by
hundreds who came to be cured, and was long known as "Puysegur's tree".
As a result of Puysegur's success, a number of societies were formed in
France for the study of the new phenomena.

In the meantime, the subject had attracted considerable interest in
Germany, and in 1812 Wolfart was sent to Mesmer at Frauenfeld by the
Prussian government to investigate Mesmerism. He became an enthusiast,
and introduced its practice into the hospital at Berlin.

In 1814 Deleuze published a book on the subject, and Abbe Faria, who had
come from India, demonstrated that there was no fluid, but that the
phenomena were subjective, or within the mind of the patient. He first
introduced what is now called the "method of suggestion" in producing
magnetism or hypnotism. In 1815 Mesmer died.

Experimentation continued, and in the 20's Foissac persuaded the Academy
of Medicine to appoint a commission to investigate the subject. After
five years they presented a report. This report gave a good statement of
the practical operation of magnetism, mentioning the phenomena of
somnambulism, anesthesia, loss of memory, and the various other symptoms
of the hypnotic state as we know it. It was thought that magnetism had a
right to be considered as a therapeutic agent, and that it might be used
by physicians, though others should not be allowed to practice it. In
1837 another commission made a decidedly unfavorable report.

Soon after this Burdin, a member of the Academy, offered a prize of
3,000 francs to any one who would read the number of a bank-note or the
like with his eyes bandaged (under certain fixed conditions), but it was
never awarded, though many claimed it, and there has been considerable
evidence that persons in the hypnotic state have (sometimes) remarkable
clairvoyant powers.

Soon after this, magnetism fell into very low repute throughout France
and Germany, and scientific men became loath to have their names
connected with the study of it in any way. The study had not yet been
seriously taken up in England, and two physicians who gave some
attention to it suffered decidedly in professional reputation.

It is to an English physician, however, that we owe the scientific
character of modern hypnotism. Indeed he invented the name of hypnotism,
formed from the Greek word meaning 'sleep', and designating
'artificially produced sleep'. His name is James Braid, and so important
were the results of his study that hypnotism has someti