556 A. Some of the most striking cases of moral reforms produced by hypnotic suggestion are those recorded by Dr. Auguste Voisin. For instance: -

In the summer of 1884 there was at the Salpêtrière a young woman of a deplorable type.1 Jeanne Sch------ was a criminal lunatic, filthy in habits, violent in demeanour, and with a lifelong history of impurity and theft M. Voisin, who was one of the physicians on the staff, undertook to hypnotise her on May 31st, at a time when she could only be kept quiet by the strait jacket and bonnet d'irrigation, or perpetual cold douche to the head. She would not - indeed, she could not - look steadily at the operator, but raved and spat at him. M. Voisin kept his face close to hers, and followed her eyes wherever she moved them. In about ten minutes a stertorous sleep ensued, and in five minutes more she passed into a sleep-waking state, and began to talk incoherently. The process was repeated on many days, and gradually she became sane when in the trance, though she still raved when awake. Gradually, too, she became able to obey in waking hours commands impressed on her in the trance - first trivial orders (to sweep the room and so forth), then orders involving a marked change of behaviour.

Nay more; in the hypnotic state she voluntarily expressed repentance for her past life, made a confession which involved more evil than the police were cognisant of (though it agreed with facts otherwise known), and finally of her own impulse made good resolves for the future. Two years later, M. Voisin wrote to me (July 31st, 1886) that she was then a nurse in a Paris hospital, and that her conduct was irreproachable. It appeared, then, that this poor woman, whose history since the age of thirteen had been one of reckless folly and vice, had become capable of the steady, self-controlled work of a nurse at a hospital, the reformed character having first manifested itself in the hypnotic state, partly in obedience to suggestion, and partly as the natural result of the tranquilisation of morbid passions.

1 Amtales Médico-Psychologiques, 1884, vol. ii. p. 289 seqq.

M. Dufour, the medical head of another asylum,1 has adopted hypnotic suggestion as a regular element in his treatment. "Dès à present," he says, "notre opinion est faite: sans crainte de nous tromper, nous affirmons que l'hypnotisme peut rendre service dans le traitement des maladies mentales." As was to be expected, he finds that only a small proportion of lunatics are hypnotisable; but the effect produced on these, whether by entrancement or suggestion, is uniformly good. His best subject is a depraved young man, who after many convictions for crimes (including attempted murder) has become a violent lunatic. "T.," says Dr. Dufour, "a été un assez mauvais sujet. Nous n'avons plus à parler au présent, tellement ses sentiments moraux ont été améliorés par l'hypnotisme." This change and amelioration of character (over and above the simple recovery of sanity) has been a marked feature in some of Dr. Voisin's cases as well.

See also a case given by Dr. Voisin in the Revue de l'Hypnotisme, vol. iii., 1889, p. 130, and Appendices to sections 527-530.

557 A. A case in which jealousy had produced actual insanity is given in the Revue de l'Hypnotisme for May 1889, p. 345, by Dr. A. Dorez. In the same Revue, for November 1893, p. 141, Dr. Bourdon records a case of morbid jealousy cured by hypnotic suggestion, of which the following is a summary: -

Mme. X., twenty-four years old, anaemic, irritable, had under the influence of an ungovernable jealousy become violent, subject to fits of unreasonable temper. She could no longer eat nor sleep; had reached an extreme degree of emaciation; she coughed, and her breathing was irregular and hard. Her life appeared to be in danger, and Dr. Bourdon was consulted. Mme. X. was hypnotised with tolerable ease, after fifteen minutes' fixation of the eyes and suggestion of the idea of sleep. Dr. Bourdon suggests to her in a state of light hypnosis that she is not jealous, and knows she has no reason to be; that she will yield no more to bad temper, and will be amiable towards her husband; finally, that she feels the need of sleep, and food, and calm. On waking she has no recollection of the hypnotic suggestions. This first séance is followed by amelioration, and the suggestions are repeated on seven consecutive days. After the seventh day she feels quite well, and wishes to go back home and to see her husband. Her affection for him has returned. Finally, harmony and happiness were restored in the home, and her jealousy was completely cured.

Dr. Bourdon states that at the time of writing, eight months after the treatment, there had been no relapse.

1 Dr. E. Dufour, médecin en chef de l'asile Saint Robert (Isère). See Annales Mèdico-Psychologiques, September 1886, p. 238, and Contribution à l'étude de l'hypnotisme, par le Dr. Dufour, Grenoble, 1887.