The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-28
As To Hypnotisnt
By H. ADDrNGToN BRUCE

It is greatly to be feared that there still are many people who think of hypnotism much after the fashion of a young man who lately wrote to me asking how he could learn to be a hypnotist. He naively added that what he mostly wanted was to be able to i'm press his friends with his powers.
 This, of course implies belief that hypno- tism is so harmless that it may safely be made plaything by the veriest novice. Such a notion is far from being sound.
 Hypnotism as a matter of fact, has poten- tial dangers so great that its use should be restricted by law to practitioners having q medico-psychological training. In their hands hypnotism is both safe and valuable as a healing agency. Used by the snowman and the amateur it really may work grave harm
 It will not, to be sure, do harm in some of the ways that have been attributed to it.
 No one, for example, need fear that through permitting himself to be hypnotized his will power will gradually be weakened until in the end he may be helpless to resist even evil sug- gestions. This is an imaginary danger of hypnotism.
 A real one is that, if the hypnotist is in- expert or careless, there may be only partial awakening from the hypnotic state, with the result of a temporary mental confusion con tinuing until full wakefulness returns. In illustration I might cite an instance reported in Dr. Hugh Wingfields authoritative book, "An Introduction to the Study of Hypno, tism."
 As narrated by Dr. wingfieId, travelling shypnotist, Madam Card, during visit to the English university city of Cambridge hypnotized a student and caused him to do many absurd actions. The next day Madam Card left Cambridge.
 "In the evening of that day." Dr. Wingfield continues, "the unfortunate victim was seized with the idea that she was staying at the CrNNvAnAr hntnl in London and vva irraSiSf, ibly calling for him. Go he would, but his friends forcibly detained him until the last train had left.
 He then, however, said that he must walk I was asked to see him, and by a counter. suggestion cancelled the idea but he was SC much shaken by his experience that he wat unable to undergo his examination on the following day.
 Presently, he was well again, but the case impressed me very much as to the possible danger of hypnotism when carried out by ignorant persons. In other cases, too, Madam Cards subjects were made nervous and ex. citable for some hours after her performance
 Another potential danger of hypnotism though not mentioned by Dr. Wingfield, lurks in the physiological peculiaffties of the hyp notic state. It has depressing effect on thG organic processes, an effect which may b. most serious in the case of persons .witl weak hearts who have been hypnotized by some bungling amateur or reckless snowman
 Amateurs, too, may dangerously prolons the state of hypnosis through sheer inability to de-hypnotize persons they have hynotized Not few dabblers in hypnotism have beer effectually cured of all desire to dabble fur ther, when they discover to their alarm tha they cannot always readily arouse their en tranced subject.
 So that, altogether, the course of wisdom as have said. is to leave the use of hypno tism to those qualified to use it for the diag nosis and treatment of disease. The law should see to it that this course is followed.