physiologist;
but neither Braid nor Carpenter could get the medical organizations to
give the matter any attention, even to investigate it. In 1848 an
American named Grimes succeeded in obtaining all the phenomena of
hypnotism, and created a school of writers who made use of the word
"electro-biology."

In 1850 Braid's ideas were introduced into France, and Dr. Azam, of
Bordeaux, published an account of them in the "Archives de Medicine."
From this time on the subject was widely studied by scientific men in
France and Germany, and it was more slowly taken up in England. It may
be stated here that the French and other Latin races are much more
easily hypnotized than the northern races, Americans perhaps being least
subject to the hypnotic influence, and next to them the English. On the
other hand, the Orientals are influenced to a degree we can hardly
comprehend.

WHAT IS HYPNOTISM?

We have seen that so far the history of hypnotism has given us two
manifestations, or methods, that of passes and playing upon the
imagination in various ways, used by Mesmer, and that of physical means,
such as looking at a bright object, used by Braid. Both of these methods
are still in use, and though hundreds of scientific men, including many
physicians, have studied the subject for years, no essentially new
principle has been discovered, though the details of hypnotic operation
have been thoroughly classified and many minor elements of interest have
been developed. All these make a body of evidence which will assist us
in answering the question, What is hypnotism?

Modern scientific study has pretty conclusively established the
following facts:

1. Idiots, babies under three years old, and hopelessly insane people
cannot be hypnotized.

2. No one can be hypnotized unless the operator can make him concentrate
his attention for a reasonable length of time. Concentration of
attention, whatever the method of producing hypnotism, is absolutely
necessary.

3. The persons not easily hypnotized are those said to be neurotic (or
those affected with hysteria). By "hysteria" is not meant nervous
excitability, necessarily. Some very phlegmatic persons may be affected
with hysteria. In medical science "hysteria" is an irregular action of
the nervous system. It will sometimes show itself by severe pains in the
arm, when in reality there is nothing whatever to cause pain; or it will
raise a swelling on the head quite without cause. It is a