1884.] on the Physiological Aspect of Mesmerism. 37 



there are many partial revelations of the condition produced by 

 mesmerism. 



In some subjects the sensibility of the skin to variations of 

 temperature is very greatly increased, so that the contour and size of 

 an object which is brought near the skin can be recognised by the 

 alteration in the feeling of temperature of the part. The size and 

 contour of an object such as a book or a coin being thus known, the 

 subject may of course be able to guess that a book or coin is being 

 held before him. 



There are certain attitudes which we usually assume under the 

 influence of certain moods or ideas ; from each of the muscles con- 

 cerned in bringing about any one attitude, impulses travel up to the 

 brain, and give rise to a definite muscular sensation which comes 

 therefore to be associated with a particular mental mood. In mes- 

 merised people the production of a definite muscular sensation not 

 infrequently produces in the mind the mood with which it is, in the 

 wakeful state, associated. At the same time ideas may be produced 

 corresponding to the mood, and the ideas may give rise to particular 

 actions, such as laughing, crying, fighting. 



If the head is pushed back and the shoulders opened out, the 

 face assumes a look full of pride or haughtiness, and if the subject be 

 asked what he is thinking about, he will give some answer indicating 

 what a fine fellow he fancies himself to be. If, then, the head is 

 bowed and the shoulders contracted, the aspect of the face changes 

 to one of humility and i)ity. Occasionally it happens that a slight 

 pressure on a single muscle, which causes it to contract, will by an 

 irradiation of nerve imj)ulses produce the muscular sensations proper 

 to a group of muscles, and this will give rise to the associated frame 

 of mind. Thus very different feelings may be made to rapidly 

 succeed one another in the mind of the subject by simply pressing on 

 various muscles of the head and neck. At first sight such an experi- 

 ment looks like a revival of the now happily forgotten phrenology. 



I have said that in a frog which remains mesmerised for any time, 

 there is a considerable reflex depression, i. e. inhibition of the whole 

 of the central nervous system — that there is an irradiation of inhibitory 

 impulses. In man a similar irradiation of inhibitory impulses appears 

 to take place ; usually a mesmerised person if left alone passes 

 gradually, but often rapidly, into a state of torpor ; consciousness 

 disappears, memory is lost, reflex action becomes difficult to obtain, 

 finally, it may be, there is complete anaesthesia, a limb may be cut off 

 without producing any movement or any pain ; since this torpor comes 

 on without anything farther being done to the subject, we may con- 

 clude that here, as in the frog, but to a much more marked degree, 

 there is an irradiation of inhibitory impulses. The primarily 

 inhibited centres send out inhibitory impulses to all other nerve 

 centres. Up to a certain stage, possibly throughout, any one or more 

 centres may be brought back to a condition of activity by certain 

 exciting stimuli, but when these cease the inexcitable condition is 



