SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HYPNOTISM. 525 



thinking of something else, take out and involuntarily wind 

 up our watches. The physician utilises this power of sug- 

 gestion when he says to his patient, "You will be better 

 soon ", The reaction of the nervous system, in consequence 

 of the suggestion, is one of the most j^otent of all remedies. 

 But, in a hypnotised person, not only are consciousness 

 and volitional power in abeyance, thus facilitating the 

 sequence, but, in addition, the other nervous activities are 

 augmented ; hence we should expect that the power of 

 suggestion would become extreme when by repeated sub- 

 jection to the hypnotising processes the derangement of 

 the systeni has become more and more marked. 



Further, in such a deranged nervous system the instal- 

 lation of any one of the initial stages of the operations 

 used to produce hypnotisation may obviously entail the 

 whole sequence including even the will-paralysis. 



In such people it becomes no longer necessary to fatigue 

 the will by prolonged and concentrated attention in order 

 to hypnotise ; the operator may simply start the concentra- 

 tion by arresting the attention and then command the sub- 

 ject to fall into the hypnotic sleep. On the first trial the 

 command will most undoubtedly be futile, but after a few 

 experiences of the hypnotic state the will of many subjects 

 does become paralysed on the word of command, on a 

 gesture, on a look ; with frequent repetition of the process, 

 especially in highly sensitive neurotic individuals, a mere 

 casual incident in the chain will arouse the state. The 

 power of suggestion is so great that the Nancy school con- 

 sider it the determining factor in the production of the 

 Hypnotic state. 



Examples are scarcely necessary, but I will refer here to 

 one as illustrating a special point, A patient in the 

 Salpetriere used to be hypnotised at a certain hour. In 

 her normal state she was allowed considerable freedom, 

 and helped in the domestic duties of the establishment. 

 One day she was discovered in a room having opened a 

 chest and taken out some valuables that were not her own. 

 Durino- the theft the clock in the room had struck the 

 hour at which she used to be hypnotised ; with her nervous 



