Hypnotism, mesmerism and the new witchcraft / by Ernest Hart.

  • Ernest Abraham Hart
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hypnotism, mesmerism and the new witchcraft / by Ernest Hart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    224/239 page 206
    he has not sought spiritual edification from them. This being so, however, we would respectfully ask, Que diahle est- il alle/aire dans cette galere ? If the Society for Psychical Kesearch do not seek for signs and wonders, what go they out for to see? We can understand the position of those weaker brethren, who expect to find evidence of a future life in mysterious taps and pinches, but how men like our distinguished correspondent and his colleagues can think such rubbish worth investigating as 'phenomena' or 'mani- festations of psychic force' passes our comprehension. As regards Mr. Maskelyne's share in the exposure of Eusapia, there appears to be a difference of opinion between that gentleman and Professor Sidgwick, and we must leave them to settle the matter between them. It is a fact that Mr. Maskelyne was, apparently at the suggestion of Mr. Andrew Lang, called in to assist in unveiling the prophetess, and we may add that we entirely agree with Mr. Lang in relying more on the conjurer than on the psychical researchers. As regards the work of the Society for Psychical Research, our complaint against it is not that it publishes reports in favour of the performances of professional mediums, but that it wastes time which might be given to the solution of problems urgently concerning the welfare of mankind in the investigation of phenomena which have their origin in delusion, when they are not the result of jugglery and imposture, and which in any case are unworthy of the notice of serious men. THE HYPNOTISM OF 'TRILBY' {^From the British Medical Journal, November 20, 1895] Mr. Ernest Hart writes : ' Trilby ' as a drama by no means corresponds in the development of its hypnotic motive and actign with the originally artistic and yet scientifically
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3