ioo REMINISCENCES OF 



The hypothesis which he adopted was, that the 

 subjects of these experiments required to have their 

 mental faculties concentrated upon one idea; this 

 accomplished, two effects will be produced in a few 

 moments. The first is a state of sound sleep; which he 

 succeeded in obtaining through either of the several 

 senses, sight, hearing or touch ; but his favourite 

 plan was to seat the individual operated upon in an 

 armchair, whilst he held a bright silver object, usually 

 his lancet case, a few inches above the person's 

 eyebrows, and required him to raise his eyes upwards 

 until he saw the shining metal, soon after doing 

 which, the patient went off into a sound sleep. But 

 a still more remarkable result followed, indicating a 

 condition of mind not so easily explained as illus- 

 trated. 



On one occasion I called Braid in to see a young 

 lad who had been suffering fearfully from a succession 

 of epileptic attacks, which had failed to yield to 

 medicinal treatment. So far as the epilepsy was 

 concerned the hypnotic treatment was a perfect 

 success ; the boy after having long endured numerous 

 daily attacks, was perfectly relieved after the third 

 day's hypnotic operation. For five subsequent 

 years, during which the youth remained under 

 my observation, the epilepsy did not return. Braid 

 always awoke his subjects from their hypnotic con- 

 dition by sharply clapping his hands close to the 

 sleepers' ears, which at once aroused them. 



One day before doing this, Braid said to me, 



