EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 



1874; and four years later, with the opening of his 

 laboratory of physiological psychology at the Uni- 

 versity of Leipzig, the new psychology may be said 

 to have gained a permanent foothold and to have 

 forced itself into official recognition. From then 

 on its conquest of the world was but a matter of 

 time. 



It should be noted, however, that there is one other 

 method of strictly experimental examination of the 

 mental field, latterly much in vogue, which had a differ- 

 ent origin. This is the scientific investigation of the 

 phenomena of hypnotism. This subject was rescued 

 from the hands of charlatans, rechristened, and sub- 

 jected to accurate investigation by Dr. James Braid, 

 of Manchester, as early as 1841. But his results, after 

 attracting momentary attention, fell from view, and, 

 despite desultory efforts, the subject was not again 

 accorded a general hearing from the scientific world 

 until 1878, when Dr. Charcot took it up at the Sal- 

 pe'triere, in Paris, followed soon afterwards by Dr. 

 Rudolf Heidenhain, of Breslau, and a host of other ex- 

 perimenters. The value of the method in the study of 

 mental states was soon apparent. Most of Braid's ex- 

 periments were repeated, and in the main his results 

 were confirmed. His explanation of hypnotism, or 

 artificial somnambulism, as a self -induced state, inde- 

 pendent of any occult or supersensible influence, soon 

 gained general credence. His belief that the initial 

 stages are due to fatigue of nervous centres, usually 

 from excessive stimulation, has not been supplanted, 

 though supplemented by notions growing out of the 

 new knowledge as to subconscious mentality in general, 



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