16 
case there were clearly two states of consciousness at work at the 
same time, one reading and understanding something, and the 
other making a mental calculation which had nothing whatever 
to do with what he was reading. There were other conditions of 
alternating consciousness not in hypnotics. One which came 
under his notice was that of a well-known professional musician, 
who had certain lapses, during which he used to think he was an 
itinerant musician, who used to stand and play at street corners. 
During those periods he used to deny his own name, but said he 
was someone else, and he did not know his own friends. There were 
many other cases of the same sort, but in some the secondary state 
was the brighter and better of the two. In most of these cases they 
had continuous memories, and used to take up each life where they 
had dropped it before each change. There were cases which 
seemed to show that there was a third state sometimes at work. In. 
the first case quoted, that of the girl who made the mental calcula- 
tions as to the large number of minutes, etc., he asked her, while she 
was in the hypnotic state, to tell him how long it would be before 
she had to perform certain things which he suggested. In all cases 
the answers were entirely wrong, and yet, to his surprise, she did 
her things at the right times. That seemed to show that there was 
a third personality which was superior to the other two; but he 
did not think those cases justified them in concluding that there 
were really distinct personalities in the same person. To the 
_ physiologist something more was wanted than merely alternative 
ideas, memory, and temper. He was convinced, however, that 
a comparative study of the different states was of the utmost 
psychological importance. 
A brief discussion followed the remarks of the lecturer, and, 
replying to some questions, Dr. Bramwell said that in the case of 
the calculating girl there was no possibility of telepathy or thought 
transference, as in most cases he did not make out the calculations — 
himself ; when he did so he was generally wrong. As to the tests 
he applied to show that the subjects were really in the hypnotic 
state, there was no one conclusive proof except imsensibility in 
those cases where, by suggestion, insensibility to pain could be 
induced. 
On Wednesday, November 2nd, the General Meeting took the 
form of a Conversazione at the Town Hall to inaugurate the Session 
1904-5. Professor Silvanus P. Thompson, D.Sc., F.R.S., Vice- - 
President, gave an address on ‘‘ Japanese Magic Mirrors.’’ Sir 
Samuel Wilks, Bt., F.R.S., President, occupied the chair. 
Professor Thompson said that in the old civilisation of Japan, 
which came down unbroken until about 1873, the mirror was to 
