AMATEUR HYPNOTIST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 444, 29 December 1908, Page 4

AMATEUR HYPNOTIST.

Unable to “ Wake” Subject

A case which has excited much comment at Gilandivt (Now South Wales) is that in which Theodore Burton, son of the late Dr. Bunon, is the principal figure. He and several others one evening attended a rehearsal in connects n with a forthcoming entertainment, in company with a young fellow said to possess some power as a mesmerist. The latter, by pre-arrangement, prac(ised this on a lad present, with the idea of mystifying the uninitiated, as a joke. Apparently he succeeded admirably. Theodore Burton was completely entranced by what be had wit" nessed, and offered himself as a subject to the amateur mesmerist, vyho at first declined, but eventually yie dcd. He put Burton on a chair, made the orthodox passes over him, and commanded him to sleep. The subject proved wonderfully passive, and was in a state of repose in a few seconds. The user of the occult power thought Burton had caught the spirit of the joke perpetrated in the first instance; but when he tiied to awaken Burton, and could not do so, there was consternation. “One —two—three,” he counted, clapping his hands, and commanding his victim to wake, but to no purpose. Everyone present was dismayed, and it was said that some young ladies fainted. This was intensified when Burton showed signs of interest in the surroundings, and immediately behaved like a person suffering from a delirium. No device that was tried brought anything coherent from him, and he was taken home on a stretcher. There he suffered such fits of violence that he had to be held down by main force. A medical man was called in, and, ignoring the story about mesmerism, came to the conclusion that Burton was the victim of a seizure of some kind, and administered sedative. 1 Next morning the patient was apparently so far recovered that he went to his employment at McDonagh’s store. Before mid-day, however, evidences of the attack returning became pronounced, and that night the youth was worse than ever. The doctor then feared a serious mental break, down, and treatment was resorted to. As it did not prove effective, the doctor advised the removal ot the patient to (ho Dubbo Hospital for observation. This advice was followed on the evening of Saturday week, and there Burton has been since.

The la tec: reports are that he is on his way to recovery from an attack of acute hysteria. While Burton was in a state of delirium he kept calling on the young companion to whom he submitted himself to awaken him, and alternately appealed to the persons in attendance to arrest the mesmerist. He recounted with minute accuracy the leading events of his own life, and a most painful scene was enacted when he repeated a demonstration of grief, to which he gave way at h father’s death bed three years ago. He seemed to live through the whole sorrowful experience again, even to the shock he received on being acquailed of his father’s death, which was sudden. Burton has now quite recovered.