The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-07
CURING BY HYPNOTISM
By FREDERIC !. HAsKIN.

unnecessary. The conviction came to
him BY the doctors saying to him
over and over again while holding
him In hypnotic sleep: "You are no
need OF employing your hands USE
lessly. And you VIII know when you
awake that the habit is ridiculous"
To the Washington physician there
came woman who had been con-
stantly on the go throughout the So
cial season. Physically. she was 80
nervous that her hands trembled, and
her mental distress was acute. She
had become possessed OF the haunt
ing idea that she was always going
20 be late for the next particular func-
tion which she was to attend. That
idea got possession OF her nerve-
racked brain and never left her. 1t
is easy to conceive of the torturcs
she suffered. and how she increased
them day by day In her unceaEnK
rush and haste. When she first went
to see the doctor. she could not sit
still, but paced up and down the room
while she told him Of her trouble.
He made her sit down. and, with
a few passes over her eyes. put her
to sleep, saying to her in distinct,
commanding voice: You have lots OF
time for everything you want to do.
At any time that you feel that you
have too many engagements. you will
break those which are too much for
you. You will never hurry any more.
You will never run from your door TO
your motor car. You will in all things
t-be calm and restfuf You have lots
of ttme--iots OF time" This formula
was repeated to her through eight or
ten treatments until, one afternoon.
when she was awakened. she said
carelessly: I've no intention of go
ing to the 's ball tonight. I've
| been doing too much, and I'm going
to take my time hereafter" From
that minute she was cured.
Another case was that Of a menu
Der of Congress who had been through
a hard fight all summer and autumn
for his nomination and election. 1t
was hts first term in the House OF
Representatives, and he had contin-
| ued to work long hours every day
after reaching Washington. In his
State he was known as a speaker OF
unusual ability, and he had planned
| to make his oratoricai debut on the
| floor OF the House during the con-
| sideration of certain bill. As the
| time came near for the delivery OF
his speech, which he had prepared
and committed to memory. he lost
confidence. and there came into his
mind an awful dread OF failure to
| ififPi cess bkS 2hSh bC ARQhc.
This dread grew upon him. so that
t finally he WAS convinced he would
! fail. This fear was the direct result
| of his failing HtrVes and the high
/ pressure under which no had been
working for eight months. He went
| to the physician a week before the
time he had set for his speech. and,
after five treatments. his self-confi-
| dence returned. lie made the speech,
| which resulted In his gaining an en-
viable reputation as an orator.
There Is In the popular mind an
| impression that hypnotism Is a harm
| full thing, because 1t puts a persons
| mind under the domination OF an
others thoughts and ideas. 1t Is also
| believed by many that to submit to
| hypnotism Is TO weaken ones will
power and force of character. As a
| matter of fact, 1t has been sctentt-
| ficaIly proved again and again that
/ the hypnotist cannot make the pa
| ttent commit any act or entertain
| any thought contrary TO that per-
sons ideas OF morality or principle.
| Nor does rypnottsm impair the will
power Hypnotfsm can be, and sor1e-
times Is. abused by the professional
fahsr and operator. bat In the hands
of q physician II is merely a euro
| for ailments that cannot be reached
| by other means. It Is the art of in-
| ducing sleep and then making tho
patients mind SO receptive that Il
| will retain the heafthful. helpful adj
vice telegraphed to II by the words
and thoughts OF the physician. The
| only opportunity for hypnotism to
impair the will-power arises when y
| nervous person makes a habit of
submitting to the same operator for
purposes OF exhibition and freakish
| tricks. In this way, In the course
OF time, the person hypnotized does
train his mind to certain extent
| to do whatever the hypnottst sug-
gests. But In all the history of tho
| art there are only two authentic
cases where the hypnotists succeed
| ed in using the persons hypnotixed
! for criminal purposes. In both cases
| the persons had made habit OF
! submitting to hypnotism by one op-
orator for more than TWO years.
The physicians who make spec
| cialty Of this hypnotic treatment do
| not az a rule continue It on any one
person for more than q few weeks.
II beneficial results do not come from
| It within q month. or six weeks At
the most. Il II generally regarded a.
| impossible to make the desired pro-
| gress. A woman patient II never
| hypnotixed unless accompanied by
friend or member OF her family.
The great power OF hypnotism over
the physical functions Of the body
has been demonstrated by q Pitts
| burg physician, who put a patient
into q hypnotic sleep and told him
that he would suffer no pain when
his tooth was extracted. The tooth
was pulled out. and the patient sur
fered absolutely no pain at all whe-
| Their II can ever be used instead Of
an anaesthetic in surgical operations
OF a grave character Is one OF the
! problems OF the art which Will have
to be worked out In future years.