HYPNOTISM. The
history one.
strange
magnetism has been a Saturated by so much that was of animal
mysterious and wonderful, but which were the the element pure imaginings of its exponents, of truth in the phenomena displayed was for long undiscovered. From the time of Mesmer,
who appears to have been fonder of money and display than of any real love for the truth, there have been three Commissions on the subject by the
Academy
of France, each of which
was
led
away from the main point at issue to the consideration of the supernatural claims of charla-
so-called
Commissions reported phenomena induced by the magnetism, the other two unfavourably.
Such
hold, however,
One
tans.
favourably a
of
on
these
the
had
the
new
doctrine
obtained among the general community, that even the Vatican took alarm and issued an en-
cyclical letter to the bishops to discouutenauce magnetism in every shape or form. Magnetism being thoroughly discredited by the exposed impostures of quacks the its disChurchmen of science for a Jong time held aloof from further investigation until Braid, a Manchester physician, in 1841,
countenance
of the
roused fresh interest in the
subject by his demonstrations that the somnambulistic state was a reality, and that the phenomena could be produced without any
sulted in
magnetic fluid,
a new
name, and the
The
discovery rephenomena which
formerly went under the coguomen of animal magnetism was henceforth known as hypnotism. Still hie interest in hypnotism, notwithstanding Braid's published observations and advocacy, waned, and practically died out in England. A few operations were performed on patients while ii?
a
but
state of
anaesthesia under its
though completely successful
influence,
as
an
anaes-
thetic agent, chloroform was found to be much more convenient. The scene of its activity shifted to France, where progress in again and its hypnotism application in medicine apfor a time to be lost in endless contropeared versy. Liebault, however, retired to Nancy, and there, devoting his life to the subject by his perseverance and success, formed what is called the Nancy School. Later, Charcot, in Paris, induced at first to take an interest in Metalotherapy, and subsequently in the researches of Braid not only confirmed the observations of that
observer,
but
amplified them,
and
by
his
MARcn
HYPNOTISM.
1892.]
81
essay on Hypnotism to the French Academy method against their will and even without their and his later investigations has succeeded in knowledge. Be this as it may, there can be no doubt that and its relations to curative
placing hypnotism
medicine
higher platform than it has ever previously occupied. It is a subject which has been viewed with suspicion and prejudice, on a
but medical
much
interested in the advance of science must study the matter with an open mind. The facts related by men of reputation are undeniable, and nothing has ever been gained by shutting one's eyes to well-authenticated facts, however opposed they may be to preconmen
ceived ideas.
Each school has its disciples who have established branches in different parts of the world, more especially in Germany and Holland. There is a difference in opinion as to the man-
whichever method is employed, the aptitude to receive suggestions in the hypnotic state when that is once produced, is immensely increased; and
this
aptitude continues for from the hypnotic sleep. waking life and actions, suggestion ordinary
strangely enough
a short time after
In
our
plays
an
important part, varying of the character.
dividuality
One
with the inmeets
people
whose intellect is not distinguished for much thinking, and whose ideas are but the reflex of the last person they have met. The ideas of another have been written on the tablets of their brain as completely as the sound and words of
a
voice
are
and
are
impressed on the wax of a reproduced when occasion
hypnosis can be produced, and the phonograph, All when under the influences of great arises. subjects that are susceptible. The Saland emotions are peculiarly susceptible petriere School, led by Charcot, while not deny- passions to suggestion from others. Anger, jealousy, haiug the psychical modes altogether, attach ambition often place the individual untred, fear, special importance to physical means, and the der the full control of another. We see this every use of magnets, for instance, in producing phenoand the drama of life as represented by our mena, emotions or contractions, and maintain day, ner
in which
kind of
that most From
a
subjects, if not all, must be hysterical. medical point of view hypnotism with
this school is
intimately connected with metalosThe Nancy School, of which Liebault
copy. and Bernheim
are
the chief
exponents,
attribute
great poets and writers is full of the subject. The great influence of the mind on the health
of the is
body, old
as
itself,
as
is
110
new
theory
and the sucessful
in medicine.
It
art
of medicine
physician
has been he
the science and
who has ever borne in mind that the patient is suggestion. They not merely a machine, some part of which is hold that all forms or stages of hypnotism proto be set right by medicines, but also duced by the Salpetriere School,such as lethargy, disordered, a human being whose state of mind has an catalepsy, and somnambulism, can be as easily and influence for good or ill on the treatment. as effectually induced by mere suggestion, and In the hypnotic state that influence of the that nearly every one is more or less susceptible mind over the body is intensified. The explato the hypnotic state, the least susceptible being nations of the different schools at Paris, Nancy, hysterical people. and elsewhere may be not very Amsterdam, views of the schools the
hypnotic
state
purely
to
The diametrical
two
may readily be reconciled by the recollection that their methods are different. It seems to us that each school is somewhat exclusively attached to its own methods and own iuterpretation of the
phenomena produced;
and that
cordingly the whole truth may be found
not in
ac-
the
but there is
satisfactory,
no
basis,
the fact
scientific
placed by suggestion, if applied when hypnotic influence has a curative on a
that
under the
effect,
denying
them
which has been
and will
cines have
frequently
proved
succeed when medi-
useless.
Incredulity
must
way to observed facts, however difficult may be of explanation. Every sense can
give they be paralysed, or subjected to illusions. Hypnosis stand-point opens a new field for psychological observation that every person is hypnotisable, the majority of and experiments, and in time it may be a means people being influenced, with their own con- of mapping out more clearly for us some of the method of suggestion, currence of will, by the dealt with in metaphysics. Its chief questions while the small minority of refractory and hysto the physician will always terical subjects can be hypnotised by Charcot's importance, however, either, but in a liberal interpretation of the facts observed by both. From this it seems to us almost demonstrated extreme views of
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
82
its limits of power in the treatment of disease ; and consequently the effects of suggestion under its influence on all forms of nervous affecbe
as to
tions, 011 various forms of lunacy, on such
as
neurotic vices
dipsomania, morpliiuomauia and other a similar nature are being and will
maladies of
be watched with the greatest interest.
[Maucii
1892.
history one.
strange
magnetism has been a Saturated by so much that was of animal
mysterious and wonderful, but which were the the element pure imaginings of its exponents, of truth in the phenomena displayed was for long undiscovered. From the time of Mesmer,
who appears to have been fonder of money and display than of any real love for the truth, there have been three Commissions on the subject by the
Academy
of France, each of which
was
led
away from the main point at issue to the consideration of the supernatural claims of charla-
so-called
Commissions reported phenomena induced by the magnetism, the other two unfavourably.
Such
hold, however,
One
tans.
favourably a
of
on
these
the
had
the
new
doctrine
obtained among the general community, that even the Vatican took alarm and issued an en-
cyclical letter to the bishops to discouutenauce magnetism in every shape or form. Magnetism being thoroughly discredited by the exposed impostures of quacks the its disChurchmen of science for a Jong time held aloof from further investigation until Braid, a Manchester physician, in 1841,
countenance
of the
roused fresh interest in the
subject by his demonstrations that the somnambulistic state was a reality, and that the phenomena could be produced without any
sulted in
magnetic fluid,
a new
name, and the
The
discovery rephenomena which
formerly went under the coguomen of animal magnetism was henceforth known as hypnotism. Still hie interest in hypnotism, notwithstanding Braid's published observations and advocacy, waned, and practically died out in England. A few operations were performed on patients while ii?
a
but
state of
anaesthesia under its
though completely successful
influence,
as
an
anaes-
thetic agent, chloroform was found to be much more convenient. The scene of its activity shifted to France, where progress in again and its hypnotism application in medicine apfor a time to be lost in endless contropeared versy. Liebault, however, retired to Nancy, and there, devoting his life to the subject by his perseverance and success, formed what is called the Nancy School. Later, Charcot, in Paris, induced at first to take an interest in Metalotherapy, and subsequently in the researches of Braid not only confirmed the observations of that
observer,
but
amplified them,
and
by
his
MARcn
HYPNOTISM.
1892.]
81
essay on Hypnotism to the French Academy method against their will and even without their and his later investigations has succeeded in knowledge. Be this as it may, there can be no doubt that and its relations to curative
placing hypnotism
medicine
higher platform than it has ever previously occupied. It is a subject which has been viewed with suspicion and prejudice, on a
but medical
much
interested in the advance of science must study the matter with an open mind. The facts related by men of reputation are undeniable, and nothing has ever been gained by shutting one's eyes to well-authenticated facts, however opposed they may be to preconmen
ceived ideas.
Each school has its disciples who have established branches in different parts of the world, more especially in Germany and Holland. There is a difference in opinion as to the man-
whichever method is employed, the aptitude to receive suggestions in the hypnotic state when that is once produced, is immensely increased; and
this
aptitude continues for from the hypnotic sleep. waking life and actions, suggestion ordinary
strangely enough
a short time after
In
our
plays
an
important part, varying of the character.
dividuality
One
with the inmeets
people
whose intellect is not distinguished for much thinking, and whose ideas are but the reflex of the last person they have met. The ideas of another have been written on the tablets of their brain as completely as the sound and words of
a
voice
are
and
are
impressed on the wax of a reproduced when occasion
hypnosis can be produced, and the phonograph, All when under the influences of great arises. subjects that are susceptible. The Saland emotions are peculiarly susceptible petriere School, led by Charcot, while not deny- passions to suggestion from others. Anger, jealousy, haiug the psychical modes altogether, attach ambition often place the individual untred, fear, special importance to physical means, and the der the full control of another. We see this every use of magnets, for instance, in producing phenoand the drama of life as represented by our mena, emotions or contractions, and maintain day, ner
in which
kind of
that most From
a
subjects, if not all, must be hysterical. medical point of view hypnotism with
this school is
intimately connected with metalosThe Nancy School, of which Liebault
copy. and Bernheim
are
the chief
exponents,
attribute
great poets and writers is full of the subject. The great influence of the mind on the health
of the is
body, old
as
itself,
as
is
110
new
theory
and the sucessful
in medicine.
It
art
of medicine
physician
has been he
the science and
who has ever borne in mind that the patient is suggestion. They not merely a machine, some part of which is hold that all forms or stages of hypnotism proto be set right by medicines, but also duced by the Salpetriere School,such as lethargy, disordered, a human being whose state of mind has an catalepsy, and somnambulism, can be as easily and influence for good or ill on the treatment. as effectually induced by mere suggestion, and In the hypnotic state that influence of the that nearly every one is more or less susceptible mind over the body is intensified. The explato the hypnotic state, the least susceptible being nations of the different schools at Paris, Nancy, hysterical people. and elsewhere may be not very Amsterdam, views of the schools the
hypnotic
state
purely
to
The diametrical
two
may readily be reconciled by the recollection that their methods are different. It seems to us that each school is somewhat exclusively attached to its own methods and own iuterpretation of the
phenomena produced;
and that
cordingly the whole truth may be found
not in
ac-
the
but there is
satisfactory,
no
basis,
the fact
scientific
placed by suggestion, if applied when hypnotic influence has a curative on a
that
under the
effect,
denying
them
which has been
and will
cines have
frequently
proved
succeed when medi-
useless.
Incredulity
must
way to observed facts, however difficult may be of explanation. Every sense can
give they be paralysed, or subjected to illusions. Hypnosis stand-point opens a new field for psychological observation that every person is hypnotisable, the majority of and experiments, and in time it may be a means people being influenced, with their own con- of mapping out more clearly for us some of the method of suggestion, currence of will, by the dealt with in metaphysics. Its chief questions while the small minority of refractory and hysto the physician will always terical subjects can be hypnotised by Charcot's importance, however, either, but in a liberal interpretation of the facts observed by both. From this it seems to us almost demonstrated extreme views of
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
82
its limits of power in the treatment of disease ; and consequently the effects of suggestion under its influence on all forms of nervous affecbe
as to
tions, 011 various forms of lunacy, on such
as
neurotic vices
dipsomania, morpliiuomauia and other a similar nature are being and will
maladies of
be watched with the greatest interest.
[Maucii
1892.
