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P692
1898
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NLM005610414 
 
 
 
 
SUGGESTION,
                  IN THE

   CURE  OF  DISEASES,,/

                 AND THE

     CORRECTION  OF VICES,

                    BY
                      I
        0E0. C. PITZER, M. D.,
Principal of the St. Louis School of Suggestive Therapeutics and Medical Electricity;
 also Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine in the American Med-
  ical College of St. Louis at present and since 1873; and Clinical Lecturer at
   at the City Hospital of St. Louis, where from 400 to 600 patients are al-
     ways on hand ; Editor of the American Medical Journal for thirteen
     years ; Author of the work,"Electricity in Medicine and Surgery,"
          three editions of which were sold in two years.
      Twenty-five Years' Residence and Ac
:—y-c—j-
          JiiiRGEON G£N£KA«_'S OFFICE

          !     ,SEP,-WL898
ST. LOUIS, MO.   .   <  A
    1898. 
WM
 P6^
                    Copyright.
By the St. Louis School of Suggestive Therapeutics and
                Medical Electricity.
                   A. D. 1898. 
         SUGGESTION.
                 PUL1SHED BY
St. Louis School of Suggestive Theraputics
                   AND
           Medical Electricity.
   Price,      -      -      Sl.OO.
         Address the Principal and Author,
                 GEO. C. PITZER, M. D.,
                           ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
PREFACE.
  Our purpose in writing this  book is to furnish the reader
with a plain, concise treatise, presenting the principal, prac-
tical facts  comprehended by suggestion in the treatment  of
diseases and the correction of vices.
  It seems to be very hard for some people to understand what
is meant by suggestion, and how mental influences can be en-
gaged to relieve pain and cure diseases.  We have  attemp-
ted,  in this book, to place this subject before our readers in
a manner  that may be readily comprehended by everybody.
  In this work, and in our teachings and practice, we heartily
endorse the three fundamental propositions  of Thomson Jay
Hudson, as laid down in  his great work,  "The  Law  of
Psychic Phenomena."   They read as follows:
  First:  "That man is possessed of two minds, which we
have distinguished  by  designating  one as  the  ' Objective
Mind', and the other as the 'Subjective Mind.'
  Secondly:   "That the  'Subjective Mind' is constantly
amenable to control by the power of suggestion.
  Thirdly:    "The 'Subjective Mind'  has absolute control
of the functions, conditions, and sensations of the body."
  We have demonstrated, in actual clinical practice, beyond
successful  contradiction, the correctness of these propositions,
and  we refer  to them and  repeat them  many times in this
book, in order  to make our subject plain and well under-
stood.
  We also try  to show our readers that the same forces which,
under perverted action,  excite and  develop  diseased con-
ditions,  can  be engaged,  and  by proper  direction  may be
made effective in removing the same diseased conditions they
were provoked to excite. 
II
  We also attempt to explain how mental influence  may  be
exerted to produce chemical and anatomical changes  in  our
bodies; and  how functional and organic diseases may  be
relieved and cured by suggestion.
  It is for the reader to decide  in how far we have succeeded
in our  task.  One thing we do know:  We have demonstrated
to our  own satisfaction,  and to hundreds of others who have
been our patients or students, that Suggestive Therapeutics is
an established fact;  and if we  can only succeed  in exciting
general attention to this  subject, in  the medical profession
and among the  people, our ambition  will be satisfied.
                               GEO. C. PITZER.
                                       St. Louis,  Mo,
  May 14, 1898. 
 
 
          Suggestion

In  the Cure of Diseases and the Correction

                    of Vices.


                            "Cure her of that.
          Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd,
          Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,
          Raze out the written troubles of the brain,
          And with some sweet oblivious antidote
          Cleanse the stuff d bossom of that perilous stuff
          Which weighs upon the heart?"  Macbeth.

  The employment of psychological treatment, or suggestion
in the treatment of disease is a method of  cure that is new to
a great many people ; therefore, when we  come to apply it in
practice, we frequently find it necessary to give our patients
some plain and satisfactory explanations regarding its nature,
application, results, &c.   People want to know what we mean
by suggestion as a cure for disease.  They want to know how
we can relieve pain, control disease, and bring about healthy
conditions of the body and mind, when no medicines are used.
  In the treatment of diseases by suggestion, we recognize
the wonderful power of thought  in controlling the functions
of our bodies.  We assume  that mental influences  excite,
aggravate and prolong many diseased conditions; that cer-
tain mental activities are capable of producing chemical and
anatomical changes in our bodies; that properly directed
thoughts are always  conducive  to  conditions of health, and
that perverted mental activities always result  in functional or
organic disease.  We also assume that we can, by properly
directing a patient's thoughts, arrest the  progress of morbid 
mental activities, and  that evil, unfriendly habits of thought
can be radically changed, and that by these means natural
conditions of health can be completely restored.
   From the above statement of our premises it may be readily
seen what we mean by suggestion.   We state it thus:
   By suggestion,  in  the treatment  of disease, we  mean the
presentation of  ideas to the  mind of the patient, tinder con-
ditions and in a manner, that will correct any  morbid ten-
dency of his thoughts, excite lively processes of mentation in a
proper direction,  and  result in  a  complete restoration  to
healthy conditions of every organ and function of his body.

   Influence of the Mind upon the Body.
   Under all circumstances, the functions  and conditions  of
our bodies are more or less controlled by mental influences ;
scarcely anybody doubts this for a single moment.  The only
question seems to be how much may our bodies be  affected
by mental influences.
   As already assumed, we hold that we may be  greatly dis-
turbed ; that we may be made sick, even  sick enough to die,
through mental influences alone.
   Who does not know that anger flushes the face and retards
digestion ;  that sorrow brings tears to the  eyes and wasts the
tissues of the body; that the  sight of blood frequently causes
fainting fits ;  that fright causes physical exhaustion, and some-
times results in the loss of sight and hearing ; that disappoint-
ment in  love, or in business, sometimes  results in despair,
breaks the heart, and leads to suicidal mania; and  that sud-
denly breaking  bad news to friends occasionally produces
fatal shocks—death.  Some  of these facts are common ob-
servations,  and while we  know of them,  we rarely pause  to
consider  their  true source or  nature.   We know, however,
that they depend upon mental disturbances, not always directly
under our control.  They  are  different from the  abnormal
conditions  which result  from misdirected attention  and ex-
pectation. 
—3—
          Attention and Expectation.

  Attention and Expectation, mental processes, are wonder-
ful motor forces, and  the  limit of their influence  upon our
bodies, for good or for evil,  is hard to fathom.
  Wood remarks, that, "It is a physiological fact, that  when
thought, for any length  of  time, is  concentrated  upon any
part of the body, it causes an increased flow of circulation in
that direction,  and abnormal conditions manifested by  the
body are always the result."
  John Hunter, the eminent surgeon, said,  "I am confident
that I can fix my attention to any part until I have a sensation
in that part."
  Daniel Hack Tuke  makes this statement: "If twenty per-
sons direct their attention to  their little fingers for five or ten
minutes, the result will be something like this: A  few will be
unconscious of any sensation in the  member;  some  will  ex-
perience decided sensations—aching, pain, throbbing, &c. ;
and the majority will feel a slight sense of weight and tingling.''
  Prof. Elmer Gates, of Washington,  D. C.,  records the  result
of some very interesting experiments, made by himself, in this
same line. He  says :"If I confine my attention to my thumb and
inhibit my attention from all other sensations and  feelings in
other parts of  the body, and from all intellections and emotions
which may tend to spontaneously arise in the  mind, and if I
thus continue  to rivet my attention to my thumb, I soon will
become aware of an increased amount of feeling in that organ.
If this is continued for some  minutes a sense  of fullness and
pressure  arises, and a delicate thermo-electric thermometer
will record the fact that the temperature  in that thumb has
risen a fraction of a degree higher than the temperature in the
other thumb ;  and if a measurement  be made of the volume
of the thumb to which dirigation (fixed attention and thought)
is made, it will  be  found to have  become  larger than the
other thumb."  He further goes  on to say:  "By placing a
surface  thermometer  upon  any  part of my body, I can, in
from five to twenty-five minutes, raise the temperature ot that 
_4—
part of the  body by persistently dirigating (looking  at and
keeping the  mind upon)  to  that part.   I  can also  alter the
character of the perspiration of that part;  and by continuous
dirigation to any one  part  of the body, it can be caused to
grow larger in size than the corresponding part of the body."
He gives us  a remarkable example, vis:  Mrs.  K., of  Phila.,
having previously been trained in the art of thus dirigating to
any part of the body, had an almost entire absence of mam-
mary glands (breasts), and by dirigating continuously  for one
hour each forenoon and one each afternoon, to the left gland
it became, in fourteen weeks, of a size more than four and a
half times larger than the right.   She then  dirigated  to the
right gland,  and in nine weeks it became of the same  size  as
the left."
   Mueller makes  this  observation:  "It may be  stated as  a
general fact, that any state of the body, which is conceived
to be approaching, and which is expected with  certain con-
fidence and  certainty of its  occurence, will be very prone  to
ensue,  as the mere result of that idea, if it do not be beyond
the bounds of possibility."
   Tuke asserts that "vomiting may be induced by the belief
that an emetic has been taken."   He makes these observa-
tions also:  "When a person, on swallowing  a bread pill,  in
the belief that it possesses  aperient properties, is purged,  it
is said  to be through the  definite direction of thought to the
intestinal canal, such leading idea exciting the same peristal-
tic action as would have been induced by  castor oil.  In such
cases, the fixed idea is that  certain  phenomina will occur."
He further observes:  "How much the effect of even disa-
greeable things depends upon our knowing that they are so,
is shown in every-day experience."
  "There may be in the cup
  A spider steep'd, and one may drink,  depart,
  And  yet partake no venom ; for his knowledge
  Is not infected ;  bu t if we present
  The  abhorr'd ingredient to his eyes, make known
  How he hath drank, he  cracks his gorge, his sides.
  With violent hefts :—I have drunk and seen the spider."
                                    (Winter Tales.) 
       Bad Thoughts Poison our Bodies.
   Referring to the power of thought,  the  old  French Com-
 mission  on Animal  magnetism observes:  "The imagination
 renews or suspends the animal functions; it animates by hope
 or freezes by fear; in a single night it turns the hair white ;
 in a moment it restores the use of the limbs or speech;  it de-
 stroys or develops the germs of disease ; it even causes death.''
   Prof.  Elmer Gates also holds and clearly demonstrates that
 depressing and evil emotions are life destroying and  result in
 the loss  of tissue  and energy ; but that exhilerating and happy
 emotions result  in  the  gaining of strength and tissue.   He
 goes  on to say, referring to his own careful  experiments:
 "Analyses of any of the excretions or secretions from a per-
 son who has been angry for half an hour shows  the existence
 of certain ptomaines and catastates of a poisonous character;
 but these poisons are different in kind from  those  obtained
 from the secretions of a person who has been sad for a half
 an hour, and  so on  with the different evil emotions.   The
 irascible, the depressing, the  malignant and the fearful emo-
 tions create poisons in every cell of the body ;  while the good
 emotions augment the nutritive changes in  every cell of  the
 body ;"  and we may add, promote healthy conditions.
   How  could the good and bad  influences  of mind  upon
 matter be more plainly stated than Prof. Gates puts it. From
 this it is  easy to  understand how  enraged people  and lower
 animals sometimes fatally poison others by biting them.  The
 deadly  poison  is generated in their bodies by malignant
 emotions.  While bacteriaologists are scouring  the world in
 search of microbes to account for the various ills of human
 flesh,  would it not be well for them to pause and carefully
 examine  their own bodies;  they might find the  origin of
 many  microbes in their own heads.   It is  a settled fact that
 if we would keep  well,  we must keep  our  minds in a proper
 line of thought.
  All of the  authorities  above quoted  and referred  to  are
known to the medical profession as being of the  very best re- 
—6—
 pute.  If their  conclusions are correct,  then  the power  of
 thought in controlling our bodily functions is simply wonder-
 ful.   The facts are, the half has not been told.   Effects are
 produced, diseases result, and cures are performed by means
 of mental influences, sometimes called imagination ;  but if the
 hair actually turns white in one  night, from imagination or
 other cause, the  fact exists all the same.  If the lame walk
 and the blind see because they  earnestly desire  and confi-
 dently expect it to be so, who can dispute the  fact.  Again,
 it should be remembered that,  although diseases  and cures
 may result from the effects of imagination—mental processes—
 the diseases and cures themselves are not imaginary,  but  are
 real diseases and actual cures.

             Unfriendly Suggestion.

  It is an established fact that constant attention, and the  ex-
 pectation of any event or condition not wished for, frequently
 excite a condition of fear and despair, which exhausts the vital
 forces of the body and results in some  form of  fixed disease.
  When a man reads about heart disease, or hears  some one
 talk about it, he is very apt to direct his  attention  to  his  left
 side.   If he is an  apprehensive  person,  he  feels  the heart
 beat more distinctly than ever before ;  he tells a friend about
 it;  heart disease is mentioned; the man  fixes his mind  still
 more intently upon his heart;  he can feel it beat harder  and
 harder every hour, and as he keeps his mind upon it, he con-
 cludes, that he  certainly has heart disease.  He  quits busi-
 ness and applies for relief in every direction.  He is actually
 sick.
  A woman whose grandfather  died of cancer,  reads about
 cancer of the breast; she at once examines  her breast, finds
 a sensitive spot in one of them, as many women can do,  and
she immediatly  conceives the idea that  she has  cancer of the
breast.  She talks  about it, examines it frequently, thinks
about it, the breast enlarges a little, and the tenderness  in-
creases till actual pain is suffered.   This  woman looks sick, 
is really sick, and  by referring to  foregoing paragraphs  we
can readily understand why she is sick.
  A man notices a little disturbance in  his bowels,  no un-
common thing in ordinary health; but he  has  been reading
about tape worms, and he fixes his  mind upon his bowels,
talks  about  his  ailment to everyone he meets, fears a tape
worm, and really suffers, lays awake at night, trembling with
fear, and unless relieved  in  some  way, he actually breaks
down, succumbs to some form of  disease.
  Another man reads the detailed description of kindey dis-
ease,  which  he finds accompanying a bottle of patent medi-
cine.   He feels some  peculiar sensation in   his back;  he
fixes his mind upon his kidneys, notices  the amount of urine
voided, observes its color, general appearance and odor, and
he concludes that, from what he has observed and read in the
sensational circular,  he surely has kidney trouble, and  if his
mind  is not  disabused of this fixed delusion, he will continue
to think in this same  direction, and he  is almost certain to
take  harmful  medicine enough to  actually make  him  sick,
and he may have kidney disease sure enough.
  It is not exactly safe for  all people to  study  diseased con-
ditions.   It is always better to study health than disease. We
have been teaching medicine for twenty-five years—lecturing
to medical students in  medical colleges  and hospitals—and
often, after  minutely describing certain  diseased conditions
and detailing their most conspicuous symptoms, we have  been
followed to  our  study by students  complaining of the  very
conditions which we have just been  describing.  The mental
photography of  disease makes a deep impression upon the
minds of many people.   Disease pictures, as presented under
bold  head-lines, in  the sensational  pamphlets sent out  by
medicine venders, and as we often see them published in the
daily  papers, should receive the  condemnation of all  good
people.  Even the discussion of diseased conditions by people
who are sick, each complaining to the other  of  his  severe
pains, head-aches, back-aches, weaks spells, &c,  is  always
depressing and should be discouraged. 
                          —8—

  Sick  people  should  not  make  a practice of  relating their
ailments to others, except when actual necessity requires it.
If we have been sick and are  getting better  every day,  it is
then well enough for us to say so ;  indeed we can hardly  say
this too often—we are getting better every  day.  But when
sick ourselves, we should keep  away from  sick people, and
people who are continually talking about sickness.  The sight
of  sick';' people and the sound of their moaning voices, is
enough to make well people sick,  and it is  certain  to make
sick people worse.   The custom of receiving, and placing in
one room, in private and public hospitals, from  ten to twenty
sick and crippled people, where  they are obliged to look at
each others wounds, listen to each others groans, and see each
other dying,  is a subject that  should engage the earnest at-
tention of humane societies, under the head of cruelty to men
and women.   Even public sanitariums  and  consumption re-
sorts are not always the best places for people to  go when they
are sick and want to get well.   They need to be as  far away
as  possible from the sight and hearing  of  men and women
who are sick, coughing,  groaning and suffering the agonies
of  death.   People who are  ill should have quiet, cheery sur-
roundings,  and be protected against everybody  likely to say
discouraging things  to them or  in their presence.  Unfriendly
suggestions of every kind should be strenuously avoided.
   "O,  how badly  you  are  looking;  don't you  feel well?
You look so pale and badly.  Why, you just look awfully bad
to-day", is one of the most disturbing, depressing suggestions
that busy people can possibly make to friends they  happen to
meet.   It always results in harm, and  cannot possibly  do
anybody any good,  and why people do not learn better  than
to  say  such things to their friends who are ailing, is more than
we can understand.  It is  our business, as advocates of sug-
gestion,  but  more  especially as  friends  of  the sick, to de-
nounce this practice as  simply  cruel.   You  are  making
people sick by this  way of talking.  We say please stop it.
   Again, a lady of rather stout  form, meets  a friend while out
shopping, who salutes her thus:  "Why,  Mrs. Baldwin,  how 
—9-
stout you are getting!   You are just getting to be a perfect
sight, are't you?  Why don't you take  anti-fat?"  Mrs.  Bald-
win blushes a little, probably, and replies:  "Yes, I seem to
be getting stouter all the time, and my family tells me  about
it so much that I am gettting to be a misery to myself."  She
goes on about her errand, thinks about herself and what her
friend had said to her,  and sees herself reflected in all the
shop windows and mirrors ;  she feels very warm and uncom-
fortable all the while she is out, and  by the time she gets home
she feels so heavy and out of breath that she cannot tolerate
any garment but a loose gown of some  kind—not  the best
dress in the world to preserve  form—in which she can  rest
and muse  over her growing corpulency. She still thinks  about
what her friend had said about her when they  met; the sug-
gestion  impressed her so deeply that  she  repeats it to her-
self a hundred times every day till she  goes out again to get
some more comforting suggestions.( ?)
  Now, to say the least, such remarks to people and  about
them are  exceedingly impolite  and unkind, saying  nothing
about the  real, personal  injury done the party.  Directing and
fixing the  mind  upon unpleasant things  not wanted, cannot
possibly be of any benefit to anybody,  but must always result
in aggravating the existing habit, vice or disease, and we have
no right to contribute to peoples miseries in this way,  even
if they happen to be members of our own family.
  While it may be the natural tendency for some people to
grow fat while others grow lean, we do know that  either of
these extremes may be in a great measure, avoided by proper
suggestions and  living.   We should counteract all unfriendly
suggestions  by  other suggestions that are  stronger; and we
should  see to it that for every time  we say  "stouter  every
day," we  should say at least three times, "thinner every day;
thinner  every day; thinner every day;" and  we will grow
thinner.  We should not expect final results in one week, but
by perseverance  we are  certain to realize them.   On the
same  principle thin people may as certainly grow stouter.
  Another source of damaging suggestion :  Many good men 
—10—
and women, who in early life, may have been the victims  of
common habits, or  special diseases,  as they  grow  older,
sometimes read sensational books reciting the pernicious after
effects of habits, and certain diseases ;  as they read these sen-
sational,  seductive stories, they sometimes think they find,
upon or  within their own bodies, symptoms identically the
same as those detailed by the author from whom they read.
  Hundreds of good people, who are not sick at all, are mis-
led in this way; their attention  is attracted,  they think they
find some little deviation from the  health standard,  they  at-
ribute it to indiscretions or misbehavior in early life, regard
it as a fixed ailment, think  and worry about it  till they are
really sick, and are made miserable all  through  what should
have been the  better part  of their lives, just because their
minds were misdirected  by vile literature.  These people suf-
fer from functional and nervous diseases names without num-
ber.   Many of this  class spend the most of their  earnings
with quack doctors.
  One of the most depressing and  delusive suggestions from
which  people suffer is  that  coming  from the false idea  of
heredity.  Men and women, whose ancestors happen to have
died from consumption,  dropsy, apoplexy, paralysis, or some
other popular form of disease, are sometimes  the victims  of
morbid imaginations.  Their minds are prone to  go back and
dwell upon the history, symptoms and course of the  diseases
from which their respective friends have died.  They frequently
talk about these things, and as they do  so they nearly always
suffer from some of the symptoms thought and talked about.
The delusion of heredity has been handed down  to them, and
they get it fixed in their  minds that  because their parents  or
near relatives were so afflicted that they must of necessity, suf-
fer in the same way.   This is the most cruel  and most fatal
delusion  that was  ever preached.   There  is no truth in it.
Personally we know scores of men and women whose parents
died from consumption,  or some other  popular  form of  dis-
ease, who are now in the prime  of manhood and  womanhood,
some of them approaching old age, in the enjoyment of per- 
-11-
fect health, and they will remain  so, and die of old  age,  if
they do not permit themselves to  be deceived into fixing their
minds upon diseased conditions.   Thousands of people think
themselves sick, even think themselves to death.

                   Morbid Fears.
   Certain people are harrassed by morbid fears resulting from
different causes or kinds of suggestions.  An intelligent man
of our acquaintance was bitten by a  healthy dog in his early
youth, and he was told that he might  "go mad"  from that
dog bite at any time in after life ;  one man told  him that  he
actually showed it by the expression in his  face  that he had
been bitten by  a dog.  His   apprehensions  disturbed him
greatly, and his anxiety and distress of mind brought him to
us for advice.  We had some trouble in disabusing his mind
of the delusion,   but  finally  succeeded;   some  time  has
elapsed,  and he is perfectly well,  and entirely  free from  all
morbid fear.
   A girl, age 14, was punished when a little  child  by  being
placed in a dark closet  and then  told that  ghosts  would get
her.  She had heard many ghost stories, and  this confine-
ment in darkness and the suggestion of ghosts to her, firmly
fixed her mind  upon ghosts, connected their appearance with
darkness, and now she is afraid to be left alone in the dark—
is  a raving maniac in the dark.
   Parents and guardians may ruin children by  giving them
bad suggestions; they may not only make maniacs of them,
but they  may, by abuse and bad suggestions, make them pro-
fane, untruthful, wicked, and almost worthless. By continually
scolding  and berating a child,  telling it that it is  mean, that it
cannot do a good thing, it cannot  tell the truth, it is worthless,
that it never will be of any account, and that  nobody likes it
or cares for it, they are certainly building up a bad character,
the very opposite of  what they are trying to make.  If you
want to make a boy bad, tell him  he is mean and despised by
all good people ; but if you want  him to  be good,  appeal  to
his pride.  All  boys have more or less good  in them,  and if 
-i2—
we would develope this, we should frequently remind them of
their good qualities, and make them know they have  good
hearts in them.
  Again, referring to morbid fears, some people, from having
read about the fatal effect of lightning,  are in mortal terror
every time they witness a thunder storm.   One of our neigh-
bors was terribly frightened by the cyclone that passed through
St. Louis, in 1896, and for some time after, when  the  wind
would blow hard, he would be taken with nervous jerks, which
finally resulted in  general  convulsions.   Some  people  think
they cannot sleep in a closed room—a door or window must
be upon. Others think it makes them sick to ride on a steam
car; others think they  cannot ride in a boat, while  some say
it makes them sick to  ride on  horse-back or  in  a  buggy.
Going out to public entertainments makes some  people  sick;
and the responsibility of having to speak in public,  or make
a public report, completely unnerves some people, and ren-
ders them entirely unfit for the offices they are otherwise well
qualified to fill.
  Happily, we have a remedy for approaching ills and  mor-
bid conditions of mind  and body.   It has been found that
unceasing attention and  the confident expectation of any event,
or any condition of mind  or  body, disposition  or character,
earnestly wished for, results in  hope, which invigorates every
bodily function and mental activity,  and enables us to protect
ourselves, and those with whom we live and labor, against
approaching diseases, mental  aberations, vicious habits and
moral delusions.   It also enables us to successfully resist their
fatal tendencies and cast them entirely off in unfortunate  cases
where they may have obtained.

  Suggestion, Attention and Repetition.
  In the treatment of disease by suggestion,  we should first
change the direction of the patient's attention; take it  away
from unfavorable  conditions, and  turn  it toward  and  fix it
upon the condition of things wished  for.  Then, as soon as
possible, we should convert his miserable  convictions  of fear 
—13—
into happy conditions of hope.  We should seek to  radically
change the patient's habit of thought, by arousing new men-
tal activities in his brain,  which shall do away with the  old
and misdirected  thoughts,  establish new  ones, and thus re-
store perfect conditions of health.
  In making suggestions for the  relief  and cure  of disease,
after gaining the attention, suitable ideas must  be presented
to the mind of each patient; all this  should be done under
proper conditions and in  an earnest forcible  manner.  The
leading thoughts  sought to be established in the mind of each
patient, should be repeated many, many times.   It  is repeti-
tion that fixes thoughts  in the mind.   Where encouraging,
hopeful thoughts  are presented to our minds more frequently
than unfriendly, depressing thoughts, conditions of health are
sure to prevail.   It is the  repetition  of suitable suggestions,
under proper  conditions, that relieves pain and cures disease.
  Regarding the  force of repetition, we submit this example:
We knew a girl,  in Illinois, whose name was Isidore Diadena
Desdemona Jane  Eula Lillie Crawford Furry.  Now,  you have
read this.   Turn your eyes away from the book and repeat
it without referring to it again.  Can you do it? Why?  Did
you not read and understand it? Of course you did ; but one
presentation of it was not sufficient to fix  it upon  your mind.
Give it your attention and repeat the reading a few times and
you will know it.   Attention and repetition are required to fix
thoughts upon the mind.   It may be stated as a positive fact
that unceasing attention and the persistent repetition of earnest
efforts, will enable  us to  accomplish any purpose within  the
bounds of possibility.  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try
again," is  as  applicable to-day as it was fifty  years  ago.   It
is upon this principle,  the  persistent repetition  of bargain
speeches, put in a positive manner, that enables the Jew  to
sell goods to people which they do not really want.  Remem-
ber, attentio?i  and repetition  are the  key-notes to successful
suggestion.   If we  start right and persevere, we cannot fail—
success is certain. 
-14-
        The Human Mind—What it  Is.
   When we come to consider the conditions  under which
suggestions for the relief and cure of disease may be most suc-
cessfully made, and before we  attempt  to  make  suggestions
to patients, we should have before us a complete image of the
human mind.   We should have some  definite conception of
what it is, of its sphere of action, and  of the nature, bounds
and limits of its capabilities.
   We hold, with Thomson Jay Hudson,  that the human mind
is a duality;  in other words, that man has two minds.  Hud-
son designates the one as the objective  mind, and the other as
the subjective mind.
   The objective mind is  the  result of  organization,  and is
manifested through the five physical senses.   It is the mind
which takes cognizance of things around us ;  the mind  with
which we  do business; the mind that  enables  us to suit  our
bodies to earthly environments, and to fight the battles of life.
As the result of organization, it is  the  function of the brain,
and the brain  may be regarded as the  organ  of the objective
mind. The objective mind comes, developes with, and finally
dies with the physical body.
   The subjective mind is  a distinct entity.   It  occupies  the
whole human body ;  and when not opposed  by the objective
mind, nor any outside influence, it has absolute control over
all the functions and  sensations of the body.  All of the vega-
tative functions, nutrition, waste, all secretions and excretions,
the circulation, respiration, and all cell life,  cell change and
development,  are positively under its complete control. While
it may be  reached through the objective  senses,  it is capable
of seeing  and knowing by means independent of them.   It
perceives by intuition.  It sees without the use of physical
eyes.  It is the  seat of the emotions.  Its memory is perfect. It
never forgets  anything.   It  never sleeps.   It  performs its
highest functions when the body is asleep—when the objective
mind is in abeyance.  It can  read  the  thoughts  of  others.
It has the  power to communicate with  others without the  aid 
-15-
of ordinary physical means.  It receives intelligence and  po-
sesses knowledge that may never rise above the threshold of
objective consciousness—that our objective minds may never
know.   It may impart information to our objective  minds,
and to the subjective and  objective minds of others, without
either party knowing, objectively, the  source of the informa-
tion.  Distance offers  no  resistance  against  the successful
missions of the subjective mind.   Unlike the objective mind,
it is  capable  of sustaining an existence independent  of the
body.   It never dies.  // is the living soul.
  In life the strongest and most perfect exhibitions of intel-
lectual power, are manifested when the objective and  subjec-
tive minds act synchronously and harmoniously. Under these
conditions everything we say and do turns out as  nearly per-
fect as earthly conditions will permit.  We think right,  do
right, keep well and live to a good old,  age.

Subjective flind  Amenable  to Suggestion.
  There is one  important fact, regarding the working rela-
tions of the objective and subjective minds, that we must  al-
ways keep before us; it is this:  The subjective mind  is con-
stantly  amenable to the power of suggestion  by the objective
mind, either that of the individual himself or t/i at of another.
Therefore, notwithstanding the subjective mind  has, when
not opposed, absolute control over all the functions and sen-
sations of our bodies, and is  entirely  capable  of  preserving
their harmonious and healthful manifestations,  it is also true
that  improper suggestions from the objective mind may divert
its action, and sickness and death may be the result.   On the
other hand, in case of sickness,  proper  suggestions made to
the subjective mind, by the objective mind of the  patient, or
that of another, will as certainly result in healthful changes,
and complete  relief from  pain and disease.
  Now,  a careful  study of the observations regarding the
human mind, will enable  anyone to understand how physical
changes may  be wrought  by  mental  influences; how  pain
may  be  relieved and disease controlled by proper suggestions. 
—16—
If  the subjective mind has full control  over all the bodily
functions, then the whole subject is readily understood.   All
that is required in order to do successful practice, is to  find
out the proper conditions under which the subjective mind of
each patient may be reached, and then, in a proper manner,
present suitable ideas to his mind—thoughts that will result in
the correction of all abnormal conditions, and the desired re-
lief and cure will result from our efforts.

     How to Reach the Subjective Mind.
  There are three conditions under which the subjective mind
may be reached by suggestion, viz: While the patient is in
the ordinary waking state ;  while he  is in a sound, natural
sleep; and while he is under hypnotic influence, whether in
a quiet, light doze, or in a deep sleep.  In the ordinary waking
state,  suggestions may be made by spoken words, by gestures
and by mental efforts.   In  conditions of  ordinary  sleep,  or
while  the patient is in hypnotic sleep, suggestions may be
made  by  spoken words, or by mental  efforts.
  We can always reach the  subjective mind of  a patient while
he is in the waking state, and, in some cases, not  all,   our
suggestions will be accepted, retained, acted upon and result
in perfect cures.   For example :

Suggestion for Cure in the Waking  State.
  A lady comes to me  suffering from a severe neuralgia of the
face.   She tells me that she has heard of the wonderful power
of animal  magnetism in the cure of painful diseases.  She
describes her ailment in detail.  She  is in great earnest, and
confidently expects relief.   I listen  very attentively  to all she
says.   I at once feel confident  that I can cure her; I have
no doubts about a cure.   I  feel that f know I  can cure  her.
While she remains seated 1 arise and  approach  her, with a
firm earnest expression on my face ; and with an air of con-
fidence I take her right hand in mine, and  place my  left hand
upon the  painful part of her face.  I now request her to close
her eyes, and to  keep them closed, while I talk to her.  I 
-17-
address her thus: "Madam, the position  of  our hands, one
of mine  holding one of yours, while the  other is fixed upon
the painful part of your face, will immediately change the
nervous current in your body.   You  will  soon  feel  this  in-
fluence all over you.  You are  beginning  to  feel it  already.
The nervous forces  in your body are seeking, and will soon
reach conditions of equilibrium.   It is already coming.   An
easy, quiet feeling is coming all over you.   Your whole ner-
vous system is easy  and quiet.  You feel  easy  and quiet all
over.  The pain will soon leave your face  and it will feel per-
fectly easy.   A proper distribution of the  nervous forces will
completely relieve all pain in your face.  It is already coming,
coming,  and your face is feeling better.  Your face feels warm
now, and the pain is rapidly disappearing; it is going away,
going away, your face feels only warm now, and the  pain  is
going  away,  going away,  gone,  all  gone, all gone,  and
your   face  feels   warm  and  comfortable.    Your  face
feels  warm  and comfortable;  the pain  is  all gone.  You
feel quiet and easy all over, and your face feels perfectly easy,
and you feel well all over your body—perfectly well."
   I repeat the above formula, with slight  variations,  several
times, still keeping  my  hands in  place.   This patient, from
the first, really believes in the efficacy of  our treatment;  we
feel that she has confidence in it, and she obtains complete
relief at once.  She had heard of  the  wonderful power of
animal magnetism;  this served  as a forcible  suggestion,  and
she was already prepared for good results.  We  observed that
her desires and expectations were all right.   This put us at
our ease, and by our  outward expressions our feelings were
realized  by the patient, objectively  and subjectively.  We
readily fixed her attention,  and  then simply suggested, by our
behavior, gestures and spoken words,  the  changes and con-
ditions wished for.   The subjective mind took cognizance of
our suggestions without any questions,  and  the desired re-
sults were fully realized.  The time  occupied was  about fif-
teen minutes.  We instructed her to frequently repeat,  to her-
self, the suggestions we made to her. viz: "The pain is  all 
—18-
gone, all gone.   My face feels comfortable and warm, <!vc."
We call  this friendly anto-suggestion.   It prevents relapses.
We also requested her to say nothing about our treatment to
anybody for a week or two, but to say to people who inquire
after her health,  "I  am well;  perfectly well."

Success and Failure in the Waking State.
  Now, the reader may  say, if those  few words relieved the
woman in the  case  above reported so quickly, while in an
ordinary waking state, why cannot we cure all such patients
in the same way; and why do we request the patient to close
her eyes while we talk to her; and, finally, why do  we ask
her to not mention the treatment to any  one  for a couple of
weeks.
  We should note the fact that this patient's objective  mind
was  already in  harmony with our efforts to cure her;  that
mutual  confidence  and  an  earnest union of wills were the
prevailing conditions.   We were en rapport with each other.
Her attention  and expectation were  in the right  direc-
tion, and she was ready, with her objective mind,  to receive,
and repeat to her subjective mind, every suggestion we made,
all of which we felt  and  realized ; this made the conditions
for a cure by suggestion perfect, and the results certain.
  But we cannot successfully treat all people  by suggestion
in the ordinary waking state.  We may reach  the subjective
mind with our suggestions, but they will be  counteracted by
suggestions made by the patient's  objective mind,  and this
will defeat our objects.   Let us suppose that the patient, the
history  of whose treatment is above given, had presented her-
self for  treatment, for the same disease, and instead of express-
ing herself as she did, she had addressed us thus : "Dr.Pitzer,
I have a terrible neuralgia in my face, and I  want  you to give
me some strong medicine for it at once.   I  have tried elec-
tricity,  it has done  me no good ; and animal magnetism, sug-
gestion and Christian Science have been recommended to me,
but / have'nt  a bit of faith in any of them, and  want some-
thing that will give  me quick relief." 
—19—
  Coming to us in this  manner, could we have treated her
successfully by suggestion in the waking state?  We answer,
no.   Why?   Because, for  every suggestion that  we should
have made to her in favor of relief and cure, she would have
made two or  three stronger ones against  them.  While  we
should have been saying the pain is going  away,  she would
have been saying, or thinking, to her subjective mind, "It is
not so.   I cannot see how such treatment as this can relieve
pain, the pain is as bad as it was; it is no  better; it  is not
going away ;  it will not go away. &c."  We call this adverse
or unfriendly auto-suggestion, and it will defeat the objects of
suggestive treatment every time. Auto-suggestion (suggestion
we make to ourselves) is stronger than any outside suggestion
that can be made.   Remember, the subjective mind is con-
stantly amenable to suggestion, friendly and unfriendly, from
the objective  mind of  the patient himself, or from that  of an-
other person, and the strongest suggestion, frequently repeated,
will  always  prevail.   In order to secure the best results by
suggestion in  the waking state, we should have the full consent
and cooperation of the patient's objective mind.   He should
be in a receptive  condition, ready  to  accept, as absolutely
true, everything we say, and doubt us in nothing.

  Why Patients Should Close their Eyes.
  We requested the patient to close her eyes while we made
suggestions to her, that we might the better hold her attention,
and that she might more  fully realize the force and influence
of our suggestions.   Did the  reader  ever consider, for a
single  moment,  why  we close our eyes in  prayer?  Some
people are more  eloquent  in  prayer  than others; they seem
to reach  right up to the very gates of heaven  and draw  the
Divine influences  and blessing down upon the heads and
hearts of everybody around them.   But there is  not a man
on earth  who can, with open eyes, reach a  spirit  of  inspira-
tion sufficient to enable him to exert an influence by prayer,
that will  approach the efforts which  he may make with closed
eyes.  We cannot, with open eyes, under any circumstance, 
—20-
grasp and realize  the  beauty,  the  blessings and enjoyments
coming from unseen things like we  can when our  eyes  are
closed.   This  shuts out all the senses,  comparatively, except
hearing,  and  we are able to direct  our whole  attention
toward whatever we may have  in hand.
  The reason we  requested the patient  to say nothing about
our treatment to anyone,  was for the purpose of avoiding the
influence of outside adverse suggestions.   So  many  people
are ready to say to  such patients, who speak of this method
of treatment, that they have no faith in  suggestion; that it
will do no good, &c.  Such remarks are very harmful. They
reach the subjective mind of the patient, and are apt to  pro-
voke relapses.   We should always fortify our patients against
such influences by  instructing  them to  antagonize  all   un-
friendly suggestions from outside,  by  vigorous auto-sugges-
tions frequently repeated.

            How Suggestion  Cures.
  Now, a careful  study  of the detailed management of  the
case above treated,  should give the reader a fair understand-
ing of suggestion, as a method of cure, as applied to patients
in the ordinary, waking state.   But the reader may say this:
" I can see plainly enough how it is done, but I cannot  yet
quite understand the philosophy of this method of cure;  how
it is that suggestions—spoken words— can  produce physical
changes in our bodies, relieve  pain, and cure disease."
  We have only to keep in mind these facts:   We  have two
minds — an objective mind   and  a subjective mind;  that
the  subjective  mind  has  absolute  control  over  all  the
sensations  and functions of  our bodies;  and that this  sub-
jective mind is constantly amenable to  the  power  of  sug-
gestion by the  objective mind of the patient himself,  or  that
of another.  These facts being established,  we can readily
understand  how  cures  are performed  by suggestion.   We
simply fix the attention of the patient, suggest the wished for
changes and conditions, and the subjective mind having full
control,  executes  our orders, and the required results are 
—21 —
realized.   It must be remembered, however, that in order to
succeed with this method of cure, the proper conditions must
obtain in every case.  The patient must be in a receptive con-
dition ; must be ready to accept everything we say as absolute-
ly true,  and antagonize us in nothing.  Under these con-
ditions,  and none other, can we expect perfect success with
suggestion.  It is true, we may help many  patients greatly,
even if they antagonize us, and may finally win them over to
perfectly receptive conditions  and cure them; but till they
fully consent, we cannot expect perfect success.   But,  where
people cheerfully  engage to work  in  harmony with us, and
the proper conditions, as above named, do obtain, success  is
absolutely certain.  Upon these  principles all cures by sug-
gestion are performed.

      How   Christian  Science Cures.

  It  is  upon  the  principle of suggestion  that all so-called
Faith Cures, Mental Science, Christian Science  and  Divine
Science cures are performed ; but these different sects of healers
do not know it; if they do they will not acknowledge it.  Many
of them attribute their cures to Divine interpositions, fervent
prayers,  etc.   Say what  we may about the good  effects  of
earnest  Christian  prayers, and  we  do know that they are
many times  instrumental  in  working wonderful  cures,  we
also hold that suggestion, in such cases, exerts a remarkable
power;   we know  this  from  the fact that wicked prayers,
through  the  power of suggestion,  frequently work wonders
also.
          Results  of  Wicked  Prayers.

   Tuke  relates this  incident:   "Two boys were sent to a
man's house  for arum  roots.   He was from  home, but the
boys went to the field and procured them,  the owner return-
ing  before they had left, pronounced the most dreadful im-
precations upon one  and both  of them,  threatening them
with the agony of body equal  to  that arising from a  heated 
                          __22__

spear or hook.  The boys returned.  One of them was shortly
afterwards taken ill,  and his friends concluded that it was the
result of  the malediction.  He soon after died  in dreadful
agony."
  In the Medical Times and  Gazette, May 25,  1868, there
is a report of a  striking case of  paralysis, resulting from
a wicked prayer:   "Two men  were charged with a serious
offense.  The prosecutor summoned the father of the prisoners
to appear as a witness against  them.   The  mother of  the
prisoners, exasperated at the prospect of her sons  being sent
to prison on the evidence of her own relations, gave expres-
sion to her feelings in a malediction, praying, that when  the
old man left the  witness-box  he  might be  paralyzed; and
paralyzed he was,  accordingly,  and  had  to be taken  to  the
hospital."
  Erasmus Darwin relates the following:    ' 'A young farmer,
in Warwickshire, finding his  hedges broken and the sticks
carried away during a frosty season,  determined to watch for
the  thief.   He lay under a hay-stack, and  at length an  old
woman, like a  witch in a play,  approached, and began  to
pull up the hedge ; he waited till she had tied up  her bundle
of sticks, and was carrying them off, that he  might convict
her of  the  theft,  and  then  springing  from his concealment
he seized his prey with violent  threats.  After some alterca-
tions, in which her load was left upon the ground, she kneeled
upon the bundle of sticks,  and, raising her arms  to heaven
beneath the bright  moon, then at the full, spoke to  the farmer:
'Heaven  grant that  thou never mayest know again the bles-
sing to be warm.'   He complained of cold all the next day,
and wore an overcoat, and in a few  days  another,  and in a
fortnight took to his bed, always  saying nothing  made him
warm ; he covered himself with very  many blankets, and had
a seire over his face as he lay,  and from this one insane idea
he kept his bed about twenty years,  for fear of  the cold air,
till  at length he died."—Tuke.
  Now, shall we attribute the suffering  of these  people  to
Divine interposition ?  No ;  but they  were the direct  results 
of wicked prayers, and prove the wonderful power of sugges-
tion.  The attention was fixed, the expectation of things not
wished for resulted  in terrible fear, and the disastrous effects
followed.

             Effects of  Good  Prayers.
  Good, Christian prayers  are  always  more  effective  than
wicked prayers.  They are  listened to and received by many
people very willingly. They generally apply to the wants of the
hearers; and when diseased conditions are  referred  to in
Christian prayers, the relief and general results  sought and
asked for, are expressed, many times, in very plain, yet strong
language, amounting to the most powerful suggestions for re-
lief and cure that can be made.   The sufferer hears, believes
and accepts them, and even repeats them to himself—"I feel
better;  the Lord is healing  me.  I am getting well;  I feel
well; I am perfectly well; the Lord has healed me," and he
actually enjoys relief, and recovers.  We say good !  Amen !
Many  remarkable  cures  result under  the influence of such
ceremonies.   The  moral atmosphere  surrounding  patients
that are being treated under Christian influence; the united
efforts, the harmonious supplications, and the religious enthu-
siasm  resulting  from  such aggregation  of souls engaged in
earnest efforts, all conspire to make the conditions exceedingly
favorable for successful suggestion.   It is all accomplished by
the power of suggestion, and  direct, Divine interposition  is
not essential.   But all people do not know this, nor  do they
think that we know it.  We are not dogmatical, and will not
contend.   When people believe in it, we  should not object;
in fact it is better, in all such  cases, to utilize  the beliefs of
patients and accept their religious efforts as helps to our own.

         Why We use Hypnotic Sleep.
  As already observed, suggestion,  in the ordinary waking
state, is not always successful  in the  treatment  of  disease.
There  are a great many people,  well educated business men
and women,  who cannot, in the waking state,  enter  into the 
-24-
true spirit of suggestive treatment; they cannot assume the
receptive conditions of perfect  confidence  so  necessary for
success.   This is very  natural.  Their previous education,
associations,  acquired prejudices,  &c, have  made  it impos-
sible for them to do so.   They  have been used to physical
means, remedies that could be seen with their eyes, and rea-
lized by other physical  senses, and  when  we  commence  to
apply suggestion to their cases,  they begin to argue with us.
Their objective minds  are ever ready to antagonize our su-
gestions,  or  questions our methods.  They may, sometimes,
consent to our treatment, which  a few do ;  but, in the ma-
jority of such cases, a partial success  only  is realized.  The
reason of failure is plain to be seen.   As we make suggestions
to these patients they, with their objective minds assert, either
in word or thought, that they do not or cannot believe what
we say.   They express doubts, and these doubts reach their
own subjective minds, and, upon the principle that  auto-
suggestion is stronger  than any  outside suggestion, our sug-
gestions are antagonized, and the result is total  failure, or but
partial success at best.

  Now, what are we to do in  order to  certainly reach such
patients with successful suggestive  treatment.  They are good
people and want to be cured.   They have earnest desires  to
get well,  and are ready to  reward  us for  our services.  Or-
dinary drug treatment has failed to cure them, and they are
disgusted with medicines.   None of the popular Mind Cure
systems, such as Faith Cure, Mental Science,  Divine Science,
Christian  Science,  etc.,  will reach  them,  for they cannct
exercise  the faith sufficient  to  enable them to grasp any of
their doctrines, and they  will not take to their methods  of
treatment.   If they could do this,  then we could cure them
by  suggestion in the ordinary  waking state.   It  should  be
well remembered, that we can  cure, by  suggestion,  in the
waking state,  anybody,   of  any disease,  that any  Mental
Science,  Christian or  Divine Science healer can cure  by  his
methods; and, furthermore, we  can, by the methods we are 
-25-
about to formulate, reach and cure a class  of patients that
none of these systems of healing can even approach.

   The  Subjective Mind Never  Sleeps.
  In a  preceding paragraph, under the  head  of Subjective
Mind, we say this :  "It performs  its highest functions, when
the  body is asleep ; when the objective mind is in abeyance."
Now, this furnishes us with a  key to a successful working
formula; to a method that will enable us to successfully reach
and  treat everybody and all diseases by suggestion.
  If, as we have already stated  many times, the subjective
mind has  absolute control of all  the sensations and  functions
of the  body; if it  never sleeps, is always awake,  and is
capable of performing its  highest functions when the body is
asleep,  when our  objective  minds  are  in  abeyance; and
if many people  are  found,  whose mental  conditions  in
the waking state hinder  the full and free operation of the
subjective  mind in the relief and cure of desease, then, why
not approach the subjective mind  of such people while they
are sound asleep, or when their objective  minds are in abey-
ance, and when they cannot,  with their objective  minds,
offer any hindrance to successful suggestive treatment.   This
is precisely what we practice every day.

        Natural and Hypnotic Sleep.
   There are two conditions under which we find the objective
mind in abeyance ; one is ordinary,  natural sleep ;  the other
is induced, or hypnotic sleep, sometimes  called magnetic or
mesmeric  sleep.   In ordinary, natural sleep, the patient is
e?i  rapport with himself  only, and  it is  not always easy, or
even possible for us to  bring  him en rapport with us, and
reach  his  subjective mind by verbal suggestions.  However,
with small children, we can frequently succeed in doing this:
then we  can treat them, by verbal suggestions given them
while they are in what we regard as being natural sleep.   We
simply approach them quietly and speak  to  them  in a soft,
low tone of voice, and say something like this:  " You are 
—2G—
sound asleep, sound asleep.   You must not wake up.   Sleep
soundly.  You must not wake up, but you must sleep soundly.''
Now, in cases of little children, without further efforts, we may
go on, if they remain sleeping, and we make such suggestions as
may be properly suited to the case in  hand, and the results
will, in  many  cases, be  good.   In all such cases, we hold,
that a certain degree of  hypnotic  influence  and a rapport
between  the physician and patient  does obtain, and it  is
readily established in many cases of little  children.  It may
be said that we convert  natural sleep into  hypnotic sleep, but
this  is not strictly correct; under all such circumstances, in
children  and adults,  when  we approach them while asleep,
as we talk to them  they partially arouse from sleep,  not
enough, however, to be conscious of the fact, but sufficient
for us to get their attention through the sense of hearing, and
we hypnotize them the same as we do when we talk to them
in the ordinary waking state.
   With  well grown-up children  and  adults,  in  order  to do
effective work with them by taking them in hand while they
are in natural sleep, it is not sufficient to merely softly approach
them and quietly  make suggestions of cure to them ;   such
practice  will not  give  satisfactory results.  Approaching  a
man in natural sleep,  before we can effect him by verbal
suggestion, we must get his attention.   How can we do this
and  not  wake  him up?  I  commence precisely as I did in
the  case of  the little  child, and  as  I go on repeating the
words  "sleep,  sleep  soundly,"    I raise the  tone  of  my
voice a little, speak louder, and,  finally,  I gently pass my
hands down in front  of and close to his face and body.   I
make these  passes  several  times, still repeating the sleep
formula:   "Youare sound asleep, sound asleep,  asleep, sleep
soundly," speaking a little lowder as I continue.  If he  does
not wake up, I  carefully place my hands upon his face, gently
stroke the temples a few  times,  carefully pressing upon his
eyes a little with my thumbs as I bring the hands downward.
After repeating this a few  times,  I gently raise the lid  of one
of his eyes  a little, and if I find the eye-ball well turned up 
under the lid, so that nothing but the white, sclerotic  coat
can be seen, I am sure  the  patient is sound  asleep,  and he
will not  wake up  while I  continue to properly handle and
talk to him. He is en rapport with me, is virtually hypnotized
—said to be natural sleep converted into hypnotic sleep, and
I can now make  any verbal suggestions to him that may seem
to be appropriate for his case, and  the results will be good.
The objective mind is in complete  abeyance  ; it cannot an-
tagonize  my  suggestions, the subjective mind has absolute
control, and the  cure will be absolute and  certain, if within
the bounds of possibility.

           Hypnotic Sleep  the Best.
  Going to people while they are in natural sleep,  and taking
the chances of failing to bring them into communication with
us,  is not always convenient and practicable.   Our  best al-
ternative is hypnotic sleep.   We can avail ourselves of this
admirable, convenient means at any time or any place ; and we
can  appropriate  it in   the management of any patient that
wants to be treated, no  matter what his previous  education
may have been,  or what his acquired prejudices,  present
associations and  opinions may be.

     Answers to Opposers of  Hypnotism.
  We are not unmindful of  the  fact that many good people
hold to very erroneous opinions regarding the nature and effects
of hypnotism.  That its use has been very  much  abused we
certainly know.  But the same  may be said of hundreds of
things that are universally regarded as being good and essen-
tial to the welfare of mankind.   Physicians,  a class of mei\
who are supposed to know something about the human body
and mind,  but,  unfortunately,  are frequently  found to be
more popular as ward  politicians than learned  in human
science,  sometimes attempt to teach the people, through in-
terviews  in the  secular  press,  what they  pretend  to  know
about the evils of hypnotism.   They invariably expose their
ignorance and prejudice, shamefully misrepresent the subject 
—28—
they assail, and never furnish the reader with any authentic
information or facts to establish the reckless assertions they
make.  They know that opium and morphine, chloral and co-
caine are ruining, actually killing their hundreds every year ;
yet, while they can tell us of no deaths nor other disastrous re-
sults coming  directly' from the  legitimate use of hypnotism,
they keep on dosing their patients with chloral and morphine,
and warn us against hypnotism as a dangerous  thing.   They
know  that deaths  are resulting nearly  every  day  from the
reckless use of chloroform ; yet, while they cannot cite us to a
single case of injury  from hypnotism, they go  out  pleading
for laws to  restrict its practice,  excite  popular prejudice
against it, and keep on recklessly using chloroform, putting
to sleep their helpless, unfortunate patients, as if no harm
could ever come from such practice.  These common-place
opposers of   hypnotism  are  exceedingly  vulnerable   and
readily answered.   But, we are sorry  to have to  say it,  the
subject of hypnotism occasionally suffers from unjust criticisms
coming from unexpected sources—from men of high standing
and  attainments  in other departments  of  science.   This is
exceedingly unfortunate; but we know that no  man can  be
an authority upon all subjects.   We occasionally see learned
men who are ambitious, who  know that they are  master of
certain subjects, branch off upon some  strange line of thought,
and  in their  attempts to  write or talk about things of which
they know little  or nothing, they are  sure to make rediculous
blunders.   We ask the reader to note one fact: whenever
you  hear a man saying hard things  about hypnotism, pro-
nouncing it to be a harmful thing, in the abstract;  or when
you  read anything  from a man that  ridicules it or refers to
hypnotism as  mere nonsense and drivel, no  matter  what the
educational, religious or political standing of the party  may
be, you may put him down as an  ignoramus upon that sub-
ject, and he should keep his mouth closed till he has learned
something about it.   It is utterly  impossible for  any well-
balanced, unprejudiced man to antagonize hypnotism, after
h^ once thoroughly understands its practical value. 
—20—
   People who fear hypnotism  most  are those who have
only heard about it. Physicians, and other professional men,
who oppose the use of  hypnotism,  are  those who  have no
actual practical experience with it.
   Some people, who  do not understand  it,  think  hypnosis
is a miserable state of slavish subjugation; that it is a helpless
condition into which people can be thrown and made to do
the will of another, regardless of consequences; and that  it is
a dangerous power, by which people can be made to commit
crime, and do all sorts of immoral deeds,  regardless  of their
sense  of social  propriety or  their  convictions  of  moral
conduct.

   Responsibility  of  People  in Hypnosis.
   There is not a word of truth in any of the above allegations.
In the first place, the hypnotic condition  is  not one of sub-
jugation.   It is  a self-induced  condition; a  condition  into
which the subject consents to enter.   Without the co-opera-
tion  of  a subject we  cannot hypnotize him.   Hypnotism
never weakens the will;  on  the  contrary, under  hypnosis,
by suggestion, we actually strengthen  the  will power,  and
enable men, by persuasion, to  refrain from drinking, smok-
ing and to quit other bad habits.  We do not coerce them.
   Hypnosis  is the state in  which the  subjective   mind is
uppermost, and  the objective mind is  partially or totally in
abeyance—drowsy or sound asleep. It is an induced condition,
where the susceptibility to suggestion is wonderfully increased ;
but  the  subject never loses his moral sense, no matter how
often he may  be  hypnotised.   Hypnotism does  not change
the  fundamental principles of a  subject's  education, and,
while in hypnosis,  right will still be right to him, and wrong
will  be  wrong  to him,  no  matter  how  deeply he  may be
hvpnotized.   There  is no such  a thing as compelling or
persuading  people  to perpetrate wicked deeds or submit to
outrages  while in  hypnotic conditions,  which they could not
be induced  to do or submit to in the waking state.   Good
people   may  consent,  in  hypnosis, to the performance cf 
—30—
many amusing things, but they never loose their moial sense ;
in fact, the lower,  or  animal propensities  seem to be under
restraint,  while  the intellect  and higher  sentiments  shine
forth  with increased lustre,  and the sense  of honor and
morality elevated.   This is evidenced by  the fact that if we
attempt,  by  suggestion,  to  induce  a hypnotic subject  to
perform any act in violation of the settled  principles of his
life,  he positively refuses  to  do  it;   he  sometimes  remains
quiet, but if urged too much he will promptly wake up.  We
cannot extract a  secret from a  hypnotic  subject.    Undei
hypnosis,  true Masons and Odd Fellows  will not expose the
grip  or pass-words  of  their  respective orders.   A conscien-
tious Christian, under hypnosis, will  not accept suggestions
that conflict with  his religious creed;   and no consistent tem-
perance man can  be induced, under hypnosis, to drink a glass
of whiskey. When men and women commit crimes and submit
to outrages under hypnosis, it is only evidence  of  the fact
that they could be,  even more readily, induced to do or sub-
mit to the same things in the  waking state.

   Hypnotism  Harmless,  Healthful  and
                       Useful.
  The facts are,  hypnotism, when properly understood and
applied, is a harmless yet very effective means for the attain-
ment of healthful  and moral ends.   Hypnosis is  a condition
of perfect rest; and it is only  when people are  subjected  to
needless hypnotic experiments that they are disturbed by  it.
Hypnotic  sleep is a perfectly safe, quiet, refseshingsleep ; and,
when  properly managed,  people always feel refreshed and
animated after coming out of it.   It never depresses, but al-
ways invigorates the subject, both in  body and mind.   Hyp-
notism enables us to approach and successfully  treat people
by suggestion that we could not manage  in any other way.
It is the means by which we can,  at will,  place the objective
mind  of  our patient in abeyance, when he is prepared for
successful suggestion.  He is then in a receptive, suggestible
condition.   He is in perfect  harmony  with us in all of our 
—31—
efforts  for relief  and cure.  The relations existing between
the operator and subject, are perfect confidence and an ear-
nest union of wills.   The patient accepts what we say as ab-
solutely true, and he receives and profits from our suggestions,
just like an attentive, confiding child  takes  instruction from
an earnest mother in whom it trusts.

   Fundamental  Principles of  Suggestion,
   The fundamental principles that underlie the  treatment  of
disease by  suggestion  should be carefully studied.  When
physicians, generally, come to understand that  hypnotism is
an innocent measure that helps us to useful ends, and that the
cures wrought by suggestion are  readily accounted for upon
scientific  principles,  and  can be  demonstrated by natural
laws,  they will not only embrace  it, but they will appropriate
it, use it in their practice, and recommend it. Too many people,
and physicians also, suppose that we depend  entirely upon
hypnotism to cure diseases.  It  should be  understood that
hypnotism,  of  itself, is only a  means   preparatory to an
end.   Hypnotism is not the cure.  // is theraputic suggestion
that cures.   Hypnotism helps us to place our patients in re-
ceptive conditions, which enables us to make our suggestions
more effective and lasting.  It is the means by which we can
successfully reach the subjective  mind, and  fix  and fasten a
patient's attention upon proper methods of thought and action ;
the means by which we can persuade him—not coerce him—
to adopt our suggestions, and faithfully follow out our instruc-
tions, not only in regard to medicines if we need to use them,
but  in all  the  details of living,   diet,   bathing,  exercise,
dress,  &c.
   It should be understood that cures  wrought  by suggestion
are not  merely  faith  cures.   People do  not get well simply
because we  tell them to get well.  There  is  a  true  principle
upon which all successful suggestion depends.  Suitable ideas
must be presented to the patient's mind,  under  proper con-
ditions, and in a proper manner.  It is mind which controls
and regulates organic structures and  functions.   The human 
-32—
body is made up of cells, each cell possessing its  own  pecu-
liar mental power.  It gets this from  the  subjective mind.
Every mental effort we make produces  definite  chemical and
anatomical changes in our bodies.   Mind has a direct effect
upon the functioning of the cells which compose the different
organs of our bodies, and we can use the mind, by means of
suggestion, to produce definite effects upon any organ or func-
tion of the body.   When a patient is placed in  a  suggestible
condition—that is, when his  objective  mind,  in  his normal
waking state, is put in harmony with ours, or is so completely
occupied as to take cognizance of nothing except the efforts
that are being made to cure him ; or if his  objective  mind is
placed in  abeyance, by hypnotic influence, we can then make
suggestions to him that will reach his subjective mind without
meeting  with any opposition.  AYe can now produce, in a
greater or less degree, such functional  and  physical  changes
by suggestion as may  be  desired.  It should be remembered
that the subjective mind, when not opposed by  the objective
mind or any other adverse  suggestion, has absolute control
of the functions and sensations of every organ  of  the  body.
It has complete control of all cell life, function  and develop-
ment.   Now, as we make suggestions to our patient, we start
a peculiar kind of mentation in his objective mind.  Memo-
ries of various conditions, sensations, motions,  functions, se-
cretions, excretions, etc., are presented to and fixed upon the
different parts of the brain, according to the character of the
memory suggestions made, and corresponding mental activi-
ties, in the objective and subjective mind, are brought into
service.   For example, if we have a patient whose right hand
is suffering from paralysis of sensation, we  direct particular
attention to his right hand.   We take his right hand in ours
and say to him:  "This is your right hand.  Natural sensation
shall come back to this right hand.   All feeling shall  return
to this right hand.  Sensation is already coming back to this
right hand."  We keep  on repeating  these same words  for
several minutes.   The  patient hears  what  we say.   These
speeches are so many sensation memories that we are sending 
-33-
to the subjective mind through the objective mind, and if we
keep on sending them in this way every day,  they will arouse
new mental activities in that part of the subjective mind pre-
siding over the function of sensation in the patient's light hand ;
the cell elements in the corresponding parts of the brain cor-
tex and the patient's right hand undergo the changes required,
and sensation returns to the patient's right hand.
  Mecham, and some others might try to explain this upon the
neuron theory, but the facts would  remain all  the  same;  it
all depends  upon a rearrangement of atoms,  cells and mole-
cules, or actual cell changes.
  Now, this is the principle upon which all  cures are made
by  suggestion.    We transmit thoughts through the agency
of the objective mind that  convey  sensation, muscular  and
various  function  memories  to  the brain;  certain  mental
activities  are aroused in  the objective mind, they are trans-
mitted to  the subjective mind, and the required anatomical,
chemical  and  functional  changes  actually  follow.  In  this
same way we  can temporarily  suspend the  function of sen-
sation or  motion in any member of the body ; or we can in-
crease or  diminish the functional activity of any of the secret-
ing or depurating organs. Secretions and  discharges of every
kind are susceptible of control by suggestion.   The principles
upon which these things are done are plainly stated above,
and we demonstrate them daily  in our practice.  In some cases
the physical or functional wrongs are so trifling that cures can be
made quickly, sometimes instantaneously.   In such cases,
simply a rearrangement of the cell elements themselves, or of
the atoms composing them is all that is necessary  to bring
about the required functional changes.  A  different rearrange-
ment of cells and the atoms composing  them, is  what takes
place in all such conditions  as  sleep,  hypnosis, pain, anaes-
thesia, poisons resulting  from  irascible  emotions, &c,  and
they may, often do, take place  in the  twinkling  of  an eye.
Ask your  chemist how instantaneous changes of the appear-
ance and  properties of matter may be wrought by the different 
—34-
rearrangement  of  the  atoms  of physical  bodies.    These
are well known facts.
  In more severe cases of sickness, when  the  disease is  of
long standing, and the organic changes well fixed, more time
is required ;  we have to wait for the development of new cells,
which take the place of the old, worn out, dying and useless
cells ; but if persistent mental efforts, properly directed, under
the conditions and upon the the  principles above  formulated
be made, the required results will be realized,  if a cure  be
possible.

   Verbal  Indirect,  and  Direct  Mental
                     Suggestion.

  It should  be remembered that the above principles refer to
verbal suggestion when presented through  the agency of  the
objective mind, both in the waking and hypnotic state.   We
call this indirect verbal suggestion. But we can, in many cases,
reach the subjective mind direct, by mental suggestion.   We
call this direct mental suggestion.    In this  case  distance
offers no resistance to success.   Even  when we are  using
indirect  verbal  suggestion,  through the agency  of  the  ob-
jective mind, we frequently establish a direct communication
or rapport  between our subjective  mind and that  of  the
patient.  This  is  mixed  or combined indirect  verbal and
direct mental suggestion.    Where a direct communication
is   established,  either  in  mixed  or   direct   suggestion,
we  are then  very near  to, even  with our patient  in thought,
soul  and  action.    There is no  other means on  earth
by  which people can  be  brought so near to each other, in
soul and body.  It  is under these conditions, either  indirect
or direct mixed, or absolute direct mental suggestion, that
the  very  best  results  are  obtained.   It  requires  the
hypnotic or  mesmeric influence  to place  the physician and
his patient  in this disirable,  direct  communication  with
each  other.   When this  condition  is once established, the
suggestions  made,  produce the same  chemical,  anatomical 
and  functional changes  that follow simple, indirect sugges-
tion  through the agency of the  objective mind, only  the
results are always more promptly realized  and relapses  less
frequent.
  In  all cases of verbal suggestion in the waking state, the
objective  mind  is  conscious  of the  efforts that are  being
made.  In many cases, not all, where  verbal suggestions are
made to patients in the hypnotic state, the  objective mind
will   retain  no   conscious  recollection of  the  suggestions
made.   In direct mental suggestion,  the  objective  mind
is totally unconscious of  what  is  being said,  thought or
done.   But, in all cases, the subjective mind realizes every-
thing, whether any  part of what is said, done  or thought
about ever rises above the  threshold of objective  conscious-
ness or  not.
  It  is  mostly by indirect verbal  suggestion, through the
objective mind of our patients,  either in the waking or hyp-
notic state, that we do the most  of our every-day practice.
Frequently,  however, as we handle  our patients, this  indirect
suggestion  becomes   blended   with   direct  mental  sug-
gestion, naturally coming from our earnest, united efforts ; this
always  enables  us to do more effective work in  the relief of
pain, the cure of disease and in the correction of vices.

   Who Can  be Treated  by Suggestion?
  As an  objection or hindrance to the treatment of diseases
by  suggestion some  one  may  say that  all people cannot
assume the necessary receptive conditions in the waking state;
and that there are many people who cannot have their objec-
tive minds placed in abeyance by hypnotic influence—cannot
be  hypnotized, and how are  we to reach and  treat them?
  The  above statement is true,  in a limited sense.  That is,
some people  will not receive  and  act upon our suggestions
in the waking state ; neither can we induce a deep, hypnotic
or mesmeric sleep in all people.   But there is not an intel-
ligent person living, who wants to be treated by  suggestion,
that cannot be placed  in a  certain degree of receptivity, and 
-36—
profitable,  successful  suggestibility, by  hypnotic influence;
and a good operator can, at the first or  by repeated  efforts,
place  a large per cent,  of his patients in deep  sleep  and
perfect receptivity.  But a very deep sleep, or the condition
of somnabulism,  where  the  patient  remembers  nothing,
objectively, upon waking, is not always necessary in order
to secure good results.  A light sleep, a condition of som-
nolence,   the  patient's  eyes  closed  and whole  nervous
system perfectly quiet, is quite sufficient for  effective  work,
in the majority of cases ; all people  who apply  for treatment
can be placed in this condition, and a large number of them
in somnambulism.   None need go away. ■  Everybody  can be
placed in receptive conditions, and be treated  by suggestion.
But, while we can influence all people more or  less, we  find
a great difference in patients and  subjects.    Many  highly
educated,  intelligent people  are  very  readily hypnotized,
while  others  of the same  class are hard  to influence ;  and
while  some common people can be handled with great ease,
others are difficult to  manage.   Grade  of  intelligence is no
criterion  for judging  people's   susceptibility   to  hypnotic
control, except  that  they  must not be feeble-minded  nor
idiotic.    Other  things  being equal,   however,  intelligent
cultivated people, with  marked strength of character, make
the best hypnotic subjects, and are more readily cured by
suggestion of any disease or habit from which  they may be
suffering,  than ignorant, uncultivated people of  weak,  passive
character.

                How  to Hypnotize.
  It is very much easier to show  anyone how  to hypnotize,
than it is to tell them how  to do it.  Object  lessons  are  re-
quired in order to successfully teach  hypnotism.  But we
can help people a great deal by describing the methods we
employ.
  First,  obtain the subject's  attention,  then hold it;  next
make him know by your very appearance, behavior, and easy,
confident manner, that you are master of  the  situation;  that 
—37—
 you understand  your business,  and that you  can do  what
 you undertake to do.   Never say:   "I will try," which
 always  implies a doubt; but  assert that  you can hypnotize
 him, and you can do it.   We should not permit the  thought
 of  failure  to  occupy our mind  for one second,  but keep a
 living picture  of  quiet sleep before us all the time.   "But,"
 the reader may  say,  "suppose I  should finally  fail, would
 this course not totally destroy all confidence and render all
 future  efforts  hopeless?"  We  answer  no.   Our  apparent
 failure  to  hypnotize, or any  failure following our hopeful
 promises in the treatment of patients, do not seem  to occasion
 enough skepticism to prevent the success of  future efforts.
 Ths earnest subject or patient  always  feels  and  knows that
 the fault is in him, and this is so.  We should not be afraid,
 then, to make bold and positive assertions,  and say: / can,
 and I will, sir I"
   We are now ready.   I rise to my feet, and with a feeling
 of  earnestness and confidence, all of which I  show by my ex-
 pression and behavior,  I ask the subject to take the reclining
 chair.  I lean him back to almost a horizontal position, an easy,
 natural  attitude for sleep.  I approach him on the right side,
 face him,  the light back of him and shining in my face.   I
 rub my hands together a  little, then  pick  up  his hands,
 straighten  his arms placing them down upon the front of his
 body,  or  close  by  his side.   I next  stroke his forehead,
 brush the hair back a little,  and say to him:  "Now, you  are
 going to enter into a condition of quiet  sleep, and that you
 may the more readily do so, just relax every muscle of  your
 body, and  assume as passive,  indifferent conditions, as you
 possibly can.   Think of  yourself as just  lying down for a
 quiet sleep, exactly as you do when  you  retire at night.   Let
 yourself  go,  perfectly  relaxed  and  easy all over your body.
 Look steadily at me.  Fix your gaze directly upon my right
 eye, and keep it  there, while  I look at yours.  Let nothing
divert your attention ;  look constantly at  my right eye, and
listen attentively to what I say.   Keep  looking directly  at
me, and as  you look at me and I  look at you,   your  eyes 
—3S-
will soon  begin to feel tired ;  your eyes  will soon begin to
feel tired  and heavy.  [I am quite near the subject, standing,
or sitting  upon a chair that elevates my face as  much as
two feet above  his.  As I talk I move my face pretty close
up to  his,  and close and open my eyes slowly as though I am
going to sleep also.]  Your eyes are  already  getting tired ;
they are beginning to wink, the lids are getting heavy, heavy,
heavy, the lids are  getting heavy, heavy as lead; heavy,
sleepy, sleepy, sleep is  coming;  you eyes  are watery; the
lids are heavy, heavy, heavy.  You are sleepy, sleepy.  Your
eye lids are heavy, heavy,  closing,  closing;  your  eyes  are
closing,   closing;   you  can't  keep  them  open;   closing,
closing,   closed,   closed,  sleepy, sleepy, asleep,   soundly
asleep; soundly asleep ; soundly asleep from head to foot."
I repeat this  formula of words, over and over,  with  such
variations  as  seem proper,  and  just at  the  time when  I
observe the subject's  eyes getting tired, watery  and heavy, I
raise  my   hands  and make  downward passes over his face,
not touching it, however;  but as his eyes begin to close I let
my hands gently touch the face, press upon the closed eyes a
little, and the subject is sound  asleep.   Some  subjects  will
be  asleep before  I get through with the above formula one
time.  When  a   subject  is  slow in closing his eyes, I dwell
upon  the  words  and  phrases: —"Your  eye-lids  are
heavy.  Your  eye-lids  are   heavy,  heavy,  heavy;   you
can't keep your eyes  open ; you can't keep them open ;  they
are closing, closing, heavy, heavy,  sleepy,  sleepy; sleep is
coming;  sleep is coming, etc.." and  keep on repeating all
the first part of the formula, till the eyes  begin to  look  heavy
and close and open slowly, then promptly say :  Closed, closed;
your eyes  are closed/", &c,  and if they remain closed, say:
 "asleep,  asleep, soundly asleep from  head to  foot."   In a
few cases the eyes may not close, although the  subject looks
and feels sleepy.   We  can see this at a glance.   In such
 cases, as  I repeat  the sleep formula, I pass my hands down
 over the face and  gently close the subject's eyes,  press  upon
 them a little,  and  he  is soundly asleep. 
—39-
  The above method is the one I employ in nearly all cases;
vary  it,  however,  in some  instances, as may seem to  be
required.   I always have everybody present keep perfectly
quiet  while I talk, and invariably seat my subject with his
back   to   the  audience.  I   want  his  whole  attention.
These injunctions refer to new subjects ; but where I have hand-
led a  subject a few times, I am not so particular; he may face
the audience while I hypnotize him.
  I frequently employ a method like this :  I seat the subject in
a chair lower than the one I occupy; seat myself directly in
front  of him, or close to his right side, take both of his hands
in mine and say:  "You are now going  to  sleep; that you
may the more quickly go to  sleep, just  let every muscle of
your body relax, assume that you are  going to take a  quiet
sleep, and look quietly at me while I talk.   As I  hold your
hands and we look in each other's eyes,  a peculiar  feeling
of sympathy is realized, and an easy, peaceful, quiet sensation
comes all over your body.  You are thinking of sleep, and as
you think of sleep and  look steadily  at me, your thoughts
begin to  wander;  you can keep  your mind upon nothing;
a peculiar, easy, sleepy feeling is coming all over  your body.
Your  eyes  are  getting  tired; your  eyes are getting tired  :
they  are   beginning  to wink, beginning to wink, the  lids
are getting heavy, heavy; the  lids are getting heavy,  getting
heavy, heavy ; you are feeling easy and sleepy all  over ; feel-
ing sleepy,  sleepy all  over.   Your  eyelids  are   getting
heavy,  getting  heavy;  you feel   sleepy   all   over;  feel
sleepy,  sleepy;   your  eyelids are  heavy,  heavy.  They
are beginning  to  close;  heavy,  heavy,  heavy,  closing,
closing.    Your  eyes  are  closing, closed,  closed,  sleepy,
sleepy, asleep, asleep,  sound asleep from head to  foot."  As
I talk to the subject I move my face  pretty  close up  to  his,
within ten or twelve inches,  and I close  and open my own
eyes slowly, simulating sleep, all the  time repeating the sleep
formula.   When his eyes begin to look watery and begin to
wink  rapidly, I let go of his hands and make passes down in
front  of  his face,  as  I talk,  and if  his  eyes do not  close 
-40-
promptly I pursue the same course as in  the first method,
gently close them with my fingers, and he is soundly asleep.
This is  similar to the first method,  only the position  is
different.  I commence by holding the subject's hands.
  Another position which I  sometimes resort  to is this:   I
seat  the subject as in the second method.   I seat myself
directly in front of him, take his forehead between my  hands,
just  placing the ends  of my  fingers  on either side  of  the
forehead, press gently and say this: "As I  place  my  hands
on either side of your forehead, and we look at each other's
eyes, a gentle nervous current is established at once, and  a
peculiar, easy feeling like sleep is coming all over us.   I feel
it, you feel it, and we feel perfectly easy,  peaceful  and quiet
all over.   As you look at  me,  and  as my  hands remain
in position, you  begin to feel an easy, sleepy feeling coming
all over you."  I  then  go on and repeat the same formula
as in the other cases.  I should observe,  that  I attach great
importance to the  manner  in which  I  repeat these sleep
formulas.   For example, when I am saying over  and over
again such  words as peculiar, easy  and sleepy.  I drawl them
out:—pe-cu-liar, ea—sy, sl-ee-py, etc., and the tone of the
whole speech is of the monotonous style.
   I occasionally use other  methods,  such as  having  the
subject  gaze  at a bright  object while I give him the same
suggestions above referred to.   He may hold  it, or I some-
times hold  it myself.
   One of the very  best methods  I sometimes use with hard
subjects is this:   I seat myself  in front  of the  subject,  tell
him  to close his  eyes and think of nothing but  sleep.  I place
the ends of my fingers of the right  hand  on  the center of
his forehead, and  tell him  to keep  his eyes closed and to
make an effort  as though  he was looking at the ends of my
fingers on his forehead, and to hold his eyes in that position
while I  talk  to him,  I also steady his head  by placing the
end  of  my left hand on the back of his head,  just  under  the
occipital bone.  I then go on and say: "Your eyes are closed,
and  you are getting tired and sleepy.   You are looking at 
-41-
the ends of my fingers on  your forehead, but your eyes are
closed, and  they are  getting tired and  sleepy.  A sleepy
feeling is coming all over your body.   You are looking  at
the ends of my fingers on  your forehead, but your eyes are
getting  tired, tired  and  sleepy;  sleepy, sleepy,  tired  and
sleepy.  Your eyes  feel  heavy,  heavy, heavy; your  head
feels heavy ; you can't hold it up;  your head is asleep, your
neck is  relaxed and you can't hold your head  up, you can't
hold your head up, too  sleepy, too sleepy, down, your head
goes down, down, asleep, asleep,  soundly asleep,  soundly
asleep, from head to foot."  This  is  a good  method, and
will  succeed in some hard cases where other  methods have
failed.   As I am using this method, when I feel the subject's
neck getting weak,  I pull on  the  head a little with  the left
hand, as I am saying:   "Your neck is relaxing, your head
is  heavy, you can't  hold  it  up,  etc.," and  the head will
gently  come down, and  the subject is sound asleep.   The
head will sometimes come  down as I talk, no urging required.
The  gentle pressure  on  the  back of  the  head is  a  great
help,  however;  it  aids  in bringing  about an easy, quiet
feeling,  and hastens sleep.
   Another method which I have used  recently is this: I seat
the  subject  is  front  of  me and proceed thus:  "Please
assume   an   easy   relaxed,   passive  condition   (at the
same   time  showing   the subject,   by  my  movements
what I mean), close your eyes and listen to me while I talk.
I am going to count, and as I count, I want you to open and
close your eyes quickly at  the announcement of  each number,
and  you will soon  get tired  and  sleepy,  and go  to sleep.
Now, I  commence:   One, please open and close your eyes;
two,  three, four,  five, six, etc."   His  attention  is  fixed;
he is constantly listening for the next number, and as I count
I get a little slower all the  time, seven----eight----nine----
etc."   This brings about a sluggish movement  and feeling,
and  the monotonous  procedure and  the pauses, all taken
together, result in the easy, sleepy feeling, that follows other
methods, and when I see this, I say: si—ee—py, si—ee—py, 
-42-
instead  of counting, and he  finally  fails  to  open his eyes,
keeps them closed as the mental process of opening and closing
goes on. When his eyes remain closed I gently press upon them
and  say:   "Your  eyes are closed;   you  are sound asleep;
sound asleep from head to foot," and it is  so.   We can  now
handle  him as  in  other cases of  hypnotism.  This is an
admirable method in cases of children, and where people do
not readily give us their attention.
  A method which I often use  and  one that is very easy on
the operator is this:  I seat the subject,  or let him lie down
as  may be  desired,  stand in front of him, and extend my
right hand toward his face, stopping  it at  about two feet in
front  and  as  much  above it.  I now say  to  the  subject:
"Look  directly  at  my right hand,  watch my  hand closely,
for I am going to move it directly.  Look steadily at the  ends
of  my  fingers,  and  as  you look at the ends of my fingers,
your eyes  will get tired, and a quiet,  easy,  sleepy feeling will
come all over your body. Your  eyelids will get heavy, heavy ;
your eyes  will begin to wink, and  you will  feel quiet,  easy
and sleepy all over your body."
  I  keep on repeating these speeches  and  as I notice the
subjects eyes getting tired, looking a  little  red  and watery,  I
let my hand down a little ; move it a little  closer to his face,
and very slowly  make downward and upward  motions, and
at each  motion approach his face  a  little  closer; as I make
these motions  with  my hand,  I  keep on  talking,  saying:
"Your eyelids are getting heavy now.  Your eyes are tired;
the lids are getting heavy, heavy, heavy as lead, and you can
hardly keep them open.  Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.  Your eyes
are closing, closing,  closing,  sleepy,  sleepy,  closed, closed,
asleep, asleep, soundly asleep, soundly  asleep from  head to
foot." The reader will observe  that as I make these "sleepy"
and "closed"   speeches,  that I  dwell  upon the  word
si—ee—py, and as  I  dwell my hand  is  getting very close to
the subjects eyes, and the  passes down over his eyes as  I say
"sleepy, closed," &c, virtually persuade  the  eyes to close.
As  the eyes close down I let my fingers  rest on  the centre of 
-43-
his forehead, bring them down a little, and press gently on
his eyes, and  repeat,  "soundly asleep, soundly asleep from
head to foot."  This is  a good method in any case, but more
readily shown than described, like all other methods.
   The above methods are as good as can be used to produce
hypnosis, and if properly employed, they will succeed. But, as
already observed,  all  methods  of producing hypnosis, are
more readily demonstrated than  told  or discribed;  and there
is as much in the manner  of doing these things  as  there is in
using the correct formula.
   In many cases where I  use suggestion, I have the patient
take the reclining chair  at once,  take a recumbent posture
and close his eyes.  I stand by his side and talk to him.  "You
are now resting quietly and easy.  Think of nothing but  sleep,
and you will soon feel drowsy,  heavy  and sleepy.   You are
quiet and easy all over; quiet and  easy from head to foot.
No pain anywhere,  perfectly quiet and easy, feel well, no
pain, whole nervous system quiet, &c." I say no more  about
sleep,  but go on and make the suggestions appropriate for the
case, and when done  I  find that  the  patient is  fast asleep—
has been asleep all the while.  The expectation, the attitude,
the suggestions, and the monotonous tones in which I  repeat
the suggestions, have  induced a  quiet sleep.  All the  while,
as I am  giving  the patient suggestions,  I am  making long
passes  with my right or  left hand, as  may be convenient, from
his head to his  feet, not touching his body, however, unless
I desire to impress some particular part, then I place my hand
upon that part for a moment, as I direct attention to that  part.
   When I desire to known whether  a  subject is influenced
or not—when I am in doubt about it—I carefully  raise the
lid of one of his eyes,  and if I find the eye  well turned up
under  the lid, I take  it that he is in  a suggestible condition.
   In order to deepen  hypnotic influence, I hypnotize the sub-
ject two  or three times during the same seance.  After sub-
jects have been hypnotized once  or twice at  short  intervals,
they go into a deeper  sleep—each time a little deeper.
   Remember, we cannot always  produce hypnosis,  especially 
—44—
a deep sleep, at our first effort, but this should not discourage
us, for we can, by repeated, earnest efforts, influence every-
body  that desires our services—no exceptions—and  we
can, eventually produce a condition  of  deep sleep in nearly
everybody.
   When I am ready to wake up a subject, I say:  "You are
now feeling well, well all over.  You  are perfectly  easy and
quiet from head to foot, and when you wake up you will feel
refreshed and invigorated.   You will feel  cheerful, hopeful
and happy.  When I count five you  may  open your eyes
and wake  up;  one, two,  three, four,  five.   Wake  up!
Wake  up !    He opens his eyes and wakes up.
   There  are a great many methods of  producing hypnosis,
and many things about the practice of hypnotism, that can-
not be successfully taught except by object  lessons.   But the
above instructions are as full as can be found  anywhere, and
they  will  enable  anybody to do successful practice.   The
important elements of success are a conscious feeling that we
can do it; self assurance and perfect confidence which should
be  shown  by our  expression and behavior, then say, / can,
and I will, sir, and you can do it.

  What  Diseases Will  Suggestion Cure.
  This question is often  asked:  What diseases are amen-
able to relief  and cure by  suggestion?   Our  reply  is  this:
There  is not an  acute  or chronic  disease in the whole
catalogue  without its  nervous  element, and this is always
amenable to suggestive control.   This being the case,  there
is no disease  from which the human  family suffers that may
not be benefited  by  suggestion; and it is a demonstrable
fact, that many diseases,  even after organic changes  have
taken place,  can  be quickly and radically cured by sugges-
tion alone.   This  is not saying that suggestion is a cure-all,
for it is not; nor do we recommend and use it as a  universal
remedy to the exclusion of  all  others—not at all;  but it is
positively essential in many cases, as a help  to other measures,
if  we expect  the best results;  and in  certain  diseases, 
-45-
where   it  is   peculiarly  adapted,   no   single   remedy
nor combination of measures  can possibly take its place.
It  is  never  a  hindrance  to   the  employment  of other
means, and when a  variety of measures  are required,  as
above  stated,  it  will aid us  in  hastening and  perfecting
cures that could not be so speedily wrought without its em-
ployment.  There is not a physician in the land that cannot
turn suggestive therapeutics to good account every day of  his
life.  While  a  few  prejudiced  physicians offer a feeble op-
position to suggestive therepeutics, the  very  best medical
men in America and Europe are endorsing and practicing  it.
Charcot and Bernheim in France, Moll  in Germany, Tuke
and Tuckey of England, and scores  of the leading  men in all
schools  of medicine  in America—Regulars,  Homoeopaths,
Eclectics,  etc.,  are  embracing and  practicing Suggestive
Therapeutics.   The day is at hand  when no  physician,  no
matter what  his  school of practice,  can afford to lag behind
the times  in  this advanced, valuable method  of treating
disease.   The  people are learning  about it, and as they
enjoy its benefits, and witness the marvelous cures  of disease
and the  correction of vices and prevention of crime,  all
wrought under its influence, they naturally want  to know
more about it, and physicians, who should be able to furnish
intelligent  answers,  must  learn and understand Suggestive
Therapeutics.    No use  to oppose  it,  for right is right, a
truth to-day is a truth to-morrow, and forever, and  the truth
will prevail against all opposition !
   It  should  be  constantly kept  in  mind that the cure  of
all diseases and the  correction of vices  by suggestion, are
educational processes.   We earnestly  engage to  properly
direct the thoughts  of  our patients and subjects, and  by
appropriate  suggestions,  under proper  conditions,   we
persuade people to leave off their  old methods of  thinking.
and place their minds upon  things  and conditions to  be
wished for and worthy of enjoyment. We literally change their
habits of thought and thus  renew them in soul and body.
   Miss Willmans, in her Express puts it well.  She says this: 
-46-
  "Give  the  patient  new  mental material  if  you would
have him reconstruct his body:  and at the same time teach
him  the power  of  conscious mind control  of his  physical
parts.
  "Here  comes  a  man  afflicted with poverty and  ill-luck.
Not  infrequently  he has  a woe-begone  expression.   His
visage is that of a messenger of ill-omen.   Like Poe's raven,
he has  croaked  'never-more' all the  days of  his life.   He
has looked for bad  luck in every undertaking,  and when
he has consequently found  it, he has probably  remarked,
'Just as I expected; I  told you so!'  Doubtless  he  con-
siders himself, a 'servant'  of  servants and an heir  to  'His
Black Majesty' ; and he growls and grumbles and  swears, and
attracts that which is like  himself.
  "Consider  a  mind  like this:   Reveling in the the  most
unwholesome conditions of life.  Is it any wonder that the world
turns its cold shoulder to  him?  Is it any wonder that looking
in the mud at  his feet he fails to  see  the  sun  and  the blue
skies overhead?  Is it any wonder that  he does not  find
ease  and abundance  and  beauty in life when he goes  through
the world arduously and insistently seeking for its disagreeable
things?   He finds what he  looks for;  and he does not know
that the disease and  the remedy are both in him.   He thinks
the world at large is to blame.
  "What is needed  to cure  him of such an infirmity?  Edu-
cation.   New mental material to feed his  entire being upon.
  "And the same is true of the invalid who talks constantly
of her sickness, and dwells upon it and lives in it.   And the
same is true of the hypochondriac and the  maniac and of the
unhappy man and woman. All, all need new thought  material
to take posssesion of the mind, finally to enter into and  take
possession of the body.   The body then becomes a revised
expression of a revised  manner of thinking.  It does  this un-
consciously even; but how much more will it do it when the
conscious compulsion is put upon it from the mind  that un-
derstands and undertakes the task in a determined and syste-
matic way." 
—47—
  It is here that the master of suggestive therapeutics  proves
a real boon to humanity. He properly, in a systematic man-
ner, and with a zealous determination to cure, approaches his
patient, holds to him and keeps him in the proper channel of
thought and action, till he gains full control over his ailments,
and becomes complete master over all his pernicious  habits.
  For insomnia, suggestion approaches a  specific as nearly
as can be found in any  remedial  measure  for  any disease.
Certainly, it is the safest remedy to produce quiet, refreshing
sleep, and break up the wakeful habits of nervous people that
is  known  to the  medical profession.   Severe, tormenting
headaches are quickly relieved by suggestion.   For  chronic
constipation there is no treatment that approaches suggestion.
It is the cure for this prevalent complaint; no mistake about
this; it will cure constipation, and with the cure  of this
trouble many other accompanying ailments disappear.   It
readily cures incontinence of  urine, especially  in cases of
children, where it has  become a nightly habit.   In all cases
of sexual functional derangements and irregularities, in male
or female,suggestion is entirely superior to all other measures.
It is miraculous to witness the happy changes that come over
patients of this  class when treated by suggestion.   Perver-
sions, weaknesses of all kinds, impotency,  sterility, irregulari-
ties,  amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea,  menorrhagia, headache,
backache, despondency, forgetfulness,wakefulness, dyspepsia,
palpitation of the heart, and the whole train of nervous symp-
toms accompanying the above named ailments, are all amen-
able to suggestive control, and many of them are speedily and
radically cured by this method  alone. In  rheumatism, acute
or chronic, neuralgia of all kinds, St. Vitus'dance, stammering,
nervous prostration, paralysis  of all kinds,  melancholia, mo-
nomania,  loss of voice, asthma, hay fever,  writer's  cramp,
nervous deafness,  nervous blindness, and many other nervous
diseases not  coming  under  any particular heading, are all
suitable diseases for suggestive treatment.  Self consciousness,
bashfulness, fear to speak or sing  in public, fear of lightening
and wind storms,  morbid fear of disease of any kind,  and all 
-48-
hallucinations, are amenable to cure by suggestion.  Suggest-
ion builds new brain  cells,  helps  us  to build character,
strengthens  the  will,  improves  the  memory, gives us new
courage, invigorates all the mental faculties, and helps us to
master difficult problemns in all branches of science.   It en-
ables  us  to  overcome all moral perversions, such ss lying,
stealing, swearing, gambling and violent temper ;  and all such
habits as the private vice, drinking, smoking, chewing, opium
eating, morphine taking, clay eating,  cocaine  and chloral
habits,  are  all amenable to treatment  and  cure  by sug-
gestion.
  In surgery and midwifery,  for the purpose  of preventing
pain, we  employ suggestion instead of chloroform, and in
many  cases  with perfect and complete success.   We can,
many times, perform extensive and dangerous surgical opera-
tions, and take women through difficult  labors, under the
influence  of suggestion, without the least  pain  or danger of
any kind.
  In the management of all cases of sickness, acute or chronic,
surgical  operations,  the  correction  of  vices, &c,  whatever
else may be  required or done, suggestion enables us to  keep
our patients' minds  in  a right line of thought, and this means
a great deal.
  Many poor,  dependent sufferers are confined at home or
elsewhere, without a comforting  or  hopeful word from anv-
one.  Even the  doctor,  himself, shakes his head when he
comes, as if to say,  you are not much longer for this world.
They are obliged to submit to their surroundings, take what-
ever is given them, and worse than all, have to listen  to every-
thing that is said of and about them.   We should remember
it well, discouraging remarks depress  sick people,  and ren-
der cures more tedious ;  and in violent cases of  sickness, we
may, even by our deportment and expressions of despair ren-
der cures impossible.   We also know that we can,  by incou-
raging words, hopeful behavior, and the presentation of cheer-
ful happy thoughts, animate, invigorate and revive sick people,
and greatly enhance their chances for  relief and cure. Sug- 
-49-
gestion  does it all.   Surely  suggestion controls  the  world.
It is the coming method  for the correction  of all vices  and
the prevention of crime.   The time is not far distant when it
will be  the  prevailing method  of  practice  in all reforma-
tory institutions.   Heaven speed the day !

    Examples of Suggestive Treatment.
  Mr.  K. C, machinist, age 40,  height 6  ft.,  weight  170
(previous weight  185), came to see me Feb.  27,  1897.   Ap-
petite fair, but complained of sour taste in his mouth.   His
digestion was disturbed and his bowels sluggish.  He suffered
from severe  spells of extreme nervousness and  jerking of the
legs.  His legs would jerk so rapidly and hard at times  that
he  could not stand on  his feet;  said he jerked terribly at
night when he first went  to bed, about the time he was drop-
ping to sleep.   At times, during the day, these jerks became
general, and his whole body was in a  state of clonic convul-
sions.   He never lost  consciousness.   Has  spells of  melan-
cholia ;  gets exceedingly blue.   Has bad feelings  in his  left
side, and is dizzy at times.   Has a ringing in his right  ear,
and sometimes pain in his left jaw.
  Now, this is an intelligent, good man—good in every way.
The history of the  case reveals these facts:  He was in the
midst—in the very worst part ot the cyclone that passed through
St.  Louis last year, and,  while he was not physically injured,
he was greatly frightened.  From that day he began to suffer
from  the bad feelings in his left side,  dizzy spells and the
jerks, and, finally the general convulsions  above referred  to,
and melancholia between the spells of jerking.   He went to
his  regular family physician;  he sent  him to a nervous  dis-
ease specialist.    He improved a little for a few days, under
strong nerve sedatives, electricity, etc., but soon got as  bad
as ever—no permanent relief.   Finally he came to me, upon
the day above named.   I treated him by ordinary methods,
such as  antispasmodics,  electricity,  arsenic, etc.,  for   six
months.   He improved for quite a while after coming to  me,
and we  thought  he  was getting well, but he never enjoyed 
—50—
complete relief,  especially  when  not under the influence of
some kind of medicine.   Finally, medicines failed to  afford
any relief.   He  grew worse,  got  discouraged,  and  every
time a storm approached he would get  very bad.   Jerked
badly at night.   Suffered from pain over left eye and  in left
jaw, and the same ringing in  the ears;  bad feelings in the
side, melancholia, etc.  As he seemed to get but little relief
from treatment  he gave  up  "doctoring" about the first of
last September.   Before he left me I had  mentioned sugges-
tion to  him, but he did not seem to favor it, and I did not
urge it, for  we  have  to be very careful about how we push
innovations  upon good  people.   Many well-educated and
otherwise excellent physicians injure themselves in this way.
However, after I found that he had left me and was doing noth-
ing in the way of relief, I concluded that as he had paid me so
much money I would not let him go without another effort,
and I had  great confidence that I could relieve him by sug-
gestion.  I wrote him to call and see me. He came on the even-
ing of Oct, 2d. I talked with him for some time about the history
and nature of his ailment, and explained to him how suggestion
might quiet  his  nervous  system and  give him relief.  He
finally consented to try it,  for he had great confidence in me,
not only  as a physician,  but as  a man.    These  things  have
great weight in the practice of suggestive therapeutics.   I told
him to  take the  reclining chair, which he  did, and as I
leaned him back in a  horizontal position, he  had an incred-
ulous  smile  on  his face, and  looked like one half-ashamed
of his behavior.   I paid no attention to all this, but assumed
an earnest, determined air, asked him to relax  every  muscle
of his body,  to assume a perfectly passive condition,  and to
think of himself as just lying down for a quiet sleep,  and to
think  of sleep exactly as  he  did when retiring at night.   I
asked him to fix his eyes directly  upon  mine, to look me
straight in the eyes, and that as he did  so  his eyes  would
soon begin  to  feel  tired  and  heavy, and  that  he  would
finally get sleepy.  As I said these things to him I moved
my face pretty close up to  his,  closed  and opened  my eyes 
—51—
very slowly,  as  though  I  was going to sleep also.   All this
time I was talking to him, saying:  "Your eyes are getting
tired ; your eyelids are  heavy ;  you feel quiet all over; your
eyes begin to look watery; sleep is coming; your eyelids  are
closing, your eyelids are closing," and after repeating these
speeches a few times his eyelids slowly went down and he was
sound asleep.
  Now, reader,  just imagine you see this patient, this strong.
intelligent man,  extended upon  the  reclining chair, while  I
am standing by  his side.  See what I do and listen to what  I
say.  I am on  his  right,  looking him in the face,   I place
both of  my  hands upon his  head, and  slowly  bring  them
down over his face,  pressing upon his eyes as I pass over
them, and say to him: "Soundly asleep; soundly asleep from
head to  foot.   Sleep soundly.  Keep your eyes closed, and
sleep soundly,"   He is now in a deep sleep, and he looks it.
I now say something like this  to him:   "You have been
sick.   You have been sick for a long time, but now  you  are
going to get well.   You have suffered  from ringing in  the
ears, pain  in the  jaw, bad feelings in the  left side, melan-
cholia, jerking spells and dizziness, but these will all disappear
very soon, and  you will be well  again.   You are  already
getting  better.   Your nervous  system  is very  quiet, very
quiet.   The ringing in  the ears is going away,  going away,
going away; the ringing in the ears is going away (and while
I am directing  suggestions to particular  parts I am  gently
rubbing my hand over the  part.)   The pain in  the jaw is
getting better, getting better,  getting better, going  away, all
gone, gone,  no pain in the  jaw, no  pain in the jaw.   Jaw
perfectly  easy and comfortable, no  ringing  in the ears,  no
ringing  in the  ears.   The bad feelings  in the left  side  are
going away, going away, going away, gone, all gone, no bad
feelings in left side, no bad  feelings in left side,  left side
feels perfectly well, perfectly well and comfortable.  Dizziness
getting  better,  jerking  spells disappearing, jerking  spells
going away, no jerking at night when you retire, sleep soundly
all night, no jerking when you retire, no jerking during  the 
-52-
day, nervousness all gone, no more fear of storms, no fear of
storms, no fear of anything, nervousness all gone, go where
you please, eat what you please, nothing hurts you, sleep well
at night,  pain in jaw all gone, pain over eye all gone, ringing
in the ears all gone, dizziness all gone,  bad feelings in side
all gone,  melancholia all gone, melancholia all gone, no more
jerks, no more jerks, well from head  to  foot, well from head
to foot!"   I give him this kind of a talk for fifteen  minutes,
repeating the same things over and over many  times.   It is
the  repetition of  the suggestions that fixes them upon the sub-
jective mind, and brings the result we seek. It should be no-
ticed  that  I pause at  each affected part, and rub my hand
over it as I talk about it.  I think this helps to fix  the  sug-
gestions.   I wake him up.   He looks surprised—just exactly
like one who has been sleeping in a natural way and has been
waked up.   I say to  him:  "You now feel perfectly well all
over.   Do  you  notice any ringing in the ears?"   "No, not
now."  "Any pain in your jaw?"   "No, I can't feel any."
"Any bad feelings  in your side?"   "I  don't notice  any."
"You feel perfectly well?"   "Yes,  I  feel well  now."  He
went away with a broad smile on his face, and as  he went  I
insisted that he should return often.   He has been  her  four
times within a  month,  has gained about ten pounds  in flesh,
looks fine, feels well, no ailments of any kind, and  is one  of
the  happiest and most cheerful men I have ever seen.  No
more melancholia.   At each visit I took  him through about
the  same routine.  I regard him as  being thoroughly cured.
If any of his old troubles should  return I feel confident I can
drive them away  speedily.  This is a  case of suggestion in
the  hypnotic state.
  In the first part of February, of this year, Mr.  M. M., age
25,  came to me suffering from a very painful disease.  He
addressed me thus : "Dr. Pitzer, I am in a most wretched con-
dition.  I have been sick nearly three months.   I went to a
surgeon,  and he toid  me that I could  not be cured without
an operation, to which I consented.  He  attempted to operate
without giving me  anything to prevent suffering and the  pain 
-53-
was  so  excruciating  that  I  could not endure it.   I almost
tainted,  the shock was so great;  and I have suffered so much
pain ever since, that I am  completely incapacitated  for any
kind of work.   I  want you  to  tell me what you think, and
whether you can cure me without an operation or not, and if
an operation is necessary,  can't you give me chloroform, for
I cannot stand it without something to prevent pain, and I
cannot live in this condition.   I am almost  disheartened. !"
  I examined  him carefully and found that I could  not  cure
him without an operation, and I told him so. I told him that
I could  give him chloroform and operate under its influence
and he would feel no  pain.   "But," said I, "if you will
take suggestion,  I can inhibit all pain under its influence, and
perform the  operation  without  your  knowledge, and it will
not be followed by any shock or bad feelings of any kind."
"Suggestion," said he,  "what is that?"  I replied, "by sug-
gestion to prevent pain,  we mean the presentation of thoughts
to your mind that you aie perfectly comfortable, that you feel
nothing, &c, while you are in what we  call a receptive  con-
dition, which we bring  about  by hypnotism."  "O," said
he, "you  have to hypnotize me, eh?  Well, is there no  dan-
ger ki that, and  can you perform the  operation while I  am
asleep  and  not  wake me up?   Can you hypnotize anyone?
Maybe I cannot  be hypnotized?" I replied,  "I can hypnotize
you, if you are willing to  enter  the state ;  and I can assure
you that the operation will be entirely painless. Are  you wil-
ling to do this?"   He answered,  "I  am  entirely willing."
"Then take the  reclining chair please, and I will see what you
can do in the way of  entering the receptive  condition — just
how deep a sleep  you will enter."  He took the chair and
I hypnotized him in less than a minute, and upon testing him
for insensibility I found that  he was in perfect anaesthesia.
I waked him up; told him to come to my office at 8 o'clock
in  the evening,  and  I  would operate  upon him.   He  went
away hopeful.
   At 8 o'clock sharp  he was  at my office.   I seated him in
a reclining chair, immediately hypnotized him, and  at  once 
-54—
got my instruments ready, and prepared  him for the  opera-
tion.  Everything in readiness,  I placed  my hand upon the
part to be operated  upon, and  I said to him,  in a positive
tone of voice, "You are soundly asleep; soundly asleep  from
head to foot.   You are soundly asleep ; soundly asleep from
head to foot.   Sleep soundly,  sleep soundly;  forget  every-
thing you  ever knew.  *Forget everything you ever knew.
You know nothing;  you absolutely know nothing, you know
nothing.   You  feel  nothing;  you feel  nothing, you know
nothing, you feel nothing, you feel  nothing."   After  saying
this much I commenced  the operation, and as I proceeded
with it, I kept on repeating the same formula, till I had done.
The operation completed, I said to him:   "You are soundly
asleep, soundly asleep.  You feel perfectly comfortable, quiet
and easy all over your body.   You are feeling good, feeling
comfortably and well all over.   You are soundly asleep, and
when you wake up you will feel well, comfortable and easy all
over. You will feel rested, revived, refreshed,invigorated, hope-
ful and happy.  You  will sleep well and eat well every day ;
nourish well, gain in health strength,and take on fifteen pounds
of flesh within six weeks, and be perfectly well, fat and strong.
When you wake up you will feel  finely, finely, will feel good
from head to foot; will have no  recollection of anything that
was said or done to you while asleep, and you will go home
hopeful and happy.    Now, when I count five,  you may open
your eyes  and  wake up:  One, two three, four, five—Wake
up!  Wake up ! !"   He opened his  eyes  slowly, and I asked
him if he  felt well.  He replied;  Yes, I feel all right."
Seeing the instrument still in my hand, he said:  "Are  you
ready  for  the  operation!"    When T told him the  opera-
tion was all over he seemed astonished.   Said he  had  felt
nothing, and felt no  inconvenience  whatever from what had
been done, but that  he felt better than he had  felt for along
time, and remembered nothing about what had been said or
done while asleep.

   * I told him this in order to drive out of his mind all recollections  of previous
operations. 
—55—
  This  was all done in the presence of our  class, in our
School of Suggestive Therapeutics  and Medical Electricity,
some of whom were eminent, experienced  surgeons, and all
of them first-class physicians in good standing.
  This  patient made  a rapid  recovery  under suggestions
repeated three times a week;  suggestions for  sound sleep,
good appetite and digestion, and a general building up of the
body  and  mind.  He  speedily gained in appearance  and
took on about  twenty pounds  of  flesh;  melancholy  and
feelings of despair were all displaced by hope, happiness and
good health of body  and mind.
  We have records of many  interesttng cases, where neural-
gias were promptly cured; lame limbs from rheumatism re-
lieved from pain and  restored to  usefulness;  insomnias  and
constipation speedily cured; neurasthenia, nervous prostra-
tion, paralysis, and  quite  a number of other ailments, all
radically cured  by  suggestion ;  but it was not the intention
for  this book to present a full detailed treatment for all  dis-
eases ;  the principles and a few samples of treatment, explain-
ing and showing our methods of managing patients, was all
that we  aimed to  present in this volume.

              Larvated   Suggestion.
  By  larvated  suggestion we mean the use of  suggestion in
the  waking state,  in connection  with medicines or electricity,
when the patient is not aware that we are using it.
  There are a great many people who cannot  be approached
with hypnotic suggestion,  and quite a number that we cannot
influence  by  verbal suggestion alone in  the waking state.
These people have been used to  medicines,  electricity  and
and other physical remedies,  and, in order to  benefit them
we  must use such measures  as they  can readily appreciate.
In all such  cases, when we  know that suggestion  will  help
them, we use larvated, or masked suggestion.    For example,
if we  know that suggestion will relieve constipation, and we
cannot use it  directly in any particular case, on account of
the  patient's prejudices, we fix up for him  a special remedy 
—66—
of some  kind ; a  remedy  whose influence we know,  from
experience, to have  a direct  action  upon the bowels in the
relief of  constipation.  The tenth  or twentieth potency  is
just as good and even better than doses that  would produce
appreciable effects.  Now, we deliver this medicine to our
patient, and  with  great  earnestness  and perfect confidence
we  assure  him that  it will overcome the constipation.   We
direct it to be taken at stated intervals, and impress upon the
patient, by positive speeches, that this medicine will increase
the circulation of blood and the  secretion of muscus in the
lower part of the  bowels ; that it will increase the peristaltic
movement in the bowels, and that it will overcome  the  con-
stipated  condition.    We  impress it  upon  him,  that this
medicine  will  increase  the circulation of  blood  and the
secretion of mucus in the lower part of the bowels, and that
at a  certain  time  during the day  there will be experienced
urgent desires to go to stool, and that the bowels will move.
Tell him that this medicine  will  overcome  the constipation.
  Now, this patient takes this medicine for a definite purpose,
and expects certain results.   We prescribe it  for him  with
the idea in  our mmds that it will do just what we tell him it
will do, and as we feel and know that  this particular medicine
does actually produce the effects we tell him it  will  produce,
we  can project our thoughts with earnestness and confidence,
all  of which he  sees and feels, and he takes the medicine,
expects the results, and they actually follow.
  In  all cases where  we use larvated  suggestion, suggestion
masked by  medicine of  any kind, we  should always  use a
drug, whose  known effect is in the direction of the results we
desire to obtain.   No matter about  the dose, so it is not
too large.    The  particular action of the  drug is what  we
want to keep in our minds,  then we can talk about its effects
to our patients  with all confidence; they realize our earnest-
ness, and  our  suggestions  will  be  accepted  and  give  good
results.
   There  are  numerous  cases  in  the physician's practice,
where he  can  apply larvated   suggestion   with  complete 
—57—
success.   Medicines prescribed and taken for a purpose  are
very apt to give us the results wished for, if proper conditions
are observed.   The  physician who has not tried  it will be
surprised at the results of earnest suggestions accompanying
his medicines.    Let the case  be  what  it may,  we should
prescribe  the  medicine  that we feel confident will work in
the direction of the relief sought, then,  in a positive, earnest
manner tell the patient what to  expect  from it; that it will
give relief; it will prevent a chill, or a fever, as the case may
be, and the results looked for are nearly certain to be realized.
The physician who accompanies his prescriptions with  hope-
ful prophesies, telling his patients that they will soon be better ;
that the medicines will relieve them and  how they will help
them,  can,  other things being equal,  excel any  man who
does otherwise ;  who simply prescribes and, in an indifferent
way, says he will try, but leaves doubtful impressions with
his patients.
   One of  the most interesting cases of larvated suggestion
that ever came under our  observation  was  that  of Mr. W.,
whose case  we reported in the  Hypnotic Magazine in  1897,
where we used electricity in connection with suggestion.  We
 reproduce it here:
   "Mr. W., age 37, s-ix feet tall, weight  138  pounds,  called
at my office for advice October 3, 1897, and told me the fol-
lowing story:
   "Dr. Pitzer,  I am sick,  and I  am not sick either.  I am
able to get about, but I am fit for nothing.  I have been ail-
ing for nearly  four years, and have  taken a great deal of medi-
cine.  I  have  had some of the best physicians in this city, but
nothing  seems  to  give  me  more than  temporary   relief.
1 am now as badly off as I was a year ago.  I was first  taken
with a weakness and heavy feeling  in my legs,  and very soon
I began to suffer from sharp, quick, lancinating pains, appar-
ently of a neuralgic or rheumatic character, sometimes  in the
muscles of my right leg, occasionally in the left leg, then in
the thigh, and again they would strike me on the front  of the
hip.  1 still suffer from these pains.  They come on suddenly. 
—58—
are very severe while they last, but are soon gone,  only to re-
appear very soon, however, in new places.  Perhaps they will
be confined to one or two spots for one whole day and night,
coming and going  at frequent intervals,  and then the next
day or two they seem to select new places, but I  have never
had the least sign of any pain above  my  waist.   But I have
had a peculiar feeling about  my  body, or  rather around  my
waist.  It  is   something  like  a squeezing sensation, and  I
sometimes feel as if my clothes were too tight around my waist.
O, now I have a pain in my  right leg, just above my  knee."
Here he stopped talking,  changing his position, clasping  his
right leg with his hand, leaned forward, corrugated his brow,
drew  up the  corners of  his mouth,  held his leg tightly, and
looked and behaved like  a man  suffering  intense pain.   As
the pain disappeared he resumed his  story.
   "Now, that is the way  it takes me; and, doctor, you have
no  idea  what agony  I  suffer.   I can not rest well at night
without medicine.   My appetite is capricious, digestion very
much disturbed, and  bowels constipated.   I am temperate
in my habits,  but when these  pains come on I sometimes drink
a lot of whisky, and it takes a good deal to quiet me.  I have
never had any specific disease ; in fact,  I was never sick in
my life till this thing came upon me.    I get a little dizzy by
spells ; can not walk as well as I used to ;  get fatigued upon
the least exertion, and while  I have  no pain in my  back,  I
have a kind of dragging feeling in the lower part of my spine
and my legs feel weak.   Now, Dr. Pitzer, I want to  know if
you  can do anything  for me or not.  I have tried so many
things  and  so many doctors without obtaining any permanent
relief that I have lost almost  all hope.  I was recommended
to you because you have the reputation  of being a medical
electrician, and I thought possibly electricity might help me."
   I listened very attentively  to this history, and as he related
it I studied him well, as a whole and in detail, and when he
had finished  I meditated seriously  for a moment, just long
enough to permit his  mind  to become settled and receptive.
Then I submitted him to  a careful examination, which I made 
-59—
in a very quiet manner, saying but few words to him.  I found
that he  was suffering from posterior spinal sclerosis, resulting
in the development of symptoms of locomotor ataxia.   His
gait unsteady, the tendon reflexes impared, he could not stand
well with his  eyes closed,  and could walk better by watching
where he placed his  feet.   He  was impatient and fretful in
disposition and pessimistic in thought—all the time looking
for. suggesting  and  expecting the worst from  everything.
While I was making my careful examination he seemed to be
greatly  interested; watched me closely,  and appeared to
study me and my behavior as earnestly as I had his while he
told his story.   This is just what I wanted  him to  do.  I
wanted  his  whole  attention and  I  got it.   We  gave  each
other proper attention from the first, and   we   were  both
intensely interested.   He  was well and favorably  impressed,
ready for suggestions, and I was ready to suggest, for I  had
carefully studied the case, had learned his condition, physically
and mentally, and now knew what to say to him and  how to
say it in an effective  manner.  We were en rapport with each
other.
  All this time I was pondering over what  course of treatment
to adopt with him.   From a long experience  I  had learned
that medicines  had but little effect in controlling such diseases,
but I could not reject them entirely in  this case,  for  he  had
always been used to them, and for  me to omit them might
arouse doubt in his mind  as to the wisdom of my methods and
ability to help him ;  that  I  must employ  electricity in some
form was already settled, for he had come to me for that pur-
pose, and really expected, if he had any element of hope  left,
that if he got any relief at all, it must come from  electricity.
I did not dare  approach  him upon the subject of hypnotic
suggestion, for I had learned that his education and environ-
ments  had been such  as  to make this  entirely impracticable.
He is a man  who must see, taste  and  smell everything with
which  he comes in contact, or it  has no existence for him.
I arrived at this conclusion:  1 will give him such medicine as
I know will give him some present relief, and just enough of it 
—60—
to make  him  know  that I believe in medicine,  and that T
expect something from it.  I will employ electricity in that
form which will produce the most profound psychic influence
and  at the same  time produce the  best  possible physical
effects,   Lastly, I  will give him the most positive, earnest and
forcible suggestions possible for me to make to him.   I now
placed a chair upon the insulated platform which I use in con-
nection with a static electrical machine, and asked him to be
seated upon it.  I took a position directly in front of him, my
head a little above a level with his, and before I commenced
to apply the electricity, I made  substantially, this  speech to
him:
  '' Mr. W.. you have been sick for a long time ; now I am going
to tell you exactly what is the matter with you.  Your disease is
a curable one.   It is in the lower part of the spinal cord. The
pains you  suffer and the lameness you experience are only
expressions of the disease  in the spinal cord.   We call this
sclerosis of the spinal cord, which means a hardened condition.
It is  the the result of a slow chronic inflammation.  Tn order to
cure such cases we must use measures that will overcome the
chronic inflammation  and soften the spinal cord.  Just  as
soon as  amendment  commences in the spinal cord you will
begin to enjoy relief from the pains, be  able to  walk  better,
sleep soundly every night, eat with a relish and gain in weight
and strength till your  health is entirely restored."
  He  was by this time  greatly interested,  but I  went on.
"You  are  now  seated  upon  that  insulated platform for
the  purpose  of  receiving electricity.   I  will  turn  the
switch  connecting the current with  the  motor,  and this
will run the electric machine, and as  it generates  electricity
it passes down the brass rod  leading from  the positive
side   of the  machine to the  platform  upon  which you
are seated.  As it cannot escape it accumulates  upon and in
your body.  The machine is now going.  You are  rapidly
filling  up with electricity, and if I  approach you  sparks will
fly from your body like so many streaks  of lightning.  I ap-
proach your knee  with my hand and see how  the  sparks fly. 
—61—
Wherever I thus approach you the electricity accumulates and
produces a deep effect.   Now in order  to  successfully apply
this in the cure of your case we must concentrate  the elec-
tricity over the lower part of your spinal cord, and I will now
do this.  I use a brass ball for this purpose, and I pass it up
and  down  over the lower part of the spine.  You feel the
effecc of the sparks.  They penetrate to  the very center of the
cord.  They stop for nothing.  They will go through the sole of
your shoe.  Watch while I approach the heel of your shoe with
the brass ball.  You feel it distinctly in your foot.    Now, you
see this electricity stops for nothing. I again apply it to  your
spine. It goes to the center.  This will overcome the inflam-
mation and soften the spinal cord. Remember, this will soften
the spinal cord, and as it does this your pains will disappear.
They will go away,  go away to return no more.   This  elec-
trical influence will  soften the spinal cord, and you will  then
be free from pain, will sleep soundly, eat  heartily, grow fat
and strong, walk without tiring,  be  entirely well  again—will
be entirely well."
   It goes without saying, this patient was in a splendid  con-
dition of suggestibility.    He would not have heard a clock
strike if it had been close at his  ear. His mind was fully and
completely occupied.  Never  before had  he had such an
experience.   I kept up this treatment for fifteen minutes,  talk-
ing to him all the time in an earnest, positive manner, and he
listened to me attentively.  I gave him some salo-sedatus tab-
lets and told him to take one between meals and at bed-time ;
that  they would  help to  maintain  an  influence, and would
favor conditions of  sleep at night till we could overcome the
inflammation in the spinal cord.   I ordered him to stop drink-
ing whisky for temporary relief—that it would increase the
hardness in the spinal cord and  make him worse.   He  came
to see me daily, and each day I  gave him the same treatment
and suggestions, and in the same positive,  forcible manner
told  him the electricity would soften the spinal cord. He never
lost  interest, and dropped into a suggestible state every day.
He improved but little for a week, but after that he  began to 
—02—
enjoy greater  intervals of rest between the fits of pain, and
after the 13th of October he was entirely free from pain.  He
continued the treatment up to  the 4th of November, just one
month,  when he stopped.   He was eating and sleeping well,
gaining in weight, no pains anywhere, walking well, and said
he wished to test the improvement, and if  he was threatened
with a relapse he would return.  I urged him to continue, for
I feared we had not treated him long enough, but he insisted
upon stopping treatment he was so well.
  I report this case for the specific purpose of showing how
we can  use suggestion effectively with people who would  not
accept it if offered to them in  connection  with hypnotism, or
without the  use of some  other measure or medicine with it.
Suggestion was the all potent measure in the  management of this
man, and lam very certain that I could not have relieved him
without it.   I place great stress upon every detail of the man-
agement ; the manner in which I handled him from the first,
in order to prepare him for successful suggestion, and how I
projected thoughts in company with the electricity, in order to
fix his mind upon conditions of disease present, and how the
electricity would soften the spinal cord and relieve  him.   To
be sure, we can always do better with suggestion  when  not
opposed in any way—when we are permitted to openly place
our patients in suggestible conditions.
  After the treatment and report of this case, some criticisms
were offered, relating to the treatment and  nature of the case.
It was contended that we placed too  much  stress upon  the
suggestion and not enough upon the electricity, and that the
patient might not be permanently benefited,  etc,
  We  still hold that it was the suggestion that worked the
cure.  And since it has been found, by careful investigation,
that  locomotor ataxia  is a  "periphero-central degeneration
of sensory neuron endings," and that suggestion  may have
a wonderful  control over these conditions, making the prog-
nosis or prospect of cure more favorable,   we are  thoroughly
convinced that it was suggestion that cured this patient.   He
is still able for business, at this writing, May 14th,  1898. 
—63—
              General  Observations.
  It is  larvated suggestion and  ordinary  suggestion in the
waking state, that the busy practitioner of medicine  can use
to such great advantage every day  of  his life.  When his
patients are least thinking about it, he is giving them favor-
able impressions in some way.  By his pleasant manners, kind,
comforting words and gentle touches, he  may be lifting them
from miserable beds  of despondency and distress.   While he
is  dispensing  the  appropriate  medicines to  his patient, or
is  using electricity in some form,  he may be disabusing his
mind of some  mistaken idea of  fixed disease, which is weigh-
ing him down; and all the while he may  be assuring him, by
hopeful promises, that  speedy relief will surely come;  that
the measures used will certainly produce  the  desired  effects,
and that  recovery   will  be  the  final result.   He carefully
explains to his patient how he expects the measures employed
to effect a cure.  He excites  the  patient's  confident  ex-
pectation of the  wished-for conditions and  this  results  in  a
lively hope, which serves as a powerful motor force in effect-
ing a cure.   The  patient is thus enabled to  help  himself
and he does it.   By patient,  faithful  efforts,  in a  proper
direction,  the  earnest physician who uses  suggestion in his
practice cannot fail  to realize good results;  and he  knows
the benefits of having  the full confidence  and  hearty  co-
operation of his  patients in hastening and perfecting cures.
  Certainly, we  cannot manage all cases successfully in the
waking state, not even  by larvated suggestion, but  we use
ordinary and  larvated suggestion where we  can and resort
to hypnotic suggestion in all other cases.
   In all cases, to insure effective work with suggestion, under
any condition, great care should be taken in preparing  each
patient for treatment.  We should have every advantage that
the earnest desire and  submissive trust of the patient can
afford us.   We should have his full consent and confidence.
To obtain this and hold it, we must be very careful w hat we
say and how we say  it.  No trifling of any kind. Sick people 
—64—
do not come to us to talk politics,  indulge in neighborhood
or village gossip, or to listen to our tales of woe.  They come
for business.  They are seeking relief, and it is our  business
to devote our  whole time and attention  to them and their
ailments.   Before we  do anything in  the  way of advice or
treatment, we  should carefully examine  our patient, and  find
out what his troubles are, and  what he thinks they may  be.
The most important thing is to find  out exactly what is  the
matter with  each patient.  We are now  in a position  to talk.
We have thoroughly examined the patient, are able to explain
to him the nature of his ailment.   He hears and believes us,
for he knows we have taken the necessary pains to learn  the
facts we carefully present to  him.   We are now ready to say:
"I ca?i cure you, sir!"  We can tell him why we  know it,
etc..   We  should be  earnest, and absolutely truthful, in all
our descriptions of his  case,  and in our  promises of relief and
cure.   Other things being equal, the physician who succeeds
best with  suggestive  therapeutics, is the man who himself
believes in his  methods, is earnest, truthful and conscientious
in his efforts, free from all vices, and  whose walk in  every-
day life is  such  as to earn the respect and inspire the con-
fidence of the  people with whom he mingles.
  The physician should be ready at all times to  meet his
patients at their homes or in his office, with  a cheerful, hope-
ful face and a  comforting word.   He  should cultivate   the
faculty of cheerfulness; by  this  means he comes  to look
cheerful, and his patients learn to think of him as one who will
certainly give  them a comforting,  encouraging word.  Thus
the  good   physician  prepares  his  patients  for  pleasant
memories, beforehand, and  they are often better the moment
they start for his office.  They are surely better before they
leave it.
  As Wood says:   "We  should  never  forget to  send pure
thoughts to  the lustful, a peaceful thought to the revengeful,
a thought of strength and self-respect to the slave to appetites,
and each thought will return to us sooner or later laden with ten-
fold its former burden  and the ones we  seek to help  will  feel 
-65—
its beneficent power and learn to find happiness in  the only
way through knowledge."
  In  our earnest  efforts to relieve  others of bodily ills, cure
them of habits and correct  their vices, we re-enforce our-
selves, grow in strength of body, mind and soul.  Instead of
this kind of  practice being  depressive or wearing,  it is re-
freshing and invigorating, and by its faithful  pursuance we
prolong our own lives.    It cannot be  otherwise, for as we
help and elevate others, we come up with them, and we all
come  up together; we live, and enjoy good health together.
  Suggestion  controls the world, and "All things are ready,
if our  minds be so." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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