Dr. Liebeault, of Nancy. - Description of his Treatment. - System free from Mysticism. - Curative Suggestions. - Explanation of the Phenomena. - Definition of Hypnotism. - Absolute Sleep or Unconsciousness unnecessary for Curative Treatment. - Theory of Professor Charcot not accepted by the School o: Nancy. - Proportion of Persons hypnotizable and Degrees o Hypnotic Influence. - Phenomena of Somnambulism outside the Sphere of Psycho-Therapeutics.

I hope to have shown in the preceding chapters that Liebeault's system is the outcome of the collection and classification of many isolated facts previously neglected or misunderstood. That cures have been and still an worked by such means as are implied in faith-healing the mind cure, etc., and by charms and relics, is beyond doubt; but it is not in the supernatural that we should seek for the explanation of them. They all proceed from the same cause and on the same lines. We have, first the patient's strong desire for cure; and, secondly, hi firm belief in the efficacy of the means used; while t these may generally be added the presence of a sympa thetic and impressive environment. The reasonable an deliberative side of the patient's brain is suppressed, which the emotional or instinctive side is developed, and in pre portion as the latter is predominant the greater general is the success of the treatment. The Nancy school obtain in suitable cases, as good results as it is possible expect; but they work on scientific principles and recognized laws.

A brief account of the treatment practised at Nancy and of the theory which explains it, will, I think, make this clear. *

If the visitor to Dr. Liebeault's dispensary was one who measured results by the impressiveness of the means used, he will surely have been disappointed to find how commonplace were operators, patients, and buildings. The rooms were unpretentious and even shabby; the patients were ordinary-looking people enough, belonging mostly to the artisan and labouring classes; and the doctor himself, though he had goodness and kindliness written on every feature, was of unimposing presence; while his habit of chatting on all sorts of subjects with the persons around him, even while receiving patients, had an odd and hardly impressive effect.

The patient paying his first visit was directed to sit down and watch the treatment being applied to others. This gave him confidence, and aroused that imitative faculty which is so active in childhood, and is never lost throughout adult life. When his turn came, he was told to take his place in an arm-chair, and to make his mind as much a blank as possible - ' to think of nothing at all' - and to fix his eyes and attention on some special object: generally the doctor's fingers held a few inches above the eyes. Then the phenomena which attend the oncoming of natural sleep were gradually 'suggested' to him: 'Your sight is growing dim and indistinct; your eyelids are becoming heavy; a numbness is creeping over your limbs; my voiceseems muffled to you; you are getting more sleepy; you cannot keep your eyes open.' Here the eyes closed of themselves, or were closed by the operator, and it was generally found that the patient was indeed asleep.

About two minutes of this ' talk about sleep ' usually produced the hypnotic effect on a new patient; and on subsequent visits even less time was required.

* Dr. Rolleston gives an interesting account of a' visit to Nancy in St. Bartholomew's Hospital Reports, 1889, and Sir Francis Cruise describes his visit in the Dublin Journal of Medical Science, May, 1891. See also the account of a visit to Liebeault's clinique by Sir Lauder Brunton in his book, 'The Action of Medicines,' p. 227.

The patient being more or less influenced, Dr. Liebeault then proceeded with the treatment proper. This consisted essentially in directing the invalid's attention to the part affected, and suggesting an amelioration or disappearance of the morbid condition and symptoms. To take a very simple case - let us suppose that the malady is chronic nervous headache. The part of the head affected was gently rubbed, so that the patient's attention would be attracted to it, and he was told that the pain was to disappear - that he would awake feeling his head cool, clear, and comfortable, and that there was to be no return of the trouble. In ordinary cases the whole process would not have lasted more than five minutes when Liebeault brought it to a close by arousing the patient, by telling him to open his eyes and awake. This was generally enough; he awoke as from ordinary sleep, and was told to vacate the arm-chair in favour of the next patient. When asked how he felt, he would generally reply that he was better, and very often that the pain had entirely vanished. He was quite his natural self, and could leave the room at once and go about his work as usual.

Long acquaintance with the system prevented an inhabitant of Nancy from regarding it as anything remarkable, and a sick person consulted Dr. Liebeault just as he would consult any other physician, with the simple idea that the treatment would do him good. He did not trouble himself with metaphysical theories, but was content to know that some acquaintance had been cured of a complaint similar to his own, and that he himself hoped to be relieved in a few days. Liebeault generally placed his hand over the epigastrium, and applied gentle friction, suggesting as he did so a sensation of warmth. He regarded a responsive glow as almost essential to the success of subsequent treatment, and it is the first link in the chain which constitutes rapport between physician and patient. The fulfilment of the first suggestion tends to augment the patient's confidence, and leads to the more ready reception of those which follow. This point is one of great practical importance, and we generally feel that we can do good when we can induce this responsive warmth, no matter how slight the hypnotic influence may be. The feeling is quite different to that produced by simple friction, and requires to be felt to be appreciated.

The magnetizers attributed it to the passage of magnetic fluid from them to the patient; but, as we regard all the manifestations of hypnotism as subjective, we must of course seek another explanation. This is found by supposing that the sensation is due to action on the vaso-motor system through the solar plexus, allowing a sudden afflux of blood to the part. The warmth is not merely imaginary, for it is appreciable to the touch and by the thermometer, and is, in fact, analogous to blushing.