"nt - - common
among males ~ among f"uslcS Ihougl
m" symptoms are largely mental the
-IfierIng- & m" plttent ~" NV no means
,rnagInarv Unlike most specialists Or
{ Nrtat does np' INSIST thu his particular
srar'lltv affords 'h" only prospect ~
C,i-a lie does not contend that -p-y-
,hoth-rayy must he us~d m the treat
nsnt ~ the disease 80 tho exclusion ~
everything aisp IN" problem IL - dell
cate thai ~ IAN no solved only 10y a Iidi-
rIous combination Il mental and physical
met mods
Ia di-r'ss ng hypnotic phenomena the
author gives consider 'ble spac. to Caae-
Il multipla personality som" ~ thes"
are eNtraordinrry indeed One patient
daveiop-d four different personalities in
hypnotic frances II - IN actual occur-
renc.s ~ this natur" that some modern
novaIizIs have found ha-is for strange
incidents and startling situations There
IL nothing sensational however. about Or
CotiatH hook u - an intelliRible and
s~isDti'ic trea'iaa IN SpmeW hat occult