VARIATIONAL FACTOR IN HANDWRITING 155 



ficially, by means of hypnotic suggestion or provisional deceit, changes 

 in the mood or even in the personality of a given reagent have indeed 

 been tried in France. The results, although striking and interesting 

 are somewhat general in nature nor is the method beyond criticism. 



The dependence of style of writing upon suggestion has already been 

 spoken of in emphasizing the role social suggestion plays in determining 

 writing-types. Experimental work may investigate the influence of this 

 factor. An incident in which a friend of the present writer, in signing 

 the latter's name to a lecture-ticket, unconsciously imitated the writer's 

 signature shows how extensively suggestion may operate. Eeports of 

 the character of writing during hypnosis offer material for study. De- 

 tailed reports as to the characteristic appearance of such writing are, 

 however, wanting. 



Professor Janet, of the College de France, urges, and with reason, 

 that experimental graphology should begin with studies in pathological 

 graphology, studies on the effect upon handwriting of diseases of 

 motility and sensibility, or of specific diseases, such as those of respira- 

 tion and of circulation. From the more pronounced modifications of 

 handwriting transitions may then be made to its more delicate in- 

 flections. 



This recourse to pathology bids fair to prove increasingly fruitful. 

 Physicians have long been aware of profound modifications of hand- 

 writing through disease and have utilized such modifications in 

 diagnosis. Considerable material has been collected and published 

 by them in connection with their discussions of insanity, hysteria, 

 epilepsy, paralysis and the like. Their interest has been, however, 

 often practical rather than theoretical, and it is only with the increas- 

 ing interest in the specific problem of handwriting that the full value 

 of their documents becomes evident. Moreover, the failure to record 

 in a particular instance specimens of the normal as well as of the 

 perverted writing is often regrettable. Experimental work upon 

 pathological writing has, however, already been resorted to in the 

 attempt to determine the changes in writing induced by the use of 

 alcohol and various other drugs. 



A highly interesting case of pathological writing is that known as 

 automatic writing, writing of which the writer is either not conscious 

 at all or else conscious only of the movement and its result without 

 feeling in any way responsible for the act. In connection with such 

 automatic writing one would like to have not only an analysis of the 

 mental state, but also detailed information of the variation from the 

 normal in terms of speed, amplitude, alignment and pressure of writing. 

 It is worth noting that Professor Janet has published examples of 

 mediumistic writing, and that Dr. Prince, in his recent book on " The 

 Dissociation of Personality," has reproduced the handwriting of a 

 secondary personality. 



