296 Wild Beasts 



that susceptible subjects might not, as in cases reported 

 by Charcot and others, hypnotize themselves. Having no 

 way of getting at the relations subsisting between the 

 centres of his brain with any certainty, it occurred to his 

 guardian that a physiological approximation to their state 

 might be made by means of this kind of an impression, and 

 that it would reveal, to a certain extent at least, what is 

 called by French writers the ''solidarity" of that organ. 

 The difficulty lay in the first necessary step, according to 

 Heidenhain ; namely, in arresting attention. Czermak's 

 experiments at Leipzig were made upon creatures of a very 

 different character from Gato. By all accounts, hypnotism 

 is impossible except when attentiveness approaches to a 

 wrapped degree of fixedness. The author tried to act 

 upon his puma, but in vain. A bright object placed above 

 him in front might or might not excite special curiosity. 

 If his keeper held it, he looked at him, and probably 

 wondered what new deviltry he was after then. 



Often he grew uneasy, or disgusted perhaps, got up, and 

 lay down with his head averted, or closed his lids. Some- 

 times he walked away, pretending not to notice his com- 

 panion, though keenly observant of what he was doing all 

 the while. But this eye-to-eye interview was quite as likely 

 to bring the animal close, make him rub against his com- 

 rade, or present his head to be stroked. Whatever he did, 

 however, was done of his own accord, and had no refer- 

 ence to the performances of his associate, or to the will- 

 power exerted and wasted on such occasions. 



It was easy to see when Gato was apathetic, and plain 

 enough when he was intoxicated with what Willis and the 



