xxviii Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



and editor which hardly permit of an a priori waving of its claims. It 

 demands a serious hearing, if for no other reason, because it claims to 

 fairly represent the calm judgment of all but an insignificant minority 

 of the educated occidental missionaries at present actually living among 

 the Chinese and other oriental peoples. If this is indeed the case it 

 may give rise to serious reflection or even to the query whether the re- 

 action of barbarism on the missionary is not as great as his influence on 

 the barbarism in the opposite direction. 



We admit to a feeling of grave responsibility in dealing with such 

 a work and, while we feel that scientific truth leaves us no alternative, 

 it is hoped that the reviewer may be credited with no antagonism to the 

 cause in the interest of which the volume was sincerely written. Even 

 more, it is because the reviewer believes that the false views here pro- 

 mulgated will do great injury to that very cause that he does not feel 

 justified in holding his hand. 



At the outset it is freely granted that the entire honesty and credi- 

 bility of the author and his witness is assumed in all that follows. The 

 author has displayed not only praiseworthy industry but considerable 

 skill in the gathering of facts and discussing their significance, and 

 when we are forced to add that he seemed singularly lacking in critical 

 and scientific discrimination it does not follow that the value of the facts 

 is invahdated. Indeed the naivete with which facts inconsistant with 

 the conclusions are set down is sufficient check in most cases. The 

 author is beyond the sting of criticism and we pass to a consideration 

 of the work in detail. 



In the first place we may quote the author's synopsis of the facts 

 and conclusions reached as he closes the descriptive section of his 

 book. (P. 143.) It will form a convenient point of departure for our 

 review of the evidence. 



" I. Certain abnormal physical and mental phenomena such as 

 have been witnessed in all ages and among all nations and attributed to 

 possession by demons, are of frequent occurrence in China and other 

 nations and have been generally referred to the same cause. 



"2. The supposed demoniac at the time of possession passes 

 into an abnormal state, the character of which varies indefinitely, be- 

 ing marked by depression and melancholy, or vacancy and stupidity 

 amounting sometimes almost to idiocy, or it may be that he becomes 

 extatic, or ferocious and malignant. 



"3. During transition from the normal to the abnormal state, 

 the subject is often thrown into paroxysms more or less violent, during 



