This part of my subject is the most important, and at the same time the most difficult, for the lay reader to comprehend. One must be familiar not only with the consequences, immediate and remote, following the hypnotic state, but must have a knowledge of the diseases of the mind and body as well. The subject appears first in a medico-legal aspect, secondly in a purely medical aspect, and thirdly in a social aspect. Much has been written upon the subject which is utterly absurd to any one conversant with the conditions occurring in hypnotized subjects. Many of the fears which exist in the popular mind are utterly groundless, while many, it seems to me, of the real dangers have never yet been recorded.

The recent trial of Gouffe in France for murder, in which hypnotism was pleaded as a defence, elicited much interesting discussion. I personally do not believe that the average individual in the hypnotic state could he made to commit crimes. Prof. James states that while for a time the will and other faculties are in abeyance, they are not wholly extinguished, and if the command is very repugnant to the hyp-. notized subject he will not go beyond certain limits in its execution.

Let me illustrate by a case of my own. A girl who was hypnotized deeply, was given a glass of water, and was told that it was a lighted lamp. A broomstick was placed across the room, and she was told that it was a man who intended to injure her. I suggested to her that she throw the glass of water (she supposing it was a lighted lamp) at the broomstick, her enemy, and she immediately threw it with much violence. Then a man was placed across the room, and she was given instead of a glass of water a lighted lamp. I told her that the lamp was a glass of water, and that the man across the room was her brother. It was suggested to her that his clotliing was on fire and she was commanded to extinguish the fire by throwing the lighted lamp at the individual, she having been told, as was previously mentioned, that it was a glass of water. Without her knowledge a person was placed behind her for the purpose of quickly checking her movements, if desired. I then commanded her to throw the lamp at the man. She raised the lamp, hesitated, wavered, and then became very hysterical, laughing and crying alternately. This condition was so profound that she came very near dropping the lamp. Immediately after she was quieted, I made a number of tests to prove that she was deeply hypnotized.

Standing in front of her I gave her a piece of card-board, telling her that it was a dagger, and commanding her to stab me. She immediately struck at me with the piece of cardboard. I then gave her an open pocket-knife, and commanded her to strike at me with it. Again she raised it to execute my command, again hesitated and had another hysterical attack. I have tried similar experiments upon thirty or forty people with similar results. Some of them would have injured themselves severely, I am convinced, at command, but to what extent, I of course cannot say. That they could have been induced to harm others, or to set fire to houses, etc., I do not believe. I say this after a very careful reading and a large amount of experimentation.