200 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



tion, circulation, and processes of secretion in the various 

 parts or organs of his body. 



It must be noted, however, that the phenomena of 

 hypnotism are due solely to the influence of the imagination. 

 The quasi-scientific explanations which attributed them to 

 magnetism, electricity, some subtle animal fluid, some occult 

 force, and so forth, have been as completely negatived as 

 the supernatural explanation. We have seen that painted 

 wooden tractors were as effectual as the metal tractors of the 

 earlier mesmerists ; a small disc of card or wood is as effec- 

 tive as the disc of zinc and copper used by the electro- 

 biologists ; and now it appears that the mystical influence, 

 or what was thought such, of the operator is no more 

 essential to success than magnetic or electric apparatus. 



Dr. Noble of Manchester made several experiments to 

 determine this point. Some among them seem absolutely 

 decisive. 



Thus, a friend of Dr. Noble's had a female servant whom 

 he had frequently thrown into the hypnotic state, trying a 

 variety of experiments, many of which Dr. Noble had 

 witnessed. Dr. Noble was at length told that his friend had 

 succeeded in magnetising her from another room and with- 

 out her knowledge, with some other stories even more mar- 

 vellous, circumstantially related by eye-witnesses, ' amongst 

 others by the medical attendant of the family, a most 

 respectable and intelligent friend ' of Dr. Noble's own. As 

 he remained unsatisfied, Dr. Noble was invited to come and 

 judge for himself, proposing whatever test he pleased. 

 ' Now had we visited the house/ he says, ' we should have 

 felt dissatisfied with any result/ knowing * that the presence 

 of a visitor or the occurrence of anything unusual was sure to 

 excite expectation of some mesmeric process.' ' We there- 

 fore proposed/ he proceeds, ' that the experiment should be 

 carried on at our own residence ; and it was made under 

 the following circumstances : The gentleman early one 

 evening wrote a note as if on business, directing it to our- 

 selves. He thereupon summoned the female servant (the 



