A great acceleration of the pulse and of the respiration has been often observed when the method of Braid, or fascination (Bremaud), or mesmeric passes were employed (Ochorowicz), the respiration, which was normally 18 per minute, rising to 50 or even more. I have myself made a number of experiments on this point, and fully agree with Bernheim and Preyer that these changes are not brought about by the hypnosis, but by the fixed attention. I believe that it is only the effort made and the excitement which cause these abnormalities; the irregularities in the respiration which are observed at times should be ascribed to the same cause. Preyer mentions that the respiration of a person looking at a microscopic object often changes; in the same way it displays abnormalities when a person believes himself watched. An experienced doctor, therefore, prefers to examine the respiration unobserved by his patient. At all events, I have seen a material acceleration of the pulse and respiration set in after a long strain of attention without a trace of hypnosis. If there is hypnosis, in a little while the irregularity and acceleration cease either spontaneously or by suggestion.

I have only seen a few cases in which they persisted, but am by no means inclined to think this a sign of hypnosis, as some persons show an acceleration of pulse and breathing on the slightest provocation. Even a conversation is enough to induce acceleration, and changes of pulse and respiration have been known to be brought about by an uncomfortable sitting posture. Besides which it must be added that in many people there is an important acceleration of pulse and respiration in the strong muscular contractions of the cataleptic phenomena (Braid), and also in tonic contracture (Rumpf). If I made such persons lie quietly down, and avoided conversation, physical effort, and mental excitement, I never observed any acceleration.

In some instances I have found a deepened and somewhat long-drawn inspiration, and also a slight slowing of pulse, in hypnosis. These were the cases which bore an external resemblance to sleep, and in which, as I have already mentioned several times, no important spontaneous movements take place. It is also very difficult to induce movements by suggestion in these cases. Respiration, which holds an intermediate position between voluntary and involuntary movement,1 can also be influenced by suggestion. I have always been careful never to prolong such experiments for more than half a minute. Whenever I suggested to a subject that he could not breathe, an apparent pause in his respiration occurred. Jendrdssik mentions a case in which, by means of suggestion, he stopped respiration for three minutes. According to a report published by Beesel in 1853, a "magnetized" subject apparently ceased to breathe for from six to eight minutes, during which time his mouth remained so wide open that the onlookers thought he was dead.

Still, shallow respiration is easily overlooked.

1 Respiration is, as a rule, an involuntary act, but it can be influenced by the will to a certain degree - accelerated or retarded.

Numerous investigations have shown that suggestion exerts a certain amount of influence on the blood-vessels and the heart. Forel, Beaunis, and F. Myers have observed local flushing induced by suggestion. There is nothing astonishing in this, for we know quite well that the vasomotor system is easily influenced by mental processes. I have already mentioned (page 64) that embarrassment will cause blushing, and dread, pallor. I also mentioned some experiments of Dumontpallier, who induced by suggestion a local increase of temperature of as much as 3o C. To these may be added Krafft-Ebing's experiments, in one of which any body-temperature could be induced - for example, 360 C. Mar&s and Hellich also made some very interesting experiments on this point; they frequently found it possible to reduce the temperature of a hypnotic from 37o C. to 34.5o C. in the space of twenty-four hours. This reduction of temperature was not a direct result of suggestion, but was brought about indirectly by suggesting a diminished sensitiveness to heat and cold.

I may also remind my readers that Lehmann and one of his friends found that they could increase the temperature of the palms of their hands to the extent of 0.06o C. and 0.02° C. respectively, by vividly imagining a feeling of warmth at the spot in question. Loewenfeld also relates that he placed a thermometer in each hand of a person in the somnambulic stage, pointing out to the subject that his right hand was warm and moist, but the left hand cold; in an hour's time the temperature of the right hand had risen 1° C. Loewenfeld further states that the subject was closely watched to see that he kept the thermometer firmly grasped. Unfortunately, this experiment, like so many others, proves very little. Loewenfeld should have shown that the grip was constant throughout the experiment, for a change, small enough to escape the notice of those controlling the experiment, will easily produce a variation of temperature. As a curiosity I will mention the local reddening of the skin which has often been observed in spirit mediums (Carpenter, du Prel), and which has been explained as a supernatural phenomenon.

As such mediums are often in a state of trance, which is possibly identical with hypnosis, this phenomenon admits of a perfectly natural explanation.

Some observations have also been made on the influence of suggestion on the action of the heart. I myself have often been able to produce a slowing of the pulse in cases of palpitation. However, we should be cautious how we draw the conclusion that the suggestion has affected the nerves of the heart directly; the effect is doubtless an indirect one. For, independent of the fact that the action of the heart is to a certain degree dependent on the respiration, it is likewise under the influence of ideas, which affect the emotions. Such ideas have the power of quickening or slowing the heart's action; it is possible that the suggestion which retards a quick pulse only produces this result indirectly by a removal of the mental exciting cause, or, vice versa, quickens the pulse by excitement. My observations of the quickening and slowing of the heart's action by suggestion lead me to take this view rather than that of a direct influence of suggestion on the nerves or nerve-centres of the heart. In any case, it would be difficult to exclude this indirect action. No matter how the result was brought about, Beaunis has seen several cases of momentary changes in the pulse without the respiration being affected by suggestion.