When deformities of the organs of speech cause stuttering, hypnotism cannot be utilized as a means of cure; but when stuttering is due to habit or nervous conditions, then hypnotism can confidently be relied upon, and is probably the only effective method that gives prompt results. In most cases two or three weeks' time, embracing ten or twelve sittings, will be sufficient. My method of curing stuttering through hypnotism is well illustrated by the case of Daniel McIntyre, a young man nineteen years old, who had stuttered ever since he was six years old. The habit was most likely formed by a severe scolding and whipping given to him at that time by his father for some trivial offense. It took most persistent inquiry to ascertain this fact; but it is always important to realize the origin of the habit, for such knowledge may be an aid in effecting a cure.

Young McIntyre had followed the usual course of those endeavoring to break the habit, but every method he tried brought forcibly upon him the consciousness of his habit. My hypnotic method did exactly the reverse. After getting him completely under control, he was made to believe that a valuable prize had been offered to the person who could repeat most rapidly the well-known word tests:

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; a peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?"

"Theophilus thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb. If Theophilus thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb, where are the three thousand thistles that Theophilus thrust through the thick of his thumb?"

"Now, Daniel," I said, "these are the hardest sentences anyone can pronounce, and very few people can pronounce them rapidly; but you can, and you must practice and see how fast you can repeat them."

At each sitting he would repeat these tests twenty or thirty times, always accurately. Finally he was made to believe that the examination was taking place, and then that he won the prize. And it was impressed upon him time and again that he .was a fluent speaker and able to repeat rapidly all the most difficult tests. It was most interesting to watch his expression of delight and of self-approbation during these sittings. During the first two weeks, when not under hypnotic control, he seemed to stutter worse than ever, but during the third week improvement was rapid, and after the sitting in which he won the prize he had no further trouble.

Self-consciousness while speaking is the most common cause of stuttering, and stutterers cannot shake off the feeling that others are criticising their language. There comes to my mind the recollection of a married man who was never known to speak correctly until he was once overheard talking glibly and correctly to his infant child when he thought no one else was near. He knew the child could not criticise his language, and lost his self-consciousness.

Probably no bad habit is easier to overcome by hypnotism than the habit of cigarette smoking, which has become widespread and fraught with great danger to both mind and body. The subjects are usually hypnotized very easily, and readily obey posthypnotic suggestions. In these cases one precaution must be observed: Do not place the subject in the lethargic or cataleptic starte. The heart is usually too weak to permit this condition with safety. In general, the breaking of the cigarette habit by hypnotism is essentially the same as the method adopted for the cure of the tobacco habit.

Various other bad habits could be mentioned that have been quickly overcome, and any one who has mastered the art of hypnotism can accomplish great good in this line of work. If the science were valuable for no other purpose, its study should be encouraged. But when we realize the multitude of other benefits to be derived froom hypnotism, we cannot but regard it as one of the greatest of all the branches of science, and the future opens a marvelous field of usefulness to those who intelligently study its philosophy and practical application.