He has seen the pulse fall from 98 beats to 92, and then rise to 115 beats. He infers a direct action on the inhibitory centre of the heart, and thinks himself also obliged to exclude ideas which affect the mental state, since the effect of the suggestion was always momentary. But his conclusions are not altogether borne out by his statements. We must also carefully bear in mind that the method of suggestion employed may so effect the emotions that the imagination can play no direct part in the result produced. To retard the pulse we must address the subject in slow and soothing tones; sharp and hasty remarks only conduce to acceleration. Berillon also found that the pulse could be accelerated or retarded by suggestion. On one occasion he experimented on a case of pronounced tachycardia, and found that the pulse which was first of all accelerated by hypnosis from 132 to 138, could be reduced to 114, 102, and even 84 by suggestion. Bramwell also found that he could accelerate or retard a patient's pulse by suggestion. In one case, in which the subject when awake had a pulse of 80, hypnosis brought the beats to 100, but subsequent suggestion reduced them to 60 per minute. As Bramwell has rightly pointed out, indirect suggestion sometimes affects the pulse.

For example, tell a man he must hurry up or he will miss the train, and his pulse is immediately accelerated.

It is not necessary to say much of those other functional abnormalities of the involuntary muscles which occur without the influence of suggestion. Max Rosenthal saw a case of vomiting which he attributed to irritation of the cerebral cortex; and nausea is often observed in persons who are easily excited or frightened (Friedmann).1

There are other ways in which suggestion can affect the involuntary muscles. Peristalsis is frequently influenced in this manner. I have had several experiences of the facility with which the bowels of some hypnotics are affected by suggestion. I say to one of them, "In half an hour after you wake your bowels will act." This is certain to act. "Tomorrow morning at eight your bowels will act." The effect follows. "To-morrow between eight and nine your bowels will act three times." Exactly the same result, though the subject remembers nothing of the suggestion on awaking. It is interesting to note that the action of aperients can be arrested by suggestion, though this does not often happen. A patient takes a dose of castor-oil which is sufficient to procure copious action of the bowels. He is told in hypnosis that the medicine will only take effect in forty-eight hours. The suggestion is effectual, although with this person the dose habitually acts promptly and abundantly (v. Krafft-Ebing). Or let a few drops of water be given to the hypnotic with the assertion that it is a strong purge; motion of the bowels follows. Suggested emetics act in the same way.

This is not very surprising, as we know that these and other functions, even though they are independent of our will, are yet under the influence of the mind. On the other hand, Murell reports that a hypnotic, Mr. X., was induced to drink tartar emetic for sherry. So long as X. was hypnotized he did not suffer from nausea, retching, or any of the usual results of a dose of tartar emetic. As soon as X. awoke he began retching, which could only be stopped by hypnosis. Vomiting at the sight of disgusting things, and the celebrated mica pant's pills administered as aperients show that there may be suggestibility without hypnosis.

We find but scanty accounts of physiological investigations into the processes of secretion during hypnosis. Perspiration, which was noted by the earlier mesmerists - for example, Heineken, Kluge, etc. - has also been observed by later investigators (G. Barth, Demarquay, Giraud-Teulon, Heiden-hain, Preyer). I doubt if the secretion of sweat depends on the hypnosis; I believe that it is rather a result of the straining and excitement of fixed attention. We know something more about the influence of suggestion on secretion. Burot shows that the secretion of saliva can be induced by suggestion, and Bottey demonstrates the same thing of perspiration. Charles Richet says that erection and emission of semen can be effected by awakening in the subject's mind the impression of sexual intercourse. I have mentioned above that I have myself seen a hypnotic's eyes water when it was suggested to him that he was smelling an onion. By producing emotion it is possible to influence the secretion of tears. A gentleman who believed he was a child again, imagined he had just been disobedient to his parents, and as he asked forgiveness in the hypnotic condition he shed many tears.

In a case of increased secretion of the gastric juice, Bergmann believes that he has exerted therapeutic influence by suggestion and rendered the gastric juice normal.

1 This was communicated to me privately.

The secretion of milk is also under the influence of suggestion. A case, which only shows, however, the indirect influence of suggestion, has been reported by Hassenstein. In a wet nurse in whom the secretion had ceased, it again flowed copiously by suggestion. It had ceased, however, owing to excitement over the child's condition, and was renewed by suggesting away the excitement. J. Grossmann reports a case in which the secretion of milk was produced by direct suggestion, and Bramwell states that Esdaile and Braid knew of the influence of suggestion on the secretion of milk.

The literature of the question contains a few statements which seem to show that hypnosis influences the secretion of urine; but, undoubtedly, in some of the cases reported, the act of micturition, and not the secretion of urine, was influenced by suggestion. It is often a very easy thing to make a subject empty his bladder. One has only to say to a subject in deep hypnosis, "You must make water directly you wake up," or " You must make water five times during the first hour after you wake up," and in many cases the suggestion proves effectual. Few investigations have been made as to whether the secretion of urine can be influenced by suggestion. However, Wetterstrand mentions results produced in diseases of the kidneys which almost justify the conclusion that in certain persons it is possible to influence the kidney secretions of suggestion. This is not so strange when we reflect that many diseases in which there is increased secretion of urine are of nervous origin, and that anxiety and fear may influence it at any time.