R. S. HYER—LAW OF HYPNOTISM. 
5 
ma} r arise, I shall confine myself to those points which throw most light 
upon this interesting question. 
Consisting largely of feats that were only mechanical performances of 
such simplicity that the only mystery about them is that they passed for 
evidences of a “hidden power,” they were, nevertheless, genuine hyp¬ 
notic phenomena. We must clearly understand the conditions under 
which these arose. This woman places her hands upon a chair, and no 
one can hold it still when she springs away, some being forced to follow 
her so long as she moves. One after another various persons are re¬ 
quested to lift a chair; she places her hands against it, and then no one 
can.put it to the floor. She stands upon one foot, and no one can push 
her over. Two, even four, strong men fail to support her when the chair 
upon which she has been standing is removed. She lifts a chair in which 
four men are seated. She can not be lifted by anyone. She borrows a 
thermometer from a physician, holds it in her mouth five minutes, and it 
records a temperature of 93°. The physician counts her pulse and says 
it is 150. That there is no collusion on the part of others is certain. 
They are all well known to the audience. Now I have discovered that 
each of the above apparently marvellous feats can be repeated by using 
only the simplest mechanical principles. As already remarked, the real 
mystery about them is that they are so successfully palmed off as evidence 
of a “mysterious power which the woman herself does not understand.” 
This is largely due to her ingenuity in arousing the expectation of her 
audience. She recites her “ marvellous career,” relating that both Lord 
Kelvin and Mr. Edison have investigated her power and have concluded 
that it must be a form of electricity. (It is perhaps scarcely necessary to 
state that I am authorized by both Lord Kelvin and Mr. Edison to say 
that they have never made any such investigation nor expressed any 
opinion concerning her, though Lord Kelvin adds that a friend did once 
request that he should do so.) 
But, aside from these impostures which for a time escaped all detec¬ 
tion, there were certain genuine phenomena clearly of hypnotic nature. 
It has already been mentioned that some were at times compelled to fol¬ 
low her for a considerable distance when they attempted to hold a chair 
upon which she had for a moment placed her hands. That it moved 
slightly with all for a moment is easily explained, but no mechanical 
theory will explain the duration of this motion at her will. Nearly all 
who came in contact with her felt peculiar sensations which they de¬ 
scribed as “ electric shocks.” The so-called “ transfer of her power” to 
children in some cases caused them to lose consciousness; and strong men 
tried in vain to lift children upon whom she had operated from a distance 
of several yards. On one occasion she apparently fainted, and while in 
this state her arms could not be lifted by several whom she had selected 
