flK- V** -A': X/ .m V** -1 'W 4? 4 o 2* 4* -%. I ^ ,0° * V"^ 3* ♦l^f* 4 o ^°^ 16-3*1%) PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. Dr. T. J. Betiero. PRINTER'S ERROR.— Page 71. Third line from top should read can instead of cannot. H\ I0-1V1 fo PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON HYPNOTISM T*\ AND MESMERISM Dr. T. J. Betiero. CHICAGO,^ 1412 Masonic Temple. 9.J44 Copyright 1897, by Dr. T. J. Betiero. All rights reserved. Sent to any address, postpaid, on receipt of price, $1.00, ZELAH & CO., * 1412 Masonic Temple, Chicago, 111. CONTENTS. Introduction ..... 5 The Grand Natural Law . . .8 Various Electrical Currents . . 14 The Mechanics of Hypnotism . . 23 Is Hypnotism Dangerous? . . .44 Mesmerism Differentiated from Hypno- tism ...... 65 How to Mesmerize .... 73 How to Induce Hypnosis ... 82 Therapeutic Application of Hypnotism 97 Strange Phenomena . . . 107 Mental Suggestion at a Distance . 113 The Universal Fluid ... 117 Theory of a Future State . . 136 Ifntro&uction, ^^HE plienomena of hypnotism are, atpres- \m ent, receiving an unusual amount of investigation at the hands of scientists, emi- nent physicians, and many of the laity who desire to know the truth, and understand the principles, upon which is based this myster- ious science. We are told by some that it is not myster- ious, being* simply a manifestation of natural laws. Admitting* such to be the fact, is it not clothed in the deepest mysticism? As heretofore, among* all the investigators and demonstrators of the'world, not one has been able to g*ive an explanation worthy of accept- ance. After the acknowledged failure of so many brilliant lights of the scientific firma- ment to give a lucid explanation, the author of this little work can only promise to give in plain words his practical experience with the subject, with such theories and deduc- tion^ as are considered tenable, together with vsuch hints and explanations, as will enable (5) (> PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON others to investigate, for themselves, the causes which produce hypnosis, as well as the immediate and future effects which result in evil or good. You will find some statements herein that may seem extravagant, but they have all been proven by careful experiment and observation. One chapter only will be devoted to theorizing, and that will be speci- fied by " Theory of a future state." Some readers may find a few things of interest, others may consider it an uninterest- ing presentation, but all will find something entirely new. The circulation of the blood, as stated here, may be denied, but cannot be disproved. One favor, only, we ask of those who differ w r ith our assertions, and that is, " Proof to the contrary." Such definitions and rules as will be found herein, are not given arbitrarily, simply for convenience in treating the subject. No theory will be given, or assertion made, without proof, which may be deficient in quantity, but we have implicit confidence in the quality. The author is a graduate of a well-known v European college, and has spent some years HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 7 in the practice of medicine according* to the regular school. The last six years, however, he has abjured the use of all poisonous drugs, and, in fact, has made but few demands upon " Materia Medica," except such as were needed for the antiseptic precautions of sur- gical interference. The pleasing results of latter years, com- pared to the mediocrity of former success, renders firmer every day the conviction, that Electro-Hypnotic treatments, together with modern antiseptic surgery, will be the accepted therapeutic remedies of the near future. The use of the words, hypnotism, hypnotic and hypnotized are made necessary to express phenomena that are much different from "Nervous Sleep," which Mr. Braid, the originator of the term, intended to specify. Some phases of this science will be touched upon that have not before received sufficient attention and investigation to have hitherto received appropriate designations, so an occasional mis-application of these words may be technically noted, according to the original application of the term hypnotism, for which your indulgence is respectfully requested. The Author. Zhe 6ran& IRatitral %a\v. ♦fTN this perfect universe, we are confronted on all sides by a great and mysterious force, all the manifestations and phenomena of which are results of a grand and infallible law of nature; it controls the movements of the planets, holds in position the fixed stars, or presides over their aberrations, together with the myriads of other heavenly bodies situated in the vast solar space, of which our own insignificant planet occupies but an extreme!} 7 modest place. This great force does not expend itself in the limitless realms of ether, nor in the differ- ent layers of atmosphere, but enters more or less into every known substance, and attends the growth and development of all vegetable and animal life, including man. Scientists have used various names to designate the different manifestations of this tremendous force. Centripetal and centrifu- gal are names given to the attraction and repulsion, which keep the planets in their ( 8) HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 9 several orbits. It may be, however, attrac- tion and counter-attraction, as who knows, but, beyond the uttermost limits of our uni- verse, there may be yet a grander center of attraction! In the great sidereal universe, around which our own constantly moves, at any rate, two known forces exist. If the sun should lose its power of attrac- tion, these great bodies would race through space in opposite directions, in answer to that counter-attraction. If, on the contrary, the opposing* force were relaxed, the planets would rush with terrific velocity into the bosom of the sun. Some claim, and no doubt correctly, that the regularity of motion observed throughout the solar system, is due to the law of magnetic attraction and repulsion. Others, entitled to an equal consideration, maintain that it is the result of electrical phenomena, thus confirming what we shall attempt to prove, that magnetism is but a different name, and the term electricity embraces it all; the positive and negative currents mani- festing the attraction and repulsion, By the action of these forces, the levolu- 10 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON lion of the earth upon its axis is made possible, creating- the convenient division of day and night; the earth moves around the sun, giving us the various seasons and many other well- known conditions, for the explanation of which we are indebted to those most inter- esting* sciences, Astrology and Astronomy. Few can contemplate this great perfection and regularity of movement without recog- nizing behind it all the will of an infinite Creator. As man has been for ages accumulating such imperfect knowledge as now exists in regard to the grand law of nature, how much less can he hope to grasp the omnipotent source of its origin? An eminent metaphysician and divine, after spending years reflecting upon the creative power, origin of the omnipotent, probabilities cf a future state, etc., having arisen early one morning, strolled down near the seashore and chanced to see there the child of a poor fisherman carrying water in his cap from the sea to a small hole, a short distance away on the beach, which he had made with his little hands. " What are vou HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 11 doing, my dear little fellow? ' ' he asked. "I'm going to put all the water out of the sea in this little hole," the child innocently replied. He walked on; but that fisherman's little child had taught him an everlasting lesson, namely: That man, being a finite being, was never intended to comprehend the infinite. He likened man's capacity for receiving and retaining knowledge unto the little hole, and compared the boundless tract of water to the vast unexplored fields of knowledge upon the edge only of which we are now standing. In this world there is nothing new. Like the philosopher of old once said, "There is nothing new under the sun." In the investigation of psychic phenomena, we have merely had our attention directed to another phase of this universal force; our researches can only extend so far; like all previous attempts to reduce natural phenom- ena to an exact science, we are doomed to failure, The mind of man, while in his mortal tenement, is incapable of more than finite knowledge. 12 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON The mysteries of nature's great laboratory have been contemplated since the days when the earth was young. Investigation has but pierced the external shell, within which man has invariably been confronted with the light of knowledge shining* too bright for his material eyes. Nothing daunted, however, he invents a name, which is meant to embrace all that is too deep for his comprehension. Each pioneer in the field of knowledge also exercises the right to name the inexplicable for himself. Thus we find Magnetism, Zoo- magnetism, Aura, Glaume, all used with many others to designate that greatest of all known forces, Electricity. And as all forms of electricity receive specific names to differ- entiate them, according to the different qualities imparted by the numerous methods of generation, we shall, in referring to the subtle fluid emanating from all animals, use the common term, Animal Electricity, for this force does exist, and is the mysterious element which manifests itself in mesmerism, hypnosis, and all forms of psychic phenom- ena. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 13 Electricity is the messenger of the gods, directed by the positive and negative poles! The time is near when it will be recognized as the universal force. ^ :>, <& IPartous Electrical Currents* HS we claim, and shall attempt to prove, that hypnosis is produced by electric- ity, acting* upon the ideational centers within the law of vibration, it may not be amiss to devote a few remarks to the force, for which we claim so much, and know so little. Since Franklin, with bottle and kite, secured the first by induction, man, ever inquisitive and ready to learn, has made rapid strides in knowledge concerning* this subtle fluid; he has succeeded in harnessing* it, and making* of it his servant. Yet, even so, we can only be on the thres- hold of understanding*, and beyond us, in the beautiful temple of knowledge, who can predict what may or may not be discovered? It has been proved that electricity has properties, or qualities, differing* according* to the substance from which it is derived, and the method of its generation. In the province of medicine this is an all important consideration. The g*alvanic, g*al- vano cautery, faradic, static, etc., all have ( 14) HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 15 a different therapeutic value. The name, "electricity," does not explain much, being derived from the Greek word for "amber," as it was first observed in the friction of that substance. As yet, little is known of its nature, and for convenience it is denominated "electric fluid " because it has a greater resemblance to an elastic fluid of extreme rarity than any- thing* else with which we are acquainted. The phenomena of electricity are such as attrac- tion and repulsion, heat and light, shocks to the animal system and mechanical violence. The two poles of different chemical ele- ments are known as positive and negative. Faraday discovered that the quality of elec- tricity is changed by different methods of induction; thus, by winding a copper wire around a bar of iron, the current which bears his name was discovered, and is termed primary. By winding another coil around the primary, the secondary faradic current is obtained. No one will say, because of this change in quality, it is not electricity. Friction upon dry glass will also produce this fluid; by 1(> PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON stroking the hairs of a cat's back a percep- tible spark may be generated; by sliding* tlu shoes upon a Brussels carpet enough can hi easily obtained to ignite a gas jet by simpl) touching with the finger. Why, then, does not the electricity obtainec by rubbing together of the hands, or an) form of vigorous massage, not receive its proper name? Instead of which, magnetism Zoomagnetism, Aura, and many other names are used, Electricity is known to exist, more or less in all substance, animate or inanimate. Anat omists and physiologists have discovered tha j electrical currents are continually passing through the muscular fibres. Future inves tigation will no doubt prove it the essenc* of vitality. Erroneous ideas may be taught and accep teci for centuries, yet vanish in a momeir under the flashlight of discovery; for in stance, the Ancients were for ages in ig'nor ance of the circulation of the blood, believing that it moved once daily from the heart tt the periphery, returning to the heart anc large arteries during sleep. One reason foi HYPNOTISM AND MKSM^RISM. 17 such an opinion was, that after death, as now, the arteries were found almost entirely devoid of blood; thus originating- and support- ing* the theory of tide-like ebb and flow. This condition is now well known to be the result of capillary action, which continues for a short time after death. It remained for Harvey to explain the circulation of the blood, as he understood it. Since which time, it has been taught and believed that the heart, impelled by some mysterious power within itself, propels the blood through all the intricate, though well known, channels of circulation (i. e., arter- ies, capillaries and veins), making' a complete circuit of the bxly once in every seven minutes. It has also been computed, for the appar- ent astonishment of pupils, no doubt, that this important organ forces no less than six tons daily through the human body; think what an annual task it must have. And the student is furthermore informed, that the source or nature of this power is unknown. Future generations must needs smile at this age of enlightenment. For although the 18 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON heart is the strongest muscular organ of the boch T , it neither does nor could perform such a task. If the heart is not the propelling power, what then is? may be asked. The answer is, Electricity, by vivification of the blood. The blood has long been termed the river of life, and with reason; yet, we may go a step farther, and, with the Haematherapists, pro- claim it the living RIVEK, which must then, of course, have power of motion within itself, a fact easily demonstrated by the microscope, under which corpuscles may be seen rushing hither and thither in the liquor sanguinis, until by action of the atmosphere, precipitation, coagulation and death of the component parts occur; although it is shown that the blood has the powder of motion within itself, such power only exists after having been charged by inhalation with electricity. It then rushes on, through its known course, to the heart, imparting the power of life and motion to that organ, enabling it to draw back to itself the venous blood which, having served its purpose in the animal economy, is almost devoid of electricity, and must needs return to the lungs for a fresh supply, etc. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 19 As proof of the above statement, which must some day be accepted, as truth must rise above prejudice, we give the following*: First. — The arteries are closely followed by a large number of nerve filaments, whose duty it is to conduct a portion of this force to the brain, which is the storage battery of the body. Second. — If impure air is inhaled (that which does not contain a proper amount of electricity) , the blood at once becomes vitiated, the heart beats feebly, and the pulse weakens. Third. — By examination of the veins, the arterial nerve accompaniment will be found wanting, for the obvious reason that the veins contain but little, if any electricity, or certainly none to spare for the brain. The presence of nerves would there be useless — a condition not found in any of the works of the Creator. Thus, we observe, that every human body is being constantly charged with electricity, which is necessary for the maintenance of life. Electricity is also constantly freeing itself from the body, the difference of per- ceptible projection being modified by the atmospheric state, as well as the health 20 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON and vitality of the individual. In proof of which: — First. — If a person is alone in a quiet room, reading, meditating", or engaged in any occupation compatible with almost perfect silence, it will be found impossible for another to approach near to him, without the former becoming aware of the latter's pres- ence. Some may claim that the approach may be detected by the auditory nerve, but the author has experimented with a mute, and found the same effect. Second, — Most physicians have found, by practical observation, that if two persons habitually sleep together, one an invalid, and the other in perfect health, or one old and the other young, the invalid w 7 ill improve, while the person in good health w^ill become affected; the elder will take on renewed strength, and the youth or child will grow prematurely old. Therefore, for hygenic reasons, separate beds are usually recom- mended, even for man and wife. Third. — Our law of attraction says, "un- like attracts, and like repels." Some bodies disperse positive electricity, and others nega- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 21 tive, which explains many heretofore unex- plained peculiarities. For instance, the marked and unaccountable antipathy of and compre- hension of hypnotism render it a safe and 56 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON reliable therapeutic agent, of undoubted value in the hands of a qualified operator. Fourth. It can be productive of harm in the hands of an ignorant or criminal hypno- tist, especially with a weak subject under conditions favorable. Fifth. That it is not more dangerous than the many drugs at present used. By the above, we do not mean that its use should be restricted entirely to the medical profession, as most practitioners have neither the time nor inclination to study this subject, so long at least, as it is classed among pseudo- science. Should legislation be requested and obtained to restrict the use of hypnotism to medical men, it would receive a great blow, as the scientific exploration of the subject would be at once checked, and it would again, as it has several times in the past, sink into comparative oblivion. Few physicians are now considered authority upon hypnotic phe- nomena, and the number who use it in their practice is quite insignificant. Thus knowledge of this science, for such it surely is, would retrograde; a misfortune which has at times befallen the noble science HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 57 of medicine itself . As Aiken says: "The practice of medicine, as based upon ra- tional principles, and a knowledge of the nature of disease, has oscillated through vari- ous systems and innumerable theories, and the science of morbid anatomy has been marked throughout by unmistakable periods of pro- gress, of stationary existence, or even retro- gression, according as one or the other exclusive system had the ascendency, or as each principle or theory of practice challenged for itself a supreme importance, Therefore, we must not accept hypnotism as a certain panacea for all ills; nor should we, at present, relegate it by decreeing that any certain body of men should have exclusive right to use this great power. Some experiments have been conducted at certain medical colleges to determine its ther- apeutic value, as w r ell as the possible extent of its criminal application. The results were in substance — that a certain class of diseases were amenable to cure by hypnotic suggestion. It was an agent through which good or evil might be wrought. On account of the latter, its use was discountenanced by these high 58 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON authorities, which relegation, we are led to believe, was somewhat hasty and premature; as, if it is possible to use it for mental im- provement as well as organic correction (a fact generally accepted by advanced thinkers in all parts of the world), have we any right to cast it aside ? Is it not furthermore encumbent upon us, injustice to our patients, who depend implicitly upon our knowledge of the noble science of healing in times of sickness, pain and danger, to use every known agent, and ignore nothing that will alleviate suffering, and enhance the chances of prolonging, even for a brief period, a human life ? We do not hesitate to use the most powerful poisons, although, we are aware that an overdose will cause instant death or horrible suffering. Murderers sometimes use improved fire-arms to commit their henious crimes, yet, we do not attempt to restrict the manufacture of deadly weapons, as we trust to the laws of our land to punish the per- petrators; and thus with all classes of male- factors, whether murderers, robbers, thieves, forgers, or burglars, who by their crimes fall under the ban of the law. Why then, can HYPNOTISM AMD MESMERISM. 59 we not render the criminal hypnotist respon- sible for any crimes perpetrated through a misapplication of hypnotic power ? In the meantime, let us continue to test the curative powers and possibilities of this agent, and trust to the machinery of the law in this, as in other criminal matters, to pro* tect the public. If it is possible, by mental suggestion, to influence to higher and nobler thoughts, common sense indicates that it might, of course, in the hands of a depraved operator, be used to debase and lower the subject, not- withstanding he would have a difficulty in so doing proportionate to the previous amount of training to the contrary, as in the lethar- gic or primary stage of hypnosis, a subject will not receive a suggestion which is directly antagonistic to his own ideas of right and propriety, yet, in the deeper stages, as som- nambulism, however, a powerful and vicious hypnotist can, by forcible and repeated sug- gestion, penetrate the ordinary protective mantel of auto-suggestion, which encircles every true lady or gentleman. It is better far, that the public should know facts that 60 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON have been proven in regard to hypnotism; the possibilities of the evil as well as the good. As is well known, few if any reputable phy- sicians or surgeons assume the responsibility of administering an anaesthetic, only in the presence of a third party. Se we advise patients to always insist upon the presence of some friend or acquaintance during a hyp- notic treatment. If the hypnotist is honor- able, he will acquiesce to such an arrangement with pleasure; as a matter of fact and justice to all, the}^ as a body generally prefer it. It will not do to attach too much import- ance to sentiments of honor, religious training, and previous environments, to render inert the suggestions of a vicious hypnotist, how- ever, as before stated, they are effective in the lethargic state only, and can be overcome in the more profound conditions, notwith- standing the many experiments recorded and published to show that criminal suggestion will not be received by an upright and honor- able subject. In experimental tests, when the subject is commanded to plunge a dagger into the heart of someone present, or to commit some act HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 61 equally atrocious, he has been known to re- fuse or hesitate and if the suggestion is insisted upon, to become dehypnotized. It is upon such evidence that are based the state- ments — "that criminal influence is entirely dependent upon the patient's auto-sugges- tions." The truth is, that in the hypnotic state, the receptive faculties are so intensified that in the vibrations of sound, aug*mented by the electrical current flowing* from operator to patient, the insincerity of the suggestion is readily detected, as the hypnotist is not in earnest. But when the murderer, or other criminal, desires to effect a crime throug-h the agfency of his hypnotized subject, he is dreadfully in earnest, and so, without doubt, is able to influence the subject. We here quote a statement by the eminent Thomas Jay Hudson, LL. D., in an article entitled, " Dang*er Lines in Hypnotism ": "When a man has risen in the scale of humanity and civilization to the dig*nity of Jaferag in possession of that power or faculty, feiMb'^pjt^yi^^^ilQ^fflttiatids and obligates faimiife^ojthe^gfal and ^b^tawirom wrong*- 62 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON doing-, he is intrenched within a citadel that no power of hypnotic suggestion w T ill prevail against." We believe this to be true, yet it is with regret we observe that few, exceedingly few, have reached that point of ideal perfection. Our very civilization renders such nearly, if not quite, impossible. It may exist in seclu- ded monastaries, where spiritual thoughts are, or ought to be, predominant; where the demands of secular affairs are insignificant, and are of rigid simplicity. But in this busy, bustling world, where the watchword is, 4 'The survival of the fittest," few, if any, remain intrenched in the citadel. As the learned author of the above quotation is an attorney of prominence, who has written some beautiful ideas concerning hypnotism, he un- derstands perfectly the value of such a state- ment, which leads one to practically infer that ordinary mortals, under the influence of a criminal hypnotist, can be moved to crimi- nal acts under, of course, favorable conditions, dependent upon the sensitiveness of the sub- ject and the force of the hypnotist. We must then conclude that the great diversity of HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 63 opinion, based upon actual experiments, are caused by: First. The insincerity of command in ex- perimental tests. Second. The existing* hyperesthesia re- garding* suggestion, in the more profound states, enables the subject to perceive the de- gree of sincerity which embodies each com- mand or request. Third. It is of undoubted therapeutic value. Fourth. It can be used for harm as well as g*ood. Fifth. It is not more dang*erous than many of the therapeutic agents in use at present, and its benefits are mere apparent. Sixth. Its use in the hands of competent and sincere operators can result in nothing but good. Seventh. No one should attempt to induce hypnosis, excepting in the presence of at least a third party. Eighth. The public should become suffic- iently familiar with this subject to prevent the imposition of quacks and charlatans. Ninth. Those who use hypnotism for dis- 64 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON honorable or criminal purposes should receive commensurate punishment. We have impressed upon the mind of an en- dormed subject, that in a chair beside him (upon which sat a spectator) he would, when permitted to open his eyes, see his brother. We suggested that he converse with him, and he did. It can be imagined, by the foregoing, that a lady might be made to suppose anothei was her husband, and thus render a crime possible. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 65 flDesmertsm Ditterentiateb from SRppnotism JwlUCH literature of the day, in referring £11%/ to hypnotism, defines it usually as the modern term for mesmerism. Such a a statement, to say the least, betrays an un- familiarity with the subject. Hypnotism, as a name, was first made use of by Dr. Braid, an English surgeon, in a work published by him in 1843, under the title of "Hypnotism, or Nervous Sleep." Mesmerism is derived from Dr. Mesmer, a European physician, who practiced magnet- ism about the latter part of the last century, and died in 1815. There is a marked differ- ence between the hypnotism of Braid and the magnetic phenomena of Mesmer; the latter created a widespread interest at the time in which he flourished. The hypnotic subject sees, hears, feels or imagines only what may be suggested by the hypnotist, as the latter can be perfectly warm and comfortable, and by a simple oral sug- gestion cause the former to experience great 66 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON frigidity; or may be at the time suffering with pain or disease, which will not neces- sarily be appreciated by the subject. On the contrary, in the mesmeric state, the patient, in certain stages, realizes the thought and experiences the sensation of the magnetizer. If the hand of the latter be pinched, the sensitive somnambule will also feel the pain. If unpleasant thoughts burden the mesmerist , they will also annoy the patient. If the former has a pain, or is suffering from any disease, it will be realized by the latter. We mention here only a few of the many widely dissimilar phenomena which tend to distinguish hypnosis from the mesmeric state. Therefore, one who is not in perfect health should never attempt to magnetize anyone. To mesmerize successfully, several conditions will be found imperative, viz : A strong mind, confidence, integrity and good health. These same requisites are, to a certain extent, necessary in hypnotism, but the con- dition of health is not of such vital impor- tance in the latter as in the former. The sudden, and sometimes foolish, or even dangerous transition from one to another of HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 67 widely differing- states, for the purpose of demonstrating* the power of some alleg-ed hypnotist, g*ives to hypnotism a preference for public entertainments. Mesmerism is not nearly as interesting* to the sensation-seeker, being* devoid of much visible phenomena, yet to the scientific in- vestigator it has many peculiarities which demonstrate the wonders of mag*netism, and the intricate mechanism of molecular vibra- tion; profound psychic phenomena are fre- quently manifested in this state, but the chang-es are not so suddenly affected, gener- ally requiring* various passes and sometimes massag*e or manipulation; therefore, it is less adapted for public exhibition, unless with an extremely sensitive «and well trained somnam- bule. It was, perhaps, more thoroug*hly under- stood in the remote ag*es of the past than at present. The priesthood of almost forg*otten nations used it in the treatment of diseases. The Convulsionares of Saint-Medard thoug*ht that God accepted them as victims, and desired them to take the diseases of those who came to consult them. " It often hap- 68 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON pened to the 4 Convulsionares,' ' ' says Carre De Montg*eron, " to take diseases, without knowing* whether the persons were ill, and in ig*norance of the nature of their ailments." Christ healed by mag*netism, and on account of His spiritual life, possessed this power to the full extent. By a strange, yet, recognized principle, the magnetic power is aug*mented according* to the perfection of one's life. At various times healers have arisen, claim- ing* to cure disease by laying* on the hands. Some wonderful cures are accredited to them, yet many notable failures attend their efforts. Persons of the same polarity as the healer are rarely benefited, more than would result ordinarily from an equal amount of increased confidence and expectation; but, with those of opposite polarity, it is possible by touch- ing* with both hands to form a complete cir- cuit, and it is not unlikely that if the healer have mag-netic power, he can, like the Con- vulsionares, really take from the patient apart or all of his pain and disease. Although hypnotism, in the hands of a criminal, may be productive of harm, the dang*ers of mesmerism lie mainly in the ig*no- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 69 ranee of its application. In fact, amateur experiments in this line are never wholly un- attended by danger; a magnetized patient merges into a state of physical quiesence, with the exception of the brain, which becomes so highly sensitive, that it not only recognizes oral suggestion, but sensations, and even formulated ideas, unexpressed. One impor- tant source of danger is that when the inexpe- rienced magnetizer attempts to awaken the subject without the assistance of the trans- verse passes, and he may not at once respond. Grave apprehensions are then aroused in the mind of the experimenter, which also impress themselves upon the subject pro- ducing, in some cases, visible signs of fear or perturbation upon the countenance. This tends to further alarm the amateur mesmerist. The patient is finally revived, however, in a condition of fright and nervous exhaustion, often followed by mental aberration. Al- though danger may accompany the inexperi- enced mesmerist in his first efforts, whatever ill results, it can be attributed only to his ignorance, as vicious or wicked persons, although able to induce hypnosis, can never 70 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON mesmerize anyone sufficiently to be productive of either good or evil. To become a mesmerist: — One should be above the average size, strong and well built, in perfect health, kindly disposed and possess sufficient gravity to inspire absolute confidence, religiously inclined, and have im- plicit faith in his power to do good. A knowledge of "Animal Electricity," the fluid upon which he must so greatly depend, will be of great value, although empiric use alone of this great power has been produc- tive of favorable results. The phenomena of mesmerism are yet involved in much doubt and obscurity, although many works have been written upon the subject. Many experi- ments attested by respectable witnesses are recorded, yet it is still regarded as a doubtful science. Every authority upon mesmeric phenomena seems unwilling to accept, as con- clusive, any tests except such as he has been personally able to verify. Many have denied, but none have disproved the existence of the "subtle fluid," known by some as "nerve force," magnetic or electric fluid, magnetism, aura, etc. To their credit may it be said, HYPNOTISM AMD MESMERISM. 71 that the majority of mesmerists believe, and know that it does exist, and is the only agency by which this state eamrot b^mduceflfT ' ... . r -€- It is the inalienable right of everyone, after a careful investigation of any subject, to ex- press their opinion, whether or no it conflicts with accepted dogmas. It is impossible to read many of the recent works upon hypnotic phenomena, without noticing egoism expressed or implied regard- ing mesmerism. Material hypnotists exceed their domain when they attempt to deride or deny what they do not understand beyond the limits of theory. To all such, mesmerism is and will be as a fleeting phantom, which may be witnessed, but not grasped. It will always be discredited by those who believe only the little they are able to demonstrate, as everyone cannot become a hypnotist and every hypnotist cannot become a mesmerist. A mesmerist may be able to demonstrate an interesting phenomena with one subject, and fail with another. One must be always prepared for the many different and sometimes startling manifestations, according to the nervous organization of the somnambule. 72 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON Experience alone will teach how to regulate them ; some will be found who are admirably adapted to physical experiments but are utterly useless for psychical. We will now give an easy and simple method of magnetizing-. It is one of many ways, and a person may select, after practi- cal experience, others that may be found more convenient. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 73 How to /H>e9tneri3e. ^f HE mesmerist should take a seat directly VU in front of the patient; after rubbing* his own hands together briskly for about thirty seconds, he should take the hands of subject and gently manipulate them for about one minute, meanwhile explaining* the results expected from the treatment; after which place the thumbs into his palms in such a manner as to press down over the median nerve, and after having* requested his full at- tention, look him steadily in the eyes, caution him that he must make no effort to keep his eyes open; after from five to fifteen minutes they will begfin to grow heavy. The first attempt will be the most difficult, and the time required to g*et the subject en rapport may be twenty or thirty minutes. It some- times requires several days, and in exceptional cases as many weeks. The beg*inner is ad- vised to limit the time of his first attempt to about thirty minutes. When about to yield to the mag-netic influence, the eyelids will be- 74 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON g*in to quiver rapidly in some cases; at any rate, after gazing into the subject's eyes for about five or ten minutes, the mag*netizer should stand directly in front of the patient, keeping- his eyes riveted upon those of sub- ject, thinking- the meanwhile of sleep. He should extend, loosety, his fing*ers, raise them at the sides of the latter, with the palmer surface downward until they meet just above his head; then bring* them slowly down- ward with the fing*er tips about two inches distant from the face until in line with the clavicle; then flapping* them lig*hth T at the the sides, as if to cast off a few drops of wa- ter; repeat about half a dozen times. He should not raise them, at any time, in front of the patient, but with the palmer surface always down; raise them at the sides, per- mitting* them to meet at the top of the head; then, with the same precautions, he must extend the passes downward to the epig*as- trum, about a dozen times in this instance, after which he may step a little backward and extend the remainder of the passes down- ward, as far as the extremities; then a few passes should be made downward along* the HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 75 arms and sides of the body. It may aid the beginner to place his knees in contact with those of the subject at the beginning* of the test. Some g*o readily into a profound sleep, which may or may not be desired. Such a state will gradually vanish by degrees with- out further attention of the mag-netizer. Others merg*e, instead, into what may be called lucid sleep, or the true somnambulic state. These two widely differing- states may be to a certain extent regelated by the operator. The depth of the sleep may be increased according* to the number of perpen- dicular passes; if it is desired to lessen the profundity, transverse passes will be found useful. Sensitive subjects, will occasionally be found, who can be endormed by simply taking* the hand with the intention of so do- ing*. Others will require, as before stated, from two to twenty minutes. When about to succumb to mesmeric influence, an inde- finable look will overspread the countenance of some; in others, the eyelids quiver rapidly, until the eyeball turns upward and it is hid- den from view by the lid. The subject, at this time, appears uneasy, the chest expands 76 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON with difficulty, a shiver and a sigh, and they fall backward into one of the two mentioned states. Some subjects actually feel the cur- rents of animal electricity, as it escapes from the finger tips of the mesmerist during* the passes, and many sensitives are able to see it in a dark room. It has even been photograph- ed. That it can be seen and felt by magnet- ized subjects, is not due to their imagination, by any means; it is accounted for by the fact that in the mesmeric state, any of the senses can be perceptibly augmented. The sense of hearing ma}^ be increased, so that a whisper inaudible to others may be heard at a distance of a dozen or more feet by the subject; so the sense of sight being increased, he is enabled to see this magnetic fluid, which must of necessity have a greater rarity than the at- mosphere. To awaken the subject, trans- verse passes should be used; the limbs should be first awakened. In mesmerism that phe- nomenon to which w T e have so frequently re- ferred, magnetic or electrical attraction, will become frequently manifest. You may observe by bringing your hand near the arm of your endormed subject, that his arm will in- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 77 variably move out toward it, obeying*, seem- ingly, a mysterious attraction. A magnet will produce the same effect, yet the action of the magnet is entirely different, producing simply a reflex action; whereas, animal at- traction acts by a more complex, subtle mechanism. A marked difference will be ob- served in the susceptibility of various sub- jects, in most all, however, the faculty of re- sponse and sympathy may be cultivated, as Donato well expressed, by* 4 Magnetic Educa- tion. '' He attracted much attention in Paris (1881) with a somnambule, a young lady whom he was able to control, without speak- ing a word, solely by the use of gestures, which were made at a distance of one or two paces from her; he was in this manner enabled to convey thoughts and commands. A sensitive will gradually become suscep- tible to different attractions, and if, in addi- tion, he possess a quick comprehension of the mechanical movements, you can, in the som- nambulistic state, produce wonderful and surprising effects. At first, your influence will be limited to close proximity only, yet, 78 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON after repeated trials with a sensitive, distance will be no barrier. Some of the first effects to attract the at- tention of the magnetizer are, the muscular contraction of an endormed subject under his cencentrated gaze; the transfer ance of thought by physical contact, by placing* your finger with a slight downward pressure upon the back of the neck of an endormed subject, near the horn of the spinal column, thinking, the meanwhile, intently of some object, which may be some particular color, a number, or a card; a sensitive will receive an impression of your thoughts. This is one method of thought transferance; there are many others. In cases where mental action has affected subjects at a distance, their organizations have, of necessity, been of such an extremely sensitive nature, that they were invariably sufferers from some form of hysteria. The touch of the mesmerist will usually be found agreeable to the subject, while that of others is generally painful. The magnetized sub- ject will, not unfrequently, be able to re- cognize different persons, by touch alone. There is yet another form of magnetism, HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 70 termed, Artificial Mesmerism. Subjects, when endormed by this method, have the power of diagnosing diseases and locating pain. Clocquet wrote a letter describing the experiments of Marquis de Puysegur, viz: afterward recorded by Ochorowicz. " M. de Puysegur chose from among his patients several subjects, whom, by touching them with his hands and holding toward them his wand (an iron rod about fifteen inches in length), he caused them to fall into a regular crisis. The complement of this state is an apparent sleep, during which the physical faculties seem suspended, but to the profit of the intellectual faculties; the eyes are shut, the sense of hearing is dull and awakes only at the master's call. " (This is the phenom- enon of isolation peculiar to the magnetic sleep, as distinguished from the hypnotic state produced by an inanimate object.) One must be careful not to touch the patient in the crisis, nor even the chair he sits in." I have often, since 1867, observed and verified this fact.) "Were one to do so, it would cause great suffering, convulsions that only the master can allay," The patients, who in 80 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON the crisis are called medecins (doctors) have a supernatural power whereby, on touching a sick person presented to them, or on laying the hand upon him, even outside the clothes, they know what internal organ is affected, the part of the body that is ailing. They name it, and give pretty correct advice as to the proper remedies. I had my^self touched by one of the medecins, a woman of about fifty years; I certainly had not told anybody the nature of my complaint. After giving some time to my head in particular, she said that I often had pain therein, and that I habitually had a loud buzzing in the ears, which is quite true. A young man, who witnessed this experiment with incredulity, submitted to it himself afterward, and was told that he had trouble with his stomach; that he had engorgements in the lower ab- domen, this since the occurence of a spell of sickness a few years before. This, he con- fessed, was in accordance with the facts. Not contented with this divination, he forth- with went and had himself touched by anoth- er ''doctor" twenty paces away from the first, and got the same answer. I never saw HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 81 a man so dumbfounded as this one, who surely had come to contradict, to jeer, and not to be convinced. Robert Ingersoll was once asked, what changes he would make, had he the power of creation. He replied: " I would make good health contagious instead of disease. " Pos- sibly this force, of which magnetism is but one manifestation, surrounding us on all sides and within the reach of all, is, if not really contagious, at least a remedy for all classes of disease, providing we but comprehended the laws that govern its utility. 82 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON Mow to Untmce IRppnosis. HS the practical result of experiment and proven facts, together with the many hypotheses which have also received due consideration, the author has found it impos- sible, as the previous chapters of this work plainly indicate, to relegate positive proofs for numerous theoretical statements, which tend more to confound than elucidate the prin- ciple upon which is based the science of mag- netism. We recognize, as the fundamental basis, electro-biology. We shall not attempt to consider or predict the possibilities of this science, nor the many astounding psycho- logical mysteries connected therein. In this, as in all other natural phenomena, the laws which govern them are simple, yet immutable, and electricity is the most active agent in the induction of this state. The schools of Europe, wherein is instituted psychological research, have long since recognized it under the name of " magnetic fluid/' We take no exception to the name, and may frequently re- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 83 f er to it as such, but our conception of it, how- ever, is not as a mysterious or magnetic fluid only, but as Animal Electricity, the repulsion and attraction being* due to the polarity. It is, at present, a very difficult subject to dis- course upon, one important cause of confusion being- the misapplication of existing names. Mr. Braid, the first to use the term hypnotic, evidently meant to imply the nervous sleep induced by action, which first decreased the amount of blood in the brain, thereby dimin- ishing the amount of electricity; this con- dition places the subject in the proper state to receive the current of Animal Electricity from the hypnotist, as electricity seeks its conductor, and if left to itself will find it, flowing from the stronger to the weaker. Decreasing the amount of blood in the brain may be alone sufficient to endorm the patient, as that is but a requisite of all natural sleep. If it is desired to induce the stage of somnam- bulism, however, and the patient is compelled to sleep, he will do so, but it will be the re- verse of natural sleep, and bring in its wake fatigue instead of rest. The brain, in the deeper state (unless proper precautions are 84 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON taken) contains an excess of blood, similar to the enforced sleep of chloral hydrate, etc. If the term hypnosis is to imply what we would infer, from its Greek derivation, it is certainly much abused, and for the various phenomena of this class new names are neces- sary. We shall now give several methods by which hypnosis may be induced. We will state, however, that the beginner must always guard against deception in the subject, whether voluntary or involuntary. Another obstacle will be found in the general, and al- most universal acceptance of the statement, that none but weak-minded can be endormed, an erroneous idea, by the way, as in the in- sere or lunatic, hypnosis is rarely induced. Persons will often offer themselves as subjects to verify a petty conceit, that their mind is stronger than the magnetizer, or at least, too strong to be affected. Such subjects are easy to control, if taken by surprise; rush to them suddenly, seize them by the shoulders, push them backward and pull them forward, keeping your eyes riveted upon their own; let all of your movements be sudden and un- HYPNOTISM AMD MESMERISM. 85 expected; give to your words the tone of authority, and you will seldom fail. A gal- vanic current will also be found a valuable adjunct. Place in the circuit from twelve to fifteen cells; place in the left hand of the sub- ject the negative electrode; hold in your left, the positive; grasp his right hand and press your thumb upon the palmar surface over the median nerve; look him straight in the eyes for about a minute, then tell him his eyes are growing heavy, heavy; his pupils are dilated; he needs rest. Then say, "Close your eyes; sleep, sleep, deep sleep"; place your thumb midway between the eyebrows, resting your fingers upon the top of his forehead; press downward gently, keeping your eyes fastened upon his closed lids. Then remove your hand, make a few downward passes, and the sub- ject is then, usually, in the first stage of hypnosis. Number 2. The first requisite is willing- ness of the subject; then seat him, his back toward the company, if spectators are pres- ent; request him to clasp his hands in such a manner that the thumbs lie one above the other, with a gentle pressure; instruct him 86 PRx\CTICAL ESSAYS ON to observe steadily the knuckle of the forefin- ger, until he notices a change in its color, which will arise from congestion of the capil- laries produced by concentration of his thoughts. Leave him then entirely to him- self for about five minutes, although a longer or shorter time will sometimes be required; then approach the side of his chair, and having firmly decided within yourself that you are going to succeed, fix your eyes steadily upon him, directing your gaze to an imaginary line between the eye and ear; make a few passes downward, allowing the hand to interpose between your line of vision and the subject's head; repeat in a low, firm, convincing tone, 4 ' Your eyes are growing heavy, heavy ! You cannot hold them open; close them ! Think of nothing but sleep, sleep, deep, deep sleep ! '' As soon as the eyes are closed step directly in front of him, press the lids carefully down, then place your thumb between the eyebrows, letting your fingers rest upon the top of the forehead, press gently downward, in the meanwhile gazing intently upon the closed lids, repeating your commands; "Sleep, sleep, deep, deep sleep, breathe regularly! " Remove HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 87 your hand from his forehead, and with the fingers lightly extended make a few more passes, at the end of which the subject is usually in the lethargic or drowsy stage, al- though you will encounter many sensitives, who pass rapidly from the first to the deeper stages. Tell him, that until you have counted five, he cannot open his eyes; that when you have reached said number, he must open his eyes, but be still asleep; when you again count five, he must close his eyes and sleep deep. One simple test to determine whether he is endormed, is to say : " You must keep your eyes closed, sleep sound and deep ! You must hear no one but me ! You cannot open your eyes until I place my hand upon your head ! " Then, stepping back, in a low voice ask someone present to request him to open his eyes. If he does not, he may be consid- ered ready for further experiment. When you desire to dehypnotize him, inform him that when you count three you will place your hand upon his head; he must then wake up, be bright and cheerful. You may also blow your breath upon his face, saying: " Wake up, open your eyes ! " Or you may simply 88 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON slap your hands together telling him to wake, etc. If any muscle of the subject be rigid or contracted, always lightly massage them be- fore restoring him. Number 3. Any bright object can be used to induce hypnosis. A conductor of electricity will, however, act with more certainty and dispatch. Avery neat and useful object, such as has been used by the author for years, is made as follows : Have imbedded in a small piece of zinc, about the size of a quarter of a dollar, a silver ten cent piece; have it riveted in place with a small piece of fine cop- per wire; have the surface made perfectly smooth and polished brightly; as will be seen, we then have a combination of zinc, silver and copper, This can be used as an objective point, instead of the closed hands in experi- ment number two, by having the subject hold it from eighteen to twenty inches from the eyes, upon which he must direct his fixed gaze, with the other directions before stated. Number 4. Take the subject by the left hand, pressing the thumb of your right hand into the center of his palm, covering the line of the median nerve, allowing the tips of your HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 89 middle and ring* finger to press upon the meta- carpus, behind the articulation of the middle and ring- finger of the subject, and, having firmly decided to iufluence him, gaze steadily into the depths of his eyes for a length of time, varying from one to three minutes. Then pursue the same directions previously stated. Number 5. You may request the subject to stand erect in the center of the room ; take him by the hand, as stated in number four; look him straight in the eyes; tell him to close his eyes and think only of one word. It may be sinking, falling or something similar. Im- press upon his mind that in a short time he will surely fall; assure him that you will stand ready to catch him and that he must not resist the sensation; step behind him; hold one finger near the back of his head; look steadily at it, also, meanwhile thinking : You must fall ! You must fall ! After a variable length of time, generally about one or two minutes, he will fall. Remember that in this experiment, the subject must keep his eyes closed, stand erect, with arm placed at the sides, and keep his mind upon the given word. When he falls into your arms, place him again 90 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON in an erect position, placing* yourself in front of him; make a few passes downward in front of his face and pursue directions given in number two . There are hundreds of ways by which hyp- nosis may be induced. There are many tests to determine whether or not the subject is ready for experimental work; it is more diffi- cult to detect and differentiate real sleep from its semblance. Catalepsy can be produced with the eyes of the somnambule either open or closed; it may be induced by any unexpected ocurrence, as a flash of light previously provided. This sud- den flash of a bright light gives him a nervous shock, which induces the state known as cat- alepsy. In this instance the eyes remain open; press his arms firmly against the sides of his body; move your fingers from his shoulders down to the finger tips (there is an intelligence in the movement of the fingers that cannot be explained; each one must discover it for him- self); then begin again at the shoulders and descend, touching upon the ulnar nerve; tell him, in the meantime, that his muscles are growing rigid, hard as steel; he cannot move HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 91 them, etc. A word of caution may not be here amiss. Although the above effect may be produced by a word, and the author, with many others, has induced rigidity in an endormed subject by thought alone, it is by far much safer and better for the patient if gradually induced, accompanied by the man- ual movements. Neither is it wise, for startling effect, to attempt a relaxation of the muscles by oral suggestion alone, but gently manipulate them with light massage, telling him that they are gradually becoming soft, etc., until they are again normal. In this state the whole body may be made to become perfectly rigid, by observing the above directions in regard to other muscles; it is this condition which renders possible the tests of rock-breaking so frequently seen upon the stage. You can also raise one or both arms to any position,, assuring the sub- ject, while lightly tracing the nerve track, of their firmness, and they will remain in whatever position placed. If catalepsy is induced while the eyes are closed, on opening the eyes the muscles re- lax. If the eyes are open when the somnam- 92 . PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON bule merges into this state, by closing them it disappears. To prove whether or not cat- alepsy exists, a common method is to raise the arm; if it falls, the negative is confirmed. Although, as previously stated, catalepsy has been induced in sensitives by mental sug- gestion alone, during experiments, it is neither wise nor safe to change the subject from one to another of widely differing states. These absurd, yet striking, changes of a sub- ject from an actor of renown to some form of lower animal, or vice versa, create mental and physical wrecks of those wretches who, for scant remuneration, offer themselves as sacrifices to some mercenary and heartless hypnotist, that he may astound an uninformed public. " Animal Electricity" is necessary to life; therefore, it exists in every human being. Through the medium of this universal force, every law of nature bears a fixed relation to the mind of man; it is the flow of this electric fluid from the sensitive group to the percep- tive, from thence to observation, etc, mov- ing from right to left, that causes the infant to put forth his right hand instead of the left. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 93 Were it not for this fact, we would have as many individuals use the left as the right hand. We observe a vast difference in the physical strength of men, yet the most deli- cate body, if unfettered by disease, is capable of muscular development. The muscles of the young, who neither labor nor exercise, become soft and attenuated, while those of persons who labor and observe the laws of health by proper exercise, become firm and strong'; yet, with exercise and consequent development, all men cannot become equally powerful; a difference will exist, commensur- ate with the original disparity of their bodies. So with the brain, the storage bat- tery of the body; all may by mental cultiva- tion increase its size and pGwer. Even so, an inequality will yet exist, all will be re- warded for their efforts; nevertheless, every- one cannot become a mental giant. This explains briefly the difference in magnetic power of different individuals. If a trained athlete meets in contest one of equal strength, yet lacking in science, none can doubt the issue; the certainty of victory would be still increased if he attacked his 94 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON opponent unawares. As a means of demon- stration, we may make another comparison : If a powerful pugilist should strike with full force a delicate young* man, the result might be fatal. Some are born with powerful brains, others may acquire them by mental exercise. The effect of mental development on the human brain is noticeable after death, and determined by the depths of the convolutions; in some they are deep, in others shallow. There is also a difference in the texture of the brain; fine structure indicates power, which decreases in proportion to existing coarseness. Some, without development, possess hypnotic power; others may attain it by cultivation. As we have before mentioned the fatal effect of mag-netism upon a frog-, so we must admit that a concentrated projection of fluid from a powerful hypnotist to a weak and un- developed brain, must be used with discretion and intelligence. Some persons can never project a current of sufficient force to hypnotize. Many deceive themselves by simply indue- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 95 ing lethargy, which is, in many instances, but the result of the monoideac state induced by the subject, per se. There is just as much difference existing- in the power of per- sons to magnetize as there is in the different degrees of sensitiveness in those offered as subjects. It is impossible to pursue psychic invest- gation to any great depth without observing the effect of animal electricity. You may term it any name you prefer, yet the fluid exists. If you find one who honestly denies its existence, you may rest assured that he knows but little of psychic phenomena. The very existence of the "unconscious," or what we may call the dual mind, with which all magnetizers and hypnotists are certainly confronted in profound hypnosis, should be sufficient proof of the fact that this particu- lar line cf research is far from ordinary. Furthermore, no hypnotist can divine what strange, unforseen, and perhaps hitherto un- known, idiosyncrasy will become manifest before the "seance" is ended with any strange somnambule. Everyone, whether physician or layman, % PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON should carefully note and record his practical experience with this subject. As the rela- tion of magnetism to the human mind is now but in that embryonic state dubbed pseudo- science, those who have so hastily tabooed it, may in the near future observe their error and tender to it the welcome humanity should always give nature's curative agents, and to magnetism especially, as it is but another phase of that grand force which prevades the immensity of cur universe. §>®4§ HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 97 Therapeutic application of Hypnotism. fN the spring* of 1891 I reached San Fran- cisco from Valparaiso. I was surprised to find so prevalent among* all classes the use of opium or opiates. It is true but a small percentage of the population were addicted to this habit, yet the victims were, as before stated, not confined to the lower strata, by any means, but permeated the very vitals of swelldom. Among' my acquaintances was Mrs. W , a lady of twenty-seven years, wealthy, refined and highly intellig*ent, rather anemic, with an apparent lang*our, which might have been mistaken for indifference. It was upon our second or third meeting*, at the house of a mutual friend, that the tell-tale contraction of the pupils were apparent. At that time I was in total ig*norance of what is generally termed '" ' hitting the pipe, ' ' and sup- posed naturally that she had taken morphia. One afternoon I was called professionally to attend her; reaching* the house was shown at once to her room by the Chinese servant; she 98 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON was walking* the floor in nervous agitation; her eyes were dilated, and upon her face was a slig-ht hectic flush. " Oh, Doctor," she ex- claimed, "I hardly know how to tell you. Do you know why I have sent for you? ' ' she asked excitedly. " I understood that my ser- vices were required," I replied. "So they are, but how can I tell you?" and she burst into tears. Her pulse was at this time 107. 4 'Be seated," I said, "I wish to talk with you a moment. Calm yourself, and tell me what has happened." She covered her eyes with her handkerchief, and remained silent a few moments, save a few suppressed sobs, when she resumed, "Doctor, I sent for you, because you are a stranger in the city. I could never have sent for my old family phy- sician; he knew my husband, attended him in his last illness, and has watched over my little daug-hter and myself as if he were a father. I could not, and would never have told him that I am — I am an opium fiend." I pro- ceeded to ask a few necessary questions, and elicited the following- story, given in her own words : "Two years agx> my husband died; I was HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 99 prostrated by grief, which was followed by convulsive seizures of hysteria. In several of these attacks morphia was hypodermically injected by Dr. G . He afterward refused to continue the drug*. It was during* this con- dition that a lady friend called. I told her how shattered were my nerves, of the insom- nia from which I suffered, as well as the con- stant misery I daily endured. ' Did you ever "hit the pipe?"' she asked. I did not at once comprehend her. ' Did you ever smoke — smoke opium ? ' she said. ' I was in just your condition once,' she continued, 'and that was the only thing that did me any g*ood; since that time I have never been without a layout in the house.' Well it was soon arranged that I should accompany her home that evening*. That was my first experience with the drug*, and bitterly have I since regretted it. Her Chinese servant prepared it for us, and we smoked for several hours." " What were your sensations ?" I asked. " It quieted me, to be sure, but it made me sick, Oh, so sick ! " said she with a shudder, 4 'that I never intended to g*o near it ag*ain. But the next day found me, nevertheless, at 100 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON the house of my lady friend. This time it did not make me sick, but I have never ex- perienced those dreams of Oriental splendor about which I had often heard; it merely seemed to deaden and paralyze my nerves, as it were. I became then a daily caller at the house of Mrs. M — — . I soon found that a visit of once daily did not suffice, and as I had by this time become sufficiently acquainted with the drug- to understand the art of pre- paring or (cooking*) it, as it is termed, I de- cided to introduce this modern curse into my own house. A Chinaman was employed, and through him the requisite layout, consisting of pipe, lamp and appurtenances, were secured. From twice daily it soon reached to three; from thence to four times every day was the inhalation of this drug necessary. I have tried to conceal my unfortunate habit from my friends; how well I succeeded, God only knows, as the object of scandal is always the last to hear it. I have decided to break the chain that has bound me, but help is required, and I have therefore sent for you," saying which, she relapsed into silence, and buried her face in her handkerchief. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 101 " Do you know the amount of the drug that you consumed at each time?" I ventured. " Oh yes, I have often weighed it. It was just the amount which would balance a twenty-five cent piece (silver) on the scale. You see a small Chinese scale is used in weighing* it. Their standard of measurement is a fune, I do not know its equivalent in our system of weights." ' 'How long since you last indulged?" "I have not touched it since night before last, and I have firmly resolved never again to take that infernal draught of oblivion, although I have suffered the tortures of the dammed; my nerves have been shattered, involuntary tears flow from my weak and in- flamed eyes, spasmodic pains shoot through my intestines, while a dull ineffable pain is ever present in my weakened brain. Every organ, every tissue of my system seems clam- oring for the accursed drug, while to oppose them nothing is left but will power." " God bless you," I said, " you cannot but succeed. What you need is rest. Give me your attention for a few moments, and we shall endeavor to induce sleep." 102 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON "Oh, if you only could! " she replied. "You know the peculiarity of opium is, that it is the only known drug that soothes, and at the same time stimulates. I have eaten nothing since depriving myself of it." Some further queries developed the fact that constipation always accompanies this form of dissipation; the senses are blunted, the result of which is a languid indifference; the pancreatic juice becomes weakened, and the digestive apparatus is thus impaired, affect- ing, in its turn, the appetite. At first the sys- tem makes an attempt to throw this off, as all other poisons, but soon tires of the effort; like intoxicants and tobacco, morphia, chloral, belladona or other forms of stimulants, nar- cotics or opiates, it soon becomes a necessity. Whatever may have been the cause of the first indulgence, whether for curiosity, pleas- ure, or the relief of pain, the effect is invari- ably the same; a new desire is formed, and an unnatural appetite is created, to appease which, the unhappy victim will defy the law, and jeopardize even life itself. To be sure, among the rich such desperation is not so often met, yet the physical suffering is just the same. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 103 To begin with, I talked and reasoned with this lady, and brought to my assistance her pride, by remarking* how strange it was, that a lady of her intelligence could have ever be- come a victim of such a debasing habit, and that she justly deserved credit for the firm stand she had taken, and that, notwithstand- ing the insomnia which would most likely follow such a condition, we would endeavor to reduce pain to a minimum. So, I accord- ingly magnetized her, and after having im- pressed the above, in substance, upon her mind during the hypnosis, reduced her pulse to normal, and bade her sleep sound for four hours. Before leaving, I gave a few minor hints to her maid, and left orders that on no account must the lady be awakened or dis- turbed until 7 p.m., when I would again call. A few minutes before seven, I found her still in a deep sleep, from which she was soon awakened; her skin was dry and hot, and she exhibited great thirst; her temperature rose to 103.5 degrees at 8 p. m. with pulse 112. A sponge bath was given, followed by an alco- hol rub; a mild laxative was also given; dur- ing this time, the patient seemed extremely 10+ PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON weak and exhausted; when the nurse, with the assistance of her maid, had manipulated her sufficiently, she was again placed in bed. A small cup of black coffee, and a slice of French toast was then ordered; the coffee was consumed with apparent relish, but the patient was unable to eat the toast. She was again endormed, with sleep, as the only suggestion. After giving strict orders that upon no condition was she to be awakened or permitted to leave her apartments, I retired, a room having been provided for me in the house. At eight o'clock the next morning I awakened her; her temperature was 99, pulse 80. She then drank a small glass of port wine, complained of a slight pain in the head, and extreme lassitude, together with great sensitiveness in the region of the epigastrum. For breakfast she ate one soft boiled egg, two slices of buttered toast with a large cup of coffee; she called for the morning paper, and while she was reading it, I left her, promising to return in one hour. It must be remembered that during all this time she had been continually under the es- pionage of some one, either her maid or my- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 105 self. I did not doubt her intentions of break- ing* away from this horrible drug*, but I was aware that victims of any pernicious habit are sometimes afflicted with an irresistable desire to indulge, and so took these precau- tions, which proved wise in this case, at least. On my return an hour later, I met her maid at the door, who informed me that the patient had desired to leave the room; she had used both threats and persuasion, but to no avail, as the maid was a very sensible girl, and un- derstood the nature of her lady's affliction. I opened the door, and found her pale with anger, dressed in her morning* wrapper, and pacing* the floor with suppressed agitation. I greeted her cordially, but received no im- mediate reply. She turned suddenly upon me saying, " Oh, Doctor ! I can stand this no longer. I must go once more, or I'll die !" I motioned her to a seat, at the same time moving my chair opposite to her; we talked quietly a few moments, after which, she was again magnetized; she lapsed into the lethar- gic state only; she was given appropriate oral suggestion l 4t To forget the drug; that its continued use meant death to her." She 106 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON was allowed to rest quietly for about one-half hour, when she merged into a deep sleep, which was to continue until 3 p. m. I re- turned about two o'clock, and waited for her spontaneous awakening*, which occurred about three. Her pulse was at this time normal. No further treatment necessary. She g-ained ten pounds weight in two months. The last time I met her, she had the deepest aversion to all opiates and nar- cotics. I have since met many victims of the opium or morphine habits throughout the western states, who had taken many of the well known cures, yet, it is with regret I write, they most invariably relapse into a state worse than the former. With this class of patients, hypnotism is invaluable. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 107 Strange pbenomena* H young man, twenty-five years of age, a cigar maker, called at my office in Chicago one evening. He had been suffering for sometime with insomnia, and desired to try the hypnotic treatment. He was en- dormed, and quietly passed into the somnam- bulic stage. As a test he was handed an ordinary playing card, in such a manner that it was impossible for him to see the face; he was told to observe it closely, so that he might again recognize it. He scanned it in- tently for a few seconds, looking at the back only; he was then asked to select this card from a half-dozen others of the same pack, which he readily did; there was nothing extra- ordinary in that, as it is quite familiar to hyp- notists and magnetizers, but after he had received the requisite therapeutic suggestion, and had been dehypnotized, I asked him to explain by what means he identified that par- ticular card ? He answered, " because it had four spots upon it." He was correct; it was 108 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON the four of diamonds, and he had certainly not seen its face. A young* man called one day, desiring* treat- ment by hppnotism for nervousness, produced by excessive use of alcholic stimulants. He proved extremely susceptible to hypnotic in- fluence; after four weeks treatment, he was entirely cured. He then offered himself as a subject for scientific experiment. He was thirty years of age, nervous temperament, occupation bartender. To induce hypnosis, it was necessary only to command him to sleep, and sleep was the result; he passed rapidly from the lethargic to the profound cataleptic state. I cannot attribute it to sug- gestion alone; however, even with this hyper- aesthetic sensitive; it was rather the result of will force, as if my attention were divided or attracted by some remarks of those pre- sent, the result was nothing more than lethargy, but in this instance, when the desire was concentrated for deep sleep it invariably resulted. One day, when in the hypnotic stage of active somnambulism, I recounted to him the following story : 4 " Look out upon the harbor before you; look HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 109 farther out upon the broad expanse of the ocean; see that large ship with full sail headed for the entrance; see the crew and passengers gathered upon the deck. You recognize that old, grey-haired lady standing aft, leaning upon the railing; you know her. She is your mother, but hold! What do we see now? The ship has struck a rock; she is sinking, sinking. Your mother with all on board, is lost, lost. ' ' He uttered a short, sharp cry, and fell to the floor, frothing at the mouth; his pulse having* risen to one hundred and forty. By placing my hand upon his heart, and assur- ing him of his mother's safety, he became quiet, though retaining the rigidity of cata- lepsy. After a few moments of light mas- sage, his muscles relaxed, and he was awakened; his pulse was quickly restored to normal. This same young man would crouch and en- deavor to hide under a table, when told that a terrible hailstorm was raging around him; in fact, he would take the most unreasonable suggestion without hesitation. The most interesting phenomena, by far, were obtained in the mesmeric state. Not- 110 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON withstanding* the claims of Bertrand and fol- lowers of the Nancy school, it makes a great difference whether a subject is endormed by a brig'ht button or by pressing* upon the median nerve, or by holding* the thumbs, followed by passes. When I presssd upon the thumbs of this young* man, gazed into his eyes, and willed sleep by mental order alone, and afterward regulated the stag*e by passes, phenomena, though somewhat similar, yet differing* in many respects from those of hypnotism, were the result. In the hypnotic state, anyone could awaken him, in the mesmeric state, he recognized only the will of the magnetizer; when he was in a stage of light somnambu- lism, we attempted several times to demon- strate deferred suggestion; we failed in our first efforts, but unexpectedly succeeded on the fourth day. "The experiment was as fol- lows : The subject presented usually two well de- fined states during the magnetic seance, light sleep or somnambulism, and deep sleep, the latter of which was characterized by marked torpidity of the muscles; the former by great HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. Ill sensibility and ease of movement. A closer observation reveals at least four other slightly differing, yet very apparent, phases. When in the phase that might be termed somnambu- lic delerium, while holding his hand I pressed my forehead against that of the subject, ordering him mentally to walk twice around the house before entering, when he should arrive the following day at half past one; the time at which he usually came for experi- mental work. I said nothing regarding this suggestion until he (the subject) had been excused. I then made it known to the class, which consisted of several physicians, who were taking instruction in this line of work. They arrived early the next day to observe the result. At exactly half past one, the sub- ject appeared, opened the gate, stood for a moment, as if hesitating, then approached excitedly toward the house. We were observ- ing him through the shutters, which rendered it impossible for him to see us. When within a few paces of the door, he stopped suddenly, placed his right hand to his head as if he had forgotten something; he then walked hur- riedly around the house, as if still undecided. 112 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON He passed around the second time, clenching his fist and muttering* to himself. He then en- tered, When I met him at the door, he exclaimed "Oh, I've found you!" "Well, said I, did you not expect to find me here?" "Yes, but it seemed to me, as if you were around the house, and desired me to seek you." We endeavored several times to repeat the experiment in various ways, but failed. There are so many conditions upon which success is dependent in all delicate tests, that the in- vestigator must not be discouraged by failure, as you may succeed when least expected, and fail under the most favorable conditions. IT HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 113 flfoental SuoQestion at a distance* T has been proven that the concentrated thoughts of one can influence another at a distance. A case recently observed by myself confirms the possibility of the pro- jection of not only our thoughts, but of our spiritual individuality or astral body. I re- ceived an introduction to Professor D — , a young man, who had been giving private hyp- notic seances, and invited him to call upon me. He was faultlessly attired, and appeared content both with himself and the world; had traveled in India and recounted many inter- esting stories of the wonders he had seen in that far-off country. Among the things he spoke of, were the "Mystic Brotherhood of the Himalayas," and hinted at the depths of their research. In short, he was extremely entertaining, and we met quite often. One night I was awakened in my apartments, as by a cold draft. I became aware of a pres- ence in my room; I saw my newly made friend standing in the center of the room; his face 114 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON was turned toward me, but he did not appear to be observing' me. I seemed too much over- come by surprise to attempt speech; he stood thus for a few seconds, when his voice, which seemed to come from afar, not unlike the trans- mission of the telephone, was heard. "I am in need of money," he said, " can you let me have fifty dollars?" Before I could reply he had vanished. I tried to become convinced of the fact that I had been dreaming", yet, if it was a vision, all of life must be likewise, as I was as wide awake then as I have ever been. The next day, he called as usual, and con= versed as cheerfully as before; as he was about to take his leave, however, he drew from his pocket a sealed envelope addressed to myself, and handed it to me, bidding* me a hasty adieu, left before I had time to read it, The contents were as follows : ' 'Dear Doctor: — I have been disappointed in my expecta- tions, reg-arding* a money matter. Several times I have attempted to speak of it, but have been unable to overcome the embarrass- ment that attends the unusual circumstance which renders necessary an appeal to one, HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 115 who, although a friend, is yet a stranger. I am in need of money; can you let me have fifty dollars? I will remit at once, upon my return home. Your friend. D." Whether the above incident was thought transference, projection of the astral body, or whether it was an impression received previ- ously, during* our conversation, I will leave for others to decide. Mr. Aubm Gauthier is one of the few mag- nctizcrs who have attempted to define the favorable and unfavorable conditions of thought transference. He states that : "1. Inanimate bodies do not interrupt action from a distance. 2. Plants assist it. 3. Cer- tain animals interfere with it. 4. A number of men may hinder it." And adds, that " In stormy weather it is difficult to magnetize, not only from a distance but even in the presence of the subject.'' For therapeutic use, the lethargic or primary stage is sufficient in trivial, or light nervous ailments. In graver organic disturbance, one of the deeper phases may be required. Before inducing hypnosis, or the magnetic sleep, the magnetizer should explain to the patient wherein his present 116 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON disease or ailment is a departure from the normal or healthy state. He should endeavor to explain the mechanism of the deranged function, and after endorming the subject, should command a correction. As it is the unconscious or dual that you address, you will find it ever ready to execute your orders, even though in the waking state, they may be un- known to your patient. Of course, all hy- gienic precaution must be observed; too much must not be expected from hypnotism, but as an auxiliary, it will be found invaluable. Magnetism or mesmerism, i. e. where the patient is endormed by holding the thumbs or pressing upon the median nerves of the hands followed by passes, will be found highly use- ful in all chronic and stubborn ailments. Some of the most brilliant successes will at- tend the treatment of paralytics, hysteria, epileptics, etc. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 117 TIbe Iftniversal jflui&, HNCIENT records, including- the religi- ous works of all civilized nations, teach us that there existed in the past a closer con- nection between spirit and matter; dreams or visions had their significance; the signs of the heaven were of great import, and that sacred book, the Bible, recounts direct communica- tion between God and man. Some have advanced an hypothesis that the present race have lost in whole or in part one of the senses, the faint trace of which we at present term " intuition.' ' Since man has lost the sixth sense (if such were the correct expression), or since he has at least been denied the same degree of spir- itual intelligence with which his ancestors were endowed, he has devoted himself assidu- ously to secular affairs, the results of which can be seen in the numerous achievements of inventive genius, which aside from instruments of war, and labor-saving appliances, are di- rected mainly to the facilitation of transfer 118 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON and communication. We live in an age of haste ! The two great incentives of the pres- ent generation seem to be, " The greed of gold, and thirst for pleasure." This may be called the practical age. Nearly all the legends of ancient lore are scoffed at and ridi- culed. We do not consider that many tra- ditions, which have acquired a grotesqueness by frequent repetition and faulty translations, were, no doubt, originally founded on truth. An excess in any direction is always a fault, so we must beware, lest we become credulous at the expense of skepticism. The tendency of the times, is to recognize nothing that cannot be demonstrated. If man would but reflect on the grandeur of the uni- verse, and realize what a small atom he is in the midst of creation, and furthermore, how imperfect are his senses, compared even to some of the lower animals, he would realize that the greatest and most sublime truths are not perceived through the medium of the five senses, but are impressed only upon the dual or spiritual part of man. Mental action, at a distance, has been af- firmed by many of the old magnetizers, and HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 119 attested by many schools of psychical re- search. Among them will be found the name Mesmer, who was not the " charlatan," some of his contemporaries would have us be- lieve, but a proud, independent man, and withal, a patient investigator, deep thinker, and profound reasoner. He did not promul- gate his theories broadcast to the world, nor did he explain in his " Memoires '.' some of the more startling results, as he well knew the danger of a new truth or strange discovery, especially upon the minds of an unprepared public. He taught his doctrines to his dis- ciples, who were alone allowed to witness his experimental tests. Some of his discover- ies were confidentially imparted to a few friends, yet, notwithstanding this custom, he was the victim of derision, calumny, and if reports be true, to mendacity. He was a fluidist, a name which even now awakens ridicule among a certain class of meterialists who have exceeded themselves in trying to explain an immaterial subject, by attributing all psychic phenomena to imagi- nation, suggestion, etc. We will quote from " Memoire de F. A. 120 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON Mesmer, Docteur en Medecine, sur ses De- courvertes" (1776) and also from the new edition with notes by Dr. Picher Granchamp, Paris, 1828. He explains, viz : " Whatever is amen- able to investigation may be expressed in two words, MATTER and motion. But to reach this conclusion, we must efface from our cog- nitions the superficial impress given to them by the senses. ' We acquire all ideas through the senses. The senses convey to us only properties, characters, accidents, attributes; the ideas of all these sensations are expressed by an adjective or epitheton, as hot, cold, fluid, solid, heavy, light shining, sonorous, etc. For these epitheta, substantives have been for convenience' sake, substituted. Soon the properties were substantified, we say heat, gravity, light, sound, etc., and lo ! the origin of metaphysical abstraction.' The substan- ces were multiplied, personified, hence ghosts, divinities, demons, genii, archaei and so on. 'We still retain a certain number of these entities, which we must eliminate in order to get a clear view of phenomena. That is in general terms the end we purpose to attain." (p. 18). HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 121 Matter presents several degrees of fluidity. Water is more fluid than sand, for it can fill the interstices between the grains of sand; air is more fluid than water, for it can be dif- fused through it; ether is more fluid than air. It is difficult to determine where this divisi- bility ends, but we may suppose there are still many degrees of this kind, and that there exists a universal primitive matter, the grad- uated concentration of which constitutes all the states of matter. However that may be, it must be allowed that all space is filled, and we may call the fluid which fills all, the UNIVERSAL, FlyUID. " Some physicians have already," says he, 4 * recognized the existence of a universal fluid, but they have erred in defining its characters, in overloading it with properties and specific powers, that we cannot have cognizances of. This fluid exists, though we feel not its pres- ence. It is all around us, and with regard to it we are nearly in the same situation as fishes, which, no doubt, would be much sur- prised were one of themselves to declare that all the space between the bottom of the sea and the surface is filled with a fluid in which 122 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON they live; that in this medium alone do they come tog-ether and go apart, and that it is the one means of their reciprocal relations." (p. 22). 11 The universal fluid is simply the sum of all these series of matter in the highest state of division, through the movement of its par- ticles." By it the universe is fused and re- duced to one mass. All that can be predicted of it, is, that it is fluid by pre-eminence and, consequently, that it must in particular gov- ern transmission of motion more subtle than those affected by other and better known fluids. Water can give motion to a mill; the air transmits sound vibrations; the ether, light vibrations. The universal fluid transmits life vibrations. Each of these series answer to a degree of phenomena, and the vibrations of each of these cannot be perceived, save in a corresponding degree of the organization (i. e. of the aggregation) of matter." (p. 24.) Neither heat, nor light, nor electricity, nor magnetism is a substance, but they are ef- fects of motion in the different series of the universal fluid. While it is neither heavy nor elastic, etc., this fluid determines the phe- HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 123 nomena of gravity, of cohesion, of attraction, etc., as results of the reactions of the motion communicated. " Properly speaking-, there is in nature no attraction; it is only a seeming" effect of com- municated movements, and in g-eneral, all properties, all so-called forces, are but a combined result of the org-anization of bodies, and of the movement of the fluid in which they exist." (p. 25). " This fluid it is that gov- erns the mutual influences of all bodies, and as these actions and reactions are, so to speak, symbolized in the mutual influence of the mag-net and iron, we may g-ive the name of universal magnetism to this general mutual influence. Nothing is exempt from this influ- ence, which may be more or less appreciable, but which theoretically has no limits. The heavenly bodies act upon us, and we react upon the heavenly bodies, as well as upon the bodies around us. The property of the ani- mal that makes it capable of such action and reaction may be called, by analogy with the mag-net, animal mag-netism (sphorism). Con- sequently magnetism, whether the universal or the animal mag-netism, is not a fluid, but an 124 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON action; motion, not matter; transmission of motion, not an emanation of any kind. No displacement can take place without replace- ment, for all space is filled," (p. 39) "and that pre-supposes that if a motion of the subtle matter is produced in one body, there is forthwith produced a like motion in another similar body, capable of receiving* it, what- ever the distance between them." (p. 39). "Considering-," adds Mesmer, "that reci- procal action is general between bodies; that the mag-net furnishes us with the model of this g-eneral law; and that the animal body is susceptible of properties analogous to those of the mag-net, I hold the term Animal Magne- tism, which I have adopted, to be fully justi- fied ... I see with regret that this phrase is thoug-htlessly abused. When one has familiarized himself with it, he flatters him- self that he possesses the idea of the thing*, whereas he has only an idea of the word. As long* as my discoveries were regarded as chi- meras, the incredulity of some savants left to me all the glory of the discovery, but since they were compelled to recognize its reality, they have taken to quoting against me the HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 125 writing's of the ancients, in which occur the phrases, ' universal fluid, magnetism, influ- ence,' and so on. We have to do, not with words, but with the thing, and above all with the usefulness of its application." (p. 47.) 44 Life is but a manifestation of a subtle motion, the stoppage of which is death. Among the subtle motions, sensations hold a chief place; all actions are the result of sen- sations." (p. 49). The sense-organs corre- spond to different degrees of subtlety in the vibrations that influence us, and they are not capable of being influences, save by a special sort of vibrations; but nerve matter itself, as the supreme product of organization, is cap- able of being influenced directly by the most subtle vibrations of the most subtle matter; to wit : the universal fluid. This faculty, hitherto overlooked or misconceived, Mesmer calls, " the inner sense." In regard to this inner sense, (sens interieur) Ochorowicz says, "this term occurs oft in the history of psychology, but in a different sense. Even Aristotle deals with the question. After him, Albertus Magnus, Occam, Giordano Bruno, Cremonius, and many others speak of 126 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON a sensus interior, or even of sensus interni. But the term has been employed either in the sense of a sensus communis, bringing - together all sensations, or in the sense of perception and consciousness of oneself. Commonly the psychologists did but tra- vesty the problem posed by Aristotle : * ' Must we suppose a sixth sense to see what the eye sees; to hear what the ear hears, etc," or else (as in modern psychology) they gave the name, ' ' inner sense ' ' to the faculty of per- ceiving the inward bodily sensations. The meaning given to it by Mesmer is different. He believes that nerve substance in general, and the grey matter in particular, can be af- fected directly by the vibrations of the uni- versal fluid. Herein he sees a souree of vague cognitions, commonly inappreciable, particu- larly by man, in whom the sense impressions and the development of reflection smother these faint perceptions; but in the animals, whose senses are less perfected, this purely cerebral sensibility makes up for the imper- fection of the senses, and in many way stakes their place. It puts them in relation with all nature; enables them to divine directions in HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 127 space; to forefeel terrestrial or atmospheric changes; and in general forms the sort of un- conscious experience, to which we give the title, instinct. In man this faculty manifests itself only exceptionally, in normal sleep, and especially in somnambulism, when the ordi- nary senses are in abeyance, and there are no conscious thoughts to overpower it. "If it be true," says Mesmer, "as I shall endeavor to show, that we are affected by the enchainment of things and of events that suc- ceed one another, we may see the possibility of presentments and other like phenomena/' (p. 50). "In the state of 'crisis,' the somnam- bule's senses may extend to any distance. All nature seems to be present to them. Even dictates of will are communicated to them without regard to any of the conventional means. These faculties differ according to the individual" (p. 52); the most usual phe- nomena is for a somnambule to see the interior of his own body, or even of others' bodies. But it is a rare thing to find all t 1 iese facul- ties in the same person. • 1 ' How can a man receive the impress of a will not his own?" 128 PRACTICAL ASSAYS ON 44 This communication can take place be- tween two individuals in the normal state only, when the movement resulting* from their thoughts is propagated to the vocal organs, and to the parts that serve to express the natural or the conventional signs; these move- ments are then transmitted to the air or to the ether as intermediaries, and are received and sensed by the external sense-organs. The same movements, thus modified by thought in the brain, and in the nerve substance, being communicated at the same time to the series of a subtle fluid, with which that nerve-sub- stance is In continuity can, independently and without the aid of air and ether, extend to an indefinite distance, and report direct to the inner sense of another individual." * * From this a notion may be had of how the wills of two individuals can communicate by their inner senses and consequently of how there may exist a reciprocity, an accord, a sort of understanding between two wills, which relation we may designate as rapport. " (p. 75). * 4 A.s this sort of sensations are not to be had, save through the mediation of fluids, as HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 129 far exceeding* ether in subtility) as ether ex- cels common air, the means of expression fail me; it is, as though I wished to explain colors in terms of sound. I, therefore must needs supply the deficiency with the reflec- tions that may be made upon the constant presentations of human beings, and more par- ticularly of animals, with regard to the great occurrences of nature at distances all too great to be spanned by their ostensible organs; upon the irresistable attraction that causes birds and fishes to make their periodic migra- tions; finally upon all the relevant phenomena furnished to us by the crisis sleep (sommeil critique) of man." (p. 77). "These pre-sensations may relate also to the past or the future, for to see the past is simply to perceive the causes in the affects, and to see the future is to divine the effects from the causes. Whatever has been, has left traces; so, too, whatever is to be, is al- ready determined by the concatenation of causes." (p. 76). But why is the state of sleep better fitted than the waking state to manifest these dif- ferent transmissions ? Mesmer answers that 130 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON question with the utmost precision. The reason is two-fold : 1. "Because in sleep, the sense-functions are suspended" (p. 77) and the continuity of the common sensorium with the external or- gans, more or less broken. "The impressions of circumjacent things, therefore, are made, not upon the external organs of sense, but directly and immediately upon the very substance of the nerves. The inner sense thus becomes the sole organ of sensation." (p. 78). 2. " Because, in consequence of the senses being in abeyance, the psychic functions of conscious memory, of imagination, reflection, etc., which depend upon the senses, directly or indirectly, are also suspended, and conse- quently the impressions made direct upon the cerebral substance," becomes perceptible by the very fact that they stand alone. "As it is, the immutable law of sensations that the stronger effaces the weaker, the latter may be perceptible in the absence of the former. If the impression of the stars is not perceptible to our vision in daytime as it is at night, though their action is the same, the HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 131 reason is, that in the day it is effaced by the superior impression made by the presence of the sun." (p. 78). For individual transmission from man to man, we have to recognise two other con- ditions : 1. That of rapport. "The special action between tw 7 o individuals is facilitated by a sort of accord, by the production, natural or artificial of a like tone of motion or of a like tonic motion, which makes a brain more sus- ceptible of a vibration belonging to the same category." (pp. 24, 75). 2. That of education. ' ' For the perfection of this, crisis sleep not only varies according to the process (marche) of the crisis, and the temperaments and habitudes of the subjects, but also dspends very much upon a sort of edu- cation that can be given them in that state, and on the way in which you direct their faculties; in this respect the sleep may be compared to a telescope, the action of which differs, according to the means of adjust- ment." (p. 81). In a state favorable to transmission of all sorts, man enters into relation with all nature, 132 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON and we might compare him to a liquid whose surface being in perfect equilibrium, reflects, like a mirror everything in the universe; faith- fully pictures all objects. But, fancy that surface ruffled by all sorts of shocks (impres- sions made upon the ordinary senses), and you shall see the liquid agitated by innumerable undulations and reactions, and the reflection of objects will disappear. But, plainly, it is but seldom that all these conditions of cerebral perceptivity are com- bined. Sundry observers, impressed by what they saw in exceptional cases, have supposed that they could at will develop lucid som- nambules. They forgot that it is always in the state of sleep that dreams are commingled with true sensations. They confound to- gether magnetism and somnambulism, and so exposed both to the ridicule of men of sense. Mesmer does not hide from himself the fact that in spite of all the reserve one may exer- cise with regard to so delicate a subject, it will be hard to convince those who have not themselves verified the phenomena. "Sup- pose," he says, " a people that of necessity must fall asleep at sundown, and that never HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 133 awake until sunrise; such a people would have no conception of the magnificent spectacle of night. Were one to tell them that there are among* them, men in whom this wonted ordering of sleep and waking is disarranged, and who, awaking in the night have descried, at infinite distances, innumerable luminous bodies, new worlds, so to speak, one would doubtless be treated as a visionary, because of the vast difference between the opinions held on the one side and on the other. Such today, in the estimation of the multitude, are those who maintain that in sleep man has the faculty of broadening his sensations." (p. 80). "In the memoir I published in 1779," says Mesmer again, "I made known the reflections I had made many years previously, upon the universality of certain popular opinions which, as I believe, are the results of the most wide- spread and the most constant observation. There, anent, I said that I had undertaken the task of inquiring, what of useful and true might be contained in old time errors, and I felt warranted in asserting that among the vulgar opinions of all times (as imposition of 134 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON hands, visions and oracles, influence of cer- tain metals, mystic action of man on man, evil eye, power of taming animals, communi- cation at a distance, presentiments and simul- taneous influences, sensation of yearning* and of prayer, transmission of health, strength and disease, etc.) there are few, however ridiculous, however extravagant they may seem, that may not be regarded as remnants of truths primitively recognized." (p. 3.) Mesmer thus recognized and explained the universal fluid. We can only add that had he realized the extreme and unbounded elas- ticity ef electricity, he would not have hesi- tated to have named the subtle fluid which permeates all space — electricity. It is this which has the limitless power of expansion to all parts of the universe, although of almost inconceivable rarity, it is ever ready to obey the unalterable law of attraction, as when electricity is generated by friction, it does not spring into existence from contact of the material used, but is attracted from the surrounding atmosphere. All phenomena of the heavens, notwithstanding hypotheses that have been advanced and, for a time, HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 135 accepted are, when reduced by scientific ob- servations and deductions to the basis of truth, always found to be but another mani- festation of electricity, which pervades all space, ever ready to yield to the grand laws of nature, attraction and repulsion. 136 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON XTbeorp of a future State, £J^INCE the days of Pre-adamite Sultans €**? man has hoped and even longed for a future state of existence. All forms of religi- ous worship extend promises of a life here- after. Every nation, civilized or savage has conceived the idea of a God or Gods. Sav- ages recognize a deity in the sun, moon and stars, fire, water and the various atmospheric changes. We must, after even the most super- ficial observation of the wonderful and perfect effects with which we are surrounded ac- knowledge the existence of a supreme intelli- gence. The atheist assumes to discredit the very existence of a God. Yet, as he attributes the grand and sublime testimony with which he is confronted to the creations of nature, he is simply making a distinction of words without a perceptible difference. If a man and woman were created upon a fertile, yet uninhabited island without knowl- edge of the world and its customs they would HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 137 secure abundance of appropriate food, from fishes of the lakes or streams and denizens of the forest; they would not long* depend upon what the earth spontaneously yielded, but would erect a crude habitation and cultivate the soil. They would propagate their specie without the dangers and difficulties of modern civilization. Their religion might be the worship of the sun. As primitive man, unin- fluenced by the teachings of enlightened Christianity has for countless ages made bows and salaams to this royal centre of our universe as its grateful and dazzling rays appeared above the eastern horizon, and why should he not, without, as we must suppose the revelation of sacred truth, look with ven- eration on this magnificent source of light, life and happiness? Mesmerism, i.e. magnetism has done much to illuminate the dark pall of doubt, hope and conflicting theories which might be said to encompass that line of demarcation which separates the material from the immaterial. Lucid somnambules have been known to anni- hilate both time and space; many attempts have been made to explain the phenomena by 138 PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON which sensitives have been able to correctly describe places and persons whom they have never seen. At the command of the mesmer- ist the subject has been known to immediately describe the home and surrounding's of some- one present and notwithstanding* that in many instances the somnambule could not have pos- sibly had previous knowledge of the same. Scientists have offered numerous explanations of such phenomena. Some declaring- that the soul of the subject leaves its physical tene- ment for a short time and actually visits the scenes described. Others declare that in this state of mag-netic exaltation the subject is merely impressed by pictures that exist in either the mind of the mesmerist or someone of the spectators. Yet there are those w r ho declare that it is neither of the f oregfoing* and state that such phenomena are all due to the peculiar properties of what they term astral light. This is described as being the universal fluid which alone existed before the dawn of creation. It is this mysterious conception which is supposed to have responded to the 4 'word" of the logos. It is said to retain HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 139 forever the images of everything* and to per- manently record the vibrations of light and sound. Mesmerism, self-development, cer- tain drugs and rarely hyperesthesia existing" from birth are said to place one upon that plane which enables them to attract to them- selves images of the present or past which are appreciable only to that portion of our individuality which is neither mind nor mat- ter; perhaps the soul. Howeyer, we are forced to recognize the existence of the trinity — mind, body and soul. If all ended at the grave, there would be a waste of intelligence or soul force which would be the first reversal of natures laws whereby nothing* can be lost — not a drop of water nor a grain of sand. They may enter into varying* combinations but their compon- ent parts must ever exist in the universe. So let us rest contented with the knowledge that unless the immutable order of natural laws shall be violently reversed at death, we must consider this life but a stage, or cycle in our onward journey toward the supreme being by whom we were called into existence. H 149 82 <* " ,4 \* .. * '*"•' * v • 4* ** \i *b* ■^o* ^*V **^^S>. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. CT ♦ m 9 o ♦ *0 %> *•»"•• Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Cp „ t • o m ^ Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 £• % <£*' •iSS^fe % A* PreservationTechnologies 3 - X J> A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVAT.ON 5f • A* *e» "* 7^| VBF^S • C? iP- 1 1 1 Thomson Park Dnve ^* Ay "^ • %/Vf\i *