The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1901. HYPNOTISM FOR THE MILLION. A NEW INDUSTRY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 170, 29 July 1901, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1901. HYPNOTISM FOR THE MILLION. A NEW INDUSTRY.

It is perhaps impossible for the law to be invariably consistent, or to provide against loopholes of escape. Hence, probably, originated the well-known aphorism that nothing is more easy than to drive a coach and four through an Act of Parliament. Instances of inconsistency and evasion are not hard to discover ; but while amendment is being made much | mischief may be wrought by persons who break the spirjt while they escape consequences under the letter of the law. Perhaps one of the most striking examples < f the evasion of our peual code is furnished by various charlatans who are supposed to be legislated against by many statutes : relating to medical and surgical practice, and to foriuue-telling, palmistry and ivithcraft. Wu frequently hear of prosecutions of unregistered medical practi. tioners who assume recognised degrees without legal right ; but there are stores of persons whom the law cannot touoh who affix to their names imaginary degrees which just as effectively deceive the ignorant as the letters granted by Oxford, C&mbridge, Edinburgh, or Lon, don Universities. Again, some wretched women who mak« a precarious living by playing upon the credulity of foolish persons as fortune-tellers and palmists are frequently prosecuted. Yet these seems fco be no law to touch a person who

may make a business of hypnotism and I mesmerism, and win a good many pounds ' by professing to impart the secrets of , those processes. * -x # We have before us as we write a pamphlefcpublished in Auckland andcircufated Lhrough tho New Zealand Post Offices. It is entitled '* What is Hypnotism, the Secret Power ?" and it contains testimonials from various persons who say they have learnt from the advertiser howto hypnotise. The advertiser offers to impart all his secrets and teach any one the art of hypnotising for the sum of £2 2s, which is a special reduction from £5 ss, for a limited time only. The instructor says he intends to teach only 500 people in Now Zealand, of'' whom some 300 have already sent in the necessary medium—the hard cash. If so, Carlyle was not far out in his estimate of the foolishness of communities. Hypnotism and mesmerism are recognised forces of nature, but it is not given except to a few to possess the power of exercising them. One man or woman may exercise the force intuitively, and need little development to acquire its full strength. Another might learn the theory and mechanism of the force for a life-time and never be able to apply the knowledge, I lacking the temperament in which the | force can abide and act. Hence, of the SUO who might subscribe their two guineas each to enrich this ingenious Auckland professor only a small percentage could possibly become hypnotists. Thus, by medium of the State post, a good deal ! of money might be sent to a person who claims a power of instruction which he cannot possibly possess, and who consequently receives payment for services which he cannot render. # * # The pamphlet under notice, apart from its ridiculous claim to tho power to make hyponotists of all alike, shows the utmost disregard of moral obligation and responsibility. Under a thin veil of weak advice to intending students that when I they become hypnotisers they should not use their powers for evil or for " fun," inducements to despatch the two guineas for the lessons are held out by promises of great wealth, honour, etc., won by means of bringing persons under the hypnotic influence and. inferentially, forcing them to contribute to such ac- [ quirement. The advertisement says : — '" Make life a success, and learn all about this mysterious influence that co aid raise you to a position of honour and respect that otherwise you could never have reached.' ; (! :). " Become a magnet and attract everyone you meet." ... "It is not always hard work that brings wealth." . . " Learn how to influI ence others and you will have all the j influence you need." " I explain how to [ hypnotise a person against his will, or oven without his knowledge." " I teach post-hypnotic-suggestion. How to have it operate at any fixed time, either immediately or years after the trance." ('. '■). " I show you how you may win undying friendship or love of any one." " Wealth is knocking at your duor. Can you afford I to stand still while those around you I become rich ? " * * * The pictures in the pamphlet, and the general tone of the testimonials from persons who are alleged to have learnt the art from the advertiser, display a perverted sense of '• fun." Most of the students seem to have lured friends to their places as guests and then to have subjected them to numerous humiliations and inconveniences, and the illustrations exhibit the subjects mostly in ridiculous positions. '1 hus the appeal for subscribers is made indiscriminately ; and, presuming that the instructor had all the power of imparting knowledge claimed by him, the effect of this pernicious pamphlet might be to let lpose on the community a large number of utterly unscrupulous people who might indefinitely increase robberies and even murder to accomplish any ends they have in view. The phase of hypnotic suggestion as applied to the commission of crime by innocent agents has long arrested the attention of writers of fiction, and even medical jurisprudence has deigned to give the question some consideration in order to warn legislators and the public. But here we have in circulation through our post offices an offer to teach the art of gaining wealth and influence by hypnotic suggestion for tho .small ftm of two guineas ! * # * Putting aside the ridiculous nature of the claim, it is right to ask whether the existing law for the suppression of fortune-telling, palmistry, and witchcraft can deal with such a person as the one issuing this pamphlet through the post and making a living at Auckland by its means ? If not, there is a glaring inconsistency in our statutes, and an omission which should be forthwith rectified. It is needless to enter into the element of fraud implied by thechv'm that the force can be imparted to all temperaments alike. It is only necessary to point out that scores of persons who come within j the law for the relatively innocuous practice of palmistry and fortune-telling are ! prosecuted, while this teacher of hypnonism—who, if he can do what he pretends to, i3 a most dangerous power and a menace to law and order -not only escapes with impunity, but also boldly uses the colony's postal service for his purposes. That we can laugh at his pretensions, and treat the pamphlet as a mere catchpenny device, is not to the point. The issue is whether the law has or has not failed to recognise that dabbling with a great mysterious force, even by charlatans and adventurers, is fraught with peril to the individual, to the community, and to the well-being of the state, and that the practice of the force by those who have it latent should be safeguarded to the utmost.