That in these experiments on children wrong conclusions are often drawn may surely in a great measure arise from the fact that the frequency of spontaneous cures is so constantly overlooked. I have already referred (p. 297) to this very fruitful source of error, which plays a much greater part in misleading us than is commonly supposed.

In support of their view that animal magnetism is something entirely distinct from hypnotism or suggestion, Du Prel and others of its adherents bring forward the following arguments. It is possible, they say, to magnetize animals, whilst with them suggestion is unavailing. I am certainly quite of the opinion that suggestibility, in the sense of the word in which we use it with regard to human beings, is not to be looked for among animals, for the simple reason that suggestion always implies a very complicated psychic process. It assumes the capacity for consciously undergoing a decided change, and I do not believe that the understanding powers of animals - and more particularly of those, such as the cat, dog, horse and lion, supposed to be specially susceptible to the magnetic influence, - are sufficiently developed for this to take place. But I am also equally firmly ' convinced that certain occurrences, reported as having taken place among animals, and accepted as furnishing proofs of magnetism, in reality afford no proof at all. Here, again, evidence of the healing powers of magnetism has been constantly produced, and here, just as with human beings, the simple fact of spontaneous healing has been too much neglected.

Other results cited, such as the soothing effect of patting and stroking a horse or dog, or the fascination exercised by the eye of the rattlesnake, have in reality nothing to do with magnetism at all. For however inacceptable we may find the idea of suggestion as applied to animals, the possibility of very many psychic processes yet remains to be considered. In the results obtained by reward or punishment we see these at work. And in the guise of magnetism the very same thing often takes place. When we quiet an excited animal by stroking it, the success of our effort is partially to be accounted for by the fact that the animal has never been in the habit of connecting such treatment with impending danger. And in addition to this there are inherited reflex-mechanisms of a physiological nature. Preyer relates in his book, Die Seele des Kindes (The Soul of the Child), that an infant, little more than a fortnight old, was instantaneously quieted in a violent fit of screaming by being laid face downwards, on a pillow. He speaks also of the soothing effect of singing, whistling, or a gentle touch of the hand, even on infants yet unweaned.

Nor does he at all see in this a reflex-inhibition, but merely the driving out of an unpleasurable sensation, with its motor consequences or reflex activity, by a new sensation. Pfluger had already cited the similar instance of a new-born, brainless infant, when screaming violently, being easily quieted by having a finger given it to suck. In any case, we do not require, in order to explain the soothing influence of the touch of the hand, etc., to assume the intervention of some mysterious magnetic force. With regard to the supposed magnetizing of animals, just the same holds good. The results are to be traced in part to physiological reflex movements, in part to psychological influences. And however gradual may be the transition from the physiological to the psychological action, we are in no way justified in accepting the theory of magnetic intervention in this " magnetizing " of animals.

At all events, there is no series of experiments extant that would compel us to admit the magnetizing of animals. I have myself sedulously read through all the literature bearing on the subject, without being able to ' find, either among the old mesmerists or their successors, anything that could be termed a scientifically conducted experiment. Everywhere we have the same casual observation, the same detached experiments, lacking all exactness and serious control, everywhere the same disregard of those pitfalls (e.g., spontaneous cures, etc.), against which I have so often warned. In the eyes of the general public, magnetic influence is very important in the relations of man to the animal world. This arose partly from the air of mystery in which trainers of performing animals were wont to invest their craft. They were often led to this by the very natural wish to prevent some very clever trick from being seen through, and in order to throw dust in the eyes of the spectators they began by ascribing to themselves mysterious powers. I need only recall the extraordinary sensation excited by the performances of the horse-trainer Rarey, some fifty years ago.

In his book on the training of unmounted horses, Loiset advised the trainer to insist on being quite alone with his horse while putting him through certain trials, lest the animal's attention should be diverted from its task. This momentary isolation - which is, by the way, a feature in the training of nearly all performing animals - gave rise to innumerable vague allusions to the secret powers and mysterious methods employed.

Du Prel sees a further proof of animal magnetism in the experiments carried out on individuals during sleep. All possibility of suggestion is, he thinks, excluded by the sleeper's own unconsciousness that he is being experimented on. To this argument .it must, however, be objected, in the first place, that sleep and unconsciousness are not synonymous terms, as the mere act of voluntarily waking from sleep (p. 164) clearly proves; and secondly, that, as we have also seen (p. 181) in the case of dreams induced by nervous stimulation, a person in sleep may be perfectly susceptible to external influences. With regard to the whole question of experiments on sleeping persons, the same remarks apply which I above made concerning experiments on animals. Any number of sweeping general assertions are made on the subject of influences exerted over people during sleep, and incidentally even experiments quoted with much fulness of detail; but for anything resembling a series of experiments, subjected to strict scientific control, and therefore admissible as trustworthy evidence, we may look in vain.