AUCKLAND INSTITUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9424, 23 July 1889, Page 6

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE

A meeting of the Auckland Institute was held yesterday evening at the Museum Buildings!. Dr. A. G. Purchaa presided. There was a meagre attendance.

New Me Mi! k.rs. —The following were announced as new members :Mr. J. C. Blytho, Rotorua ; Captain Colbeck, Epsom ; Messrs. F. Grosch, F. Humphries, A. A. Partridge, and Dr. Roberton, Auckland; Rev. R. Scott West, Mount Eden. Donations. Donations to tho Library and Museum wore announced as follow :— " White's Ancient History of the Maori," 4 vols., the Colonial Secretary; "Victorian Year Book," for ISS7-SS, 2 vols., Victorian Government. " Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland," for ISSB, the Society ; largo parcel of meteorological pamphlets, T. Wyatt, Opotiki ; "A Planter's Experience in Fiji," by F. J. Moss (the author); collection of 14 human crania of different races, bequeathed by the late Dr. Stockwell ; preserved head of native of Solomon Islands, 0. Humphreys; skin of hawk, 11. McVaigh ; skin of weka, A. Still; young gannet, sot up, F. H. Combos ; skin of petrel, large number of vegetable eaterpillars, A. Norton, Tauno ; egg of hawk, G. C. Munro ; tree lizard, A. Goudio, Cabbage Bay ; green lizard, J. Wilson, Kingsland ; Fijian iguana, J. Kcnderdine; Now Zealand shells, E. G. B. Moss, Tauranga ; chcetodon sp., from Tonga, Mr. Paten, s.s. Richmond ; minerals and flint-scrapers from tho Cape of Good Hope, H. Alexander; fruit of ivory nut palm, F. J. Moss; model of Samoan canoe, W.J. Napier; Maori stone axes and fcrn-pounder, C. A. Walter ; scalping-knife used by tho Micmac Indians of Nova Scotia, •J. C. McLeod ; fragment of wood from a tamarind tree planted by Captain Cook at Tahiti, H. M. Jorvis, jun ; grain of powder used for heavy ordnance in the German army, Major Morrow ; silver coin, A. Black ; two copper coins, B. Westinan. A Discovery.—A plain wooden comb, of native workmanship and great antiquity, was exhibited. It was discovered by Mr. 11. Winkelmann at the Great Barrier, in a cave situated amidst denso bush some .'SOO or 400 yards inland. The cave seemed to have been used at one time its a burial place ; it was perfectly dry, and the comb was found amongst a lot of rubbish. Mr. Winkelmann considered that further research might be satisfactory. Great Barrier Island.—An interesting paper, descriptive notes of tho Great Barrier Island, written by Mr. S. Wcotman during a visit thero, was read by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman. "A Mysterious Therapeutic Aoknt." —Mr. E. A. Mackechnie read a papor with this title. He traced tho history of hypnotism, beginning with the achievements of Mesmor, and having showed the stages of this abnormal condition, he pointed out that hypnotic subjects were generally found amongst the working classes, or those accustomed to obedience, their wills being thus more receptive than in other cases. The obedience of the hypnotised person was purely automatic. Cures by this means seemed to be well authenticated, but no explanation of the phenomenon could be givon. The nerve tissues were of greater volume and complexity in highertypes of animal life, but it was doubtful whether an increase of this volume and complexity would produce greater happiness ; in the case of Irving Bishop, who had been a man of highly sensitive nervous organisation, they found that he had been also an unpleasant person to have dealings with. Mr. Mackechnie pointed out the terrible power which hypnotism gave to the malignant and unscrupulous.