Dr Forbes Winslow on the Progress of Hypnotism.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 76

Dr Forbes Winslow on the Progress of Hypnotism.

Dr Forbes Winslow, in an address in aid of the funds of the Special Appeal Committee of the Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women, London, spoke enthusiastically of the progress of hypnotism in regard to the treatment of disease. The lecturer remarked at the outset that he had 1 with pleasure accepted the invitation of the committee to lecture on this subject, though if he had discussed such a question on a publio platform a few years ago he would have felt as if he were skating on thin ice. But inasmuch as the subject was at last obtaining a hearing by the medical as well as by * the soientifio world, he did not feel that his position was an unsafe one. The pioneer of any great movement had many things to contend with. This was so in the case of Lister, who discovered the antiseptic treatment of disease; Simpson, who discovered chloroform ; and Harvey, who discovered' the circulation of the blood. The members of his own profession who had from time to time dared to suggest that there was a subtle power which in itself exerted influence in the treatment of disease and in the alleviation of human suffering had been regarded until vejff recently as charlatans, or something worse, by some members of the profession through lamentable ignorance on the part of those who ventured to sit in judgment on those who were advocating the adoption of the science. Nothing daunted', but believing in the correctness of their views, they continued to persevere in what they considered to be right and humane. Dr Winslow traced the progress of hypnotism from the time of Mesmer, in the eighteenth century, to the present day, and referred specially to the power possessed by the Egyptians many years before Christ, lie divided the schools of hypnotism into three -(1) That of Mesmer ; (2) the . Nancy school; and (3) the. Paris school, originally carried on by Cnarcot. The school he desired to advocate and support was the Nancy school, founded bj Professor Liebault, who contended that suggestion forms the most important factor in producing hypnosis. This school was established in 1866. It wa d erroneous to imagine that any

harm could ensue from hypnotism. He had never known of such *n instance. Ho also denied that anyone under the control of a. hypnotiFer could be made to commit a, crime ag-a'inst his will. Ho further denied* the possibility of hypnotising anyone whilst giving evidence in a court of law, so as to make him subservient to the will of anyone who might endeavour to influence him improperly. In his opinion a suggestion made to anyone hypnotised would stow short at ciime. This would not, however, anp'.y should the h\ pnotised individual bo a person who would commit crime under orilifan circumstnncos. He was of opinion that in the detection of crime hypnotism would form a prominent feature in the criminal cases of the future, and 1 quoted illustrations of this. It was also pointed out that at a recent meeting of the British Mea.cal Association at Exeter Dr J. F. Woods ga\e results of 881 cases of various nervous complaints treated by psycho-thera-peutical methods, in which 741 recoveries were recorded. Dr Winslow added that what was good enough for Charcot, Lornbroso, and the leading physicians on the Continent to adopt was good enough to receive proper recognition in our own country as a curative agent. Amongst the interesting oases mentioned by Dd Winslow was that of an hysterical girl who had been, suffering from 30 fits a day, which came to the notice of one of the lending physicians in Brussels. Everything had been tried, but was of no avail; and it was decided to Hypnotise her and send her to sleep when the snow was- on the ground, and wake her up in the summer time. She was in this condition for seven months, during which time she was only attended by the doctor and nurse, and wenfc about doing her ordinary work, seeing nobody else. At the end of that time sho had perfectly recovered.

Another case was that of a lady living at Tournai, near Brussels, who suffered from persistent headaches. This was a peculiar case, because it was treated by suggestion, at a distance, without direct contact with the subject. The physician, wrote a letter to the patient, and sent it to the doctor who had consulted him at. Tournai, to this effect: — "Mademoiselle;, when you receive this letter you will go to sleep for half an hour, and you will wako up perfectly well." This was handed to the lady, who got perfectly well.