T. ESKRIDGE.] Too great a desire or an overanxiety to he hypnotized, amounting to a fear lest one may fail, not infrequently prevents one from yielding to hypnotic influ ences. Those that can concentrate their thoughts on suggestions to the extent of subjectively realizing that what the hyp notist is saying is really taking place are readily hypnotized. Disturbed attention from any cause greatly interferes with hypnosis. As a rule, the laborer and the -chronic hospital invalid will yield more readily than the mentally active, It is a mistake to conclude because a person is , hypnotizable that his mental power and attainments are poor, for many who are mentally strong are easily hypnotized after they have determined to yield to the hypnotic influence. Anything that interferes with the physical comfort of the subject or disturbs his thoughts will render him more difficult to hypnotize than when he is pleasantly affected by his surroundings. On the other hand, soothing influences, mental or physical.
favor hypnosis. An uncomfortable posi tion of the body of the subject, a room that is overheated or too cold, a strong light, an attack of indigestion, pain, an overloaded stomach, the stimulating effects of alcohol, coffee, tea, or the nerv ous effects of a strong cigar increase the difficulties in inducing hypnosis. Like wise mental agitation, emotional excite ment, worry, apprehension, pre-occupa tion of the mind, and self-consciousness have a similar influence. Hypnosis is favored by bodily comfort, twilight, a darkened room, music, the presence of fragrant flowers, and freedom from all influences that tend to prevent the mind from following a suggested train of thought. A fair amount of intelligence seems to be necessary for the induction of hypnosis. It is impossible to hypno tize the lowest grade of idiots. It is extremely difficult to induce hypnosis in the insane.
[After repeated efforts in trying to hypnotize a number of insane persons I have not a single success to record.
Voisin claims to succeed in hypnotizing the insane. J. T. ESKRIDGE.] Some are hypnotizable at one time and not at another. Some persons may not yield to hypnotism at the first attempt, but do so after repeated trials. A num ber, especially the hysterical, cannot be put to sleep by the suggestive method, but will rapidly go into a cataleptic state on employing the means usually used by Charcot and his followers. Some experi menters succeed in hypnotizing SO or 90 per cent. of their subjects, while others cannot claim success in nearly so great a proportion; so that much depends upon the experience, the methods, the pa tience, and the individuality of the hyp notist.
—Personally I have succeeded in inducing hypnosis in a greater proportion of male subjects than of female. Lie bault and others have been able to hyp notize a larger proportion of their female subjects, although the difference is not great in favor of the susceptibility of the latter. The hysterical are often hypno tizable by the Charcot method, while they will rarely yield when the suggestive one alone is employed.
[I have not used the former method for a number of years, and this may account for my failure in inducing hyp nosis in the extremely nervous and hys terical. J. T. EsKEEDGE.] Cases of failure are probably due to conscious or unconscious resistance on the part of the patient, or to inability to fix the attention. Hysterical subjects are more difficult to hypnotize than others, while the insane usually cannot be hyp notized. A. Likbault (Le Sommeil Pro voqu6, p. 310, 'S9).
—Persons from about the sixth or seventh to the twentieth year make the best subjects for hypnotism. It is usually extremely difficult to hypnotize a child under four years of age. Middle aged and elderly persons often readily yield to hypnotism, but, as a rule, they do not exhibit such a susceptibility as is generally found between the years of seven and twenty.