Almost immediately you see strange phenomena occur, which develop in the stage of catalepsy without somnambulism. Instantaneously Esther's face assumes an expression of terror, her eyes are widely open, haggard, and fixed; the features of the countenance are motionless, the masseters rigid, which makes it impossible to open the mouth. In a few cases I have even seen saliva flow from the mouth like froth, at the same time the muscles of the tongue become rigid, and a generalised tetanic condition develops. If you examine these symptoms as a whole, are you not led to see in the general expression of the subject the experimental symptomatology of hydrophobia? And the tube which provokes all these disturbances only contains 10 grammes of water. I do not insist on this, and I content myself for the moment with calling your attention to this effect - namely, that the reaction which has just taken place in Esther before you is entirely different from that produced by the previous tube containing cognac.

I take away the tube, and you see that the ascending march of the phenomena observed is interrupted, and that little by little the subject, deprived of the incitatory stimuli supplied by the external agent, instantaneously falls back into the stage of lethargy from which she had been roused by means of it. I wait a few minutes before applying the third tube, in order that the muscular excitability may return, This, I repeat, is of the greatest importance in order to avoid the risk of the successive reactions of the nervous system being influenced or even entirely modified one by the other.

Fig. 15. - Esther under the influence of a tube containing a small quantity of essence of thyme; this tube is applied to the nape of the neck on the right side at the back. She is a prey to terrible hallucinations.

Fig. 16. - Esther under the influence of hydro-chlorate of morphine. The tube has been placed in front of the left eye, and the face expresses very clearly a state of beatitude.

'I now place the third tube, containing the spartein solution, close to the neck. Hardly has it been placed there before reaction begins, as you see. The nerves of the neck, in a condition of hyperexcitability, instantaneously transmit to the centres the new indtations which act upon them. The respiratory movements are quickened, as you may see; respiration becomes embarrassed; you even hear stridor now and then; at the same time redness and cyanosis of the face and a characteristic turgescence of the eyes announce to you that a profound disturbance has taken place in the circulatory apparatus. The veins of the neck are swollen, there is an expression of terror in the face, the movements of respiration stop, and, if I keep the tube in position any longer, you will see the breathing cease altogether. In presence of phenomena so characteristic, of disturbances so great, re-echoing through all the main parts of the human machine, is it possible, I ask you, gentlemen, to believe that these things are simulated, as a certain number of people who have never made the smallest experiment themselves are so ready to repeat? Whatever desire hysterical subjects may have to make themselves interesting (a desire in which I myself have only a very limited belief), it is unquestionable that this desire can in no sort of way lead them thus madly to jeopardise their existence.

Fig. 17. - Esther is influenced by a tube containing sulphate of strychnine. The tube is pre-Bdnted at the right side. She seems to be listening to something droll, which makes her laugh.

Fig. 18. - The same tube has been placed in front of the right eye of the same subject. Inverse phenomena. The face expresses profound terror.

'The interests of science make it necessary that these delicate experiments should be studied and followed up. I never practise them without the greatest precautions, taking care to employ only minimum doses of active medicinal substances, and to produce in the subjects only fugitive effects which are not dangerous for them. Nevertheless, from the medico-legal point of view, penetrate yourselves thoroughly with the consequences which may follow from all that you have just seen. Who, in fact, shall tell us that these symptoms of impending asphyxia and of obstruction of the great vessels, if produced by criminal hands, might not cause pulmonary congestion with haemoptysis, ruptures of the vessels or of an aneurism, perhaps stoppage of the heart, and then murder having been committed under' such circumstances, how shall the cause of death be recognised, and how shall the guilty person be discovered? I have now taken away the tube containing spartein, and you see that a general reaction takes place. Esther begins to breathe regularly, the circulatory apparatus recovers its equilibrium, quiet is insensibly re-established, and we arrive, as you see, at the stage of lethargy.

I now awaken the subject in the usual way; Esther, passing successively through the stages of catalepsy and somnambulism, reaches the stage of Waking, and opens her eyes naturally. She has, as you see, no recollection of what has passed, but, if her memory is dumb, yet a vague sense of fatigue of muscular sensibility persists, and after these disturbing experiments she usually feels out of sorts and slightly depressed during the day.'

I will now pass to the description of the series of experiments which I carried out on the five subjects whom I named at the outset as being those who were presented to me by Dr. Luys and Colonel de Rochas respectively. Meantime I observe that Dr. Luys has stated in the 'Times' of January 31 (the date on which I am writing the present chapter of my experiences) that I was 'unlucky enough to apply to patients to whom he had long ceased to have recourse, being unable to depend on their veracity.'