Willing and Thought-reading.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 78, 29 November 1884, Page 4

Willing and Thought-reading.

" Willint: " and " thought-reading " have naturally become society amusements, and arc especially popular at the unhersitics among the undergraduates. They are interesting enough, if rightly undor&tood, but are not without their perils and mischiefs, of ■« hich two cases, reported at the last meeting of the Cambridge Medical Society, afford characteristic examples. The one case was related by Mr Doighton. In November of ISSH, he was summoned in urgent hasto to see an undergraduate. lie ! found him surrounded by his friends, who «aid they had been playing the willing game, and that he had been blind-folded and willed ; soon afterwards he became tottery on his legs, and went oil' into a state of convulsions. When seen, he was tossing about on a sofa, with face slightly flushed, the movement-) at the arms and legs being most irregular, almost equally exaggerated on both sides. The mu.^cle-i of the tace and neck were lea^t affected, but ho spoke in a jerky way, and, on putting out hi.% tongue, it wa^ protruded and withdrawn suddenly. Ho was quite conscious, clear, and collected, and .--aid that ho tiied to pre\cnt himseli to?sing about, but could not help it. The pupils acted to light and were natural in si/.e. He recovered after calming treatment and rest. It was an attack of induced chorea or hysteiia brought on by mental strain, — Mr Wherry repotted also a ca^c. He was sent for one evening to t>ee an undergraduate who had become suddenly ill during the w illing game, [t appeared that his f lends had blind-folded him in the umi.il manner, and wore willing him to do some simple action, when all of a sudden he became weak in the knees, and had to be helped to a seat. The handkerchief was removed at once, but the patient did not seem at all himself. Ho found him leaning against the mantel-she f, looking H\edly downwards in a dogged and morose attitude. He answcied questions in monisyllables in a hesitating way, not stammering, but with" a jerk and without expression. Usually, his friends said, his manners were natural and polite. The pupils were dilated, with no action to light, and his memory was a blank as to the details of the game. He was sent to bed, and when seen tho next morning ho was better — his pupils normal and active to light, but his manner was still odd, and his speech remarkable, When advised to leave Cambridge tor a few days' change he refused rudely/but was afterward? persuaded by his friends, and returned quite well, Mr Wherry remarked upon the strange state induced by ibis willing game ; the dogged anJ ntorose manner, slow replies, no action of the pupils to light, rapid recovery, and no recollection of the peiiod dining which he was being willed— altogether a condition which, he was infoimcd, corresponded with tho hypnotic or mesmeric state, and one of which medical men weie interested in. — " Biitish Medical Journal."