54 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



actually a " mind diseased/' and who have imperative need to be cured, 

 if possible. 



Yet, frequent as this kind of disease is, great as is the suffering, so 

 often prolonged indefinitely, and so often full of hindrance and atrophy 

 and danger, it yet remains a matter of very common observation, that 

 anything like a full understanding and appreciation of its real signifi- 

 cance, or a desirable possession of efficient skill in its management and 

 relief, is almost as unusual now as it was when Lady Macbeth's 

 "amazed" physician so fumbled in his answer to Macbeth's demand, 

 "Well, well, well. . . . This disease is beyond my practise. . . . More 

 needs she the divine than the physician," but consoled himself so com- 

 placently by adding, with by no means unfamiliar unction, " God, God 

 forgive us all ! " and thus justified Macbeth's, " Throw physic to the 

 dogs ; I'll none of it," with an unsuspected completeness ! 



Nevertheless, no matter how incompetent Macbeth's physician felt 

 himself seriously to be, one now feels, especially in the presence of 

 actual cases, that the acknowledged darkness respecting the more com- 

 mon conceptions of a "mind diseased," or more definitely, "mental 

 pain," and all its invaliding consequences should not continue indefi- 

 nitely to prevail ; and also, with equal warmth, that with more accurate 

 knowledge there ought to come a better and still better practical skill 

 in dealing with it, both by way of cure and prevention. Much promise 

 of this there certainly now is, especially in the rapidly accumulating 

 reports of those who have recently devoted themselves to careful investi- 

 gations of the varied substrata of consciousness, through certain in- 

 genious yet well-considered processes known as "psycho-analysis"; 

 through careful study of the effects of fright, whether experienced dur- 

 ing waking hours or in natural dreams, and as recited by those who re- 

 member and are competent to give them form ; through studies of auto- 

 hypnosis, and various induced "hypnoidal" conditions and the records 

 of what is thus revealed ; to which may be added a like study of the con- 

 tents of certain waking trance-like or semi-hypnotic dreamy states ; the 

 coming and going of " tunes in the head," and all the other distressing 

 trains of "imperative" ideas and impulses ("obsessions") ; as well as, 

 possibly, an entirely new series of results to be obtained through photo- 

 graphic records of changes in facial expression — i. c, through accurate 

 observation and interpretation of the "physiognomical (phiz) reflex" 

 through all these, together with much other probable investigation along 

 lines yet to be uncovered — all of which must before very long certainly 

 add almost beyond calculation to our present knowledge of a "mind 

 diseased " in itself, as well as of our means for its successful alleviation. 



In connection with this, there undoubtedly appears something like an 

 imperative duty on the part of all to help on these investigations and thus 

 serviceably pave the way for practical application of what may thus be 



