A DISGUSTING SPECTACLE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 September 1913, Page 5

A DISGUSTING SPECTACLE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I ■was present at the Town Hall last night, and witnessed a display of hypnotism by a man calling himself a Professor. Immediately upon entering the hall, there wsb pfc&sented to my gaze an array of figures seated upon chairs on the stage. At the first glance these "figures'' did not appear to mo to bo hutttan, and so I questioned a friend as to their reality. ■ This friend satisfied my doubts in that respect by replying that he knew thorn, and that they were quite human. Anu settled in mind as regards the "figures' " actuality, I pro*ceeded to watch operations. Firstly the "Professor" made a few remarks to thd . a.udience si bout hypnotism in general, - stating, among other things, that it is quit# age person to do what he was about to do, namely,, subject his fellowmein to his whims and caprices. With a few waves of the hand and contortions of the face, most of his subjects bowed their heads upon their breasts and went to sleep. ' At the sweet will of the "Professor" those poor subjects then performed all sorts of antics, comical and otherwise, to the delight of the audience and the Professor, and tho hitter's delight was strongly evinced by the £ 6. d. smile which spread all over his fact. So far as I am concerned, as regards the show being entertaining, it was simply a farco. I do not question tho ability of the hypnotiser. Certainly fye did hypnotise -some of them at ally rate. But the question arises; should this individual, or arty other of his ilk, be allowed to travel round the country practising his art for the benefit of himself and himself only? He takes halls here and there as he journeyß along, invites weak-kneed characters to come and subject themselves to his power, turns them into lunatics for the time being ; and all this is done for the sake of a living. He wants to ride about the country upon a "bicycle built for two." Hypnotism, is not a nefarious art. _ But unless the hypnotiser himself is pure in mind and heart, the subject will be mentally and morally injured. The subject will take on the characteristics of the operator. Should our worthy Professor have lurking in his organism the seeds of a fatal disease, it is ten chances to one that such disease will manifest itself at some future date in the bodily organs of some of his subjects. So it will be seen how important it is that the people should be upon their guard when these Professors are flitting about and advertising themselves as hypnotists. To the public I say, beware of hypnotism. Trusting you will grant me space for these few re-v marks,—l am, etc.,

ONE OF THE AUDIENCE. Masterfcon, Sept. 23, 1913. [We have excised portions of ouf correspondent's letter, which we regard as bordering upon the libellous. We have srotwn the letter to Professor Norwood, who says that the statements contained in it are utterly ridiculous, and contrary to all opinions of scientific writers. There is absolutely no ground for the assertion that disease or bad influence can be communicated to the subject. The Professor states that he is prepared to allow his reputation to stand on the testimony of the public press and the public itself. He expects} to find weak-minded individuals in every community, but these are not the class that make hypnotic subjects. They are more frequently, he says, to be found writing to the news-papers*-'—Ed. Age.]