Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory

 

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the editor of Magnetismo e Ipnotismo, Ellero, Cantani, and Ehrenfreund.

In England there exists a scientific society—the Society for Psychical Research—which, besides examining certain mystical phenomena, also does much to promote the study of hypnotism. The members of this society are all men of high scientific and social standing, of whom I need only mention Ramsay, Stanley Hall, and the late Professor Sidgwick. Gurney and Frederick Meyers must here be especially mentioned as promoters of the study of hypnosis in the Society for Psychical Research. Before this Hack Tuke had often called attention to hypnotism in England. He was, however, unable to excite any enduring interest in the matter; nor were Gamgee, who in 1878 reported on his observations of Charcot's experiments, and Whitehead, who in 1885 wrote concerning some experiments at Manchester, more successful (Felkin). At the same time, as Felkin remarks, numerous works dealing with hypnotism appeared from time to time in England; as by Gasquet in 1887, by Karl Grossmann in 1888, by Foy, and especially by Preyer, who spoke on hypnotism at the British Medical Association meeting in 1880. Among more recent investigators in England I may mention Lloyd Tuckey, of London, who has made many therapeutic applications of hypnosis on the lines of the Nancy school; as well as Kingsbury, Hart, Vincent, and Coates. Special mention must here be made of Bramwell, who by a series of contributions extending over a number of years, and more particularly by his recent book Hypnotism, has done so much to promote the study and therapeutic application of hypnosis. In Scotland, Felkin has done much for hypnotism in a small but careful and interesting book on the question; also George Robertson, who advocated the use of hypnosis in the treatment of mental diseases. As Bramwell mentions, Sir Francis Cruise remained about the only writer on hypnotism in Ireland. At all events, in spite of numerous opponents, among whom Norman Kerr and Burney may be named, hypnotism has thus won citizenship in England. Moreover, at the Birmingham meeting of the British Medical


22 HYPNOTISM.
Association in 189o, a committee of physicians was appointed to test hypnotism psychologically, physiologically, and therapeutically. This committee, which included among its members Hack Tuke, Langley, Needham, Broadbent, Kingsbury, and Clouston, presented its report in 1892. In this report not only was the reality of hypnotism recognized and its symptoms described, but hypnosis was warmly recommended for therapeutic purposes, especially for insomnia, pain, and numerous functional disorders. The results in dipsomania were mentioned

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