Hypnotism in Paris.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 234, 24 December 1887, Page 7

Hypnotism in Paris.

Tin: ampitheatre of the Chaiito Hospital in Paris was lcccntly crowded with persons who had been imited to witness tlie expciiments of hypnotism made by Dr. Luys, member of the Academy of Medicine and doctor at the Salpetriere. Before introducing Mdlie. Esther, his subject, the doctor showed his auditors photographs il* lustrating the effects produced on her m hi^> laboratory, ildllc. Esther was then brought forward. The '* Standatd's ' correspondent thus de^ciibe-5 the expeiiments : — By means of magnetic passes, the doctor throws her from a state of lethaiay into a cataleptic condition, and then into a state of lucid somnambulism. Dr. Luys placed a tube containing hashish on her neck, and »he seemed instantly to teel the effect of the narcotic prepaiation. She assumed a natural air, and soon went, straight toward= Dr. Reelus, who was piesent, and proposed to pcifonn the Ma*eotte with him. The docter was lathei annoyed by the preference shown by Mdle. E^thu - , \o Dr. Luys diverted her attention iiom him to Dr. Segond, who consented to play the part of Pippo. jMdlle. Esther took that of the Mascotte. He sat down beside her, whereupon she promptly kissed him. "Now sing,'' said Dr. Luys, holding the tube to her neck, and she began at once, stopping short when the tube was withdrawn. Dr. Luys then begged Dr. Reclus to place himself behind the young woman, and to put the lube on her neck and then gradually take it away. Mdlle. Esther began again to sing ; but in proportion as the tube was taken fuither and fuither from her, her ■'voice become fainter and fainter till it died away entiiely. Bhe then fell, in a cataleptic condition, into the arms of the hospital assistants who were behind her. Dr. Luys made other experiments upon Mdllc. Esther. By looking at her he made her follow with hei eyes an imaginary bird in the air, and at last she thought she had caught it in her hands. Then, by making her look down, the doctor frightened her by making her imagine there was a serpent at her ieet. The most remai kable display was when Dr. Luys placed a tube containing 10 grammes of es>ence of thyme on Mdlle. Esther's neck. In a few moments her face became purple, her arms and hands stiff, and the neck swelled out in a most extraordinary manner. From 31 cenfcimeties it grew, by the contraction on the muscles, to 35. The suffering seemed to be intense, and when the tube was taken away the patient was two minutes at least before returning to a state of lethargy. Other experiments were made, but I have mentioned the most striking. I draw no conclusions, but note the fact that Dr. Luys has for many years been studying hypnotism, end that no one can for a moment imagine there is anything like charlatanism in his experiments.