The chief part of the present little work appeared as an article in the Zeitschrift fur die Gesammte Strafrechtswissenschaft, under the title of "Der Hypnotismns and seine strafrechtliche Bedeutung" (Hypnotism and its Forensic Aspects).

The wish, which has been expressed to me from many quarters, that I should place this article, in a short, comprehensive form, before the whole medical profession, and give the chief facts about hypnotism and the up-to-date theories, impelled me to publish the work in book form, with a number of supplementary data. My days were so taken up with other work that I found it exceedingly difficult to find time for this. Perhaps the imperfections of the present sketch may be excused on these grounds.

Those who wish to take up this subject ought to read Bern-heim's classical work "De la suggestion et do ses application et la therapeutique" (Paris: O. Doin).

Like everything else which is brought freshly to the notice of the public, hypnotism has also been severely attacked by some, greeted with derision and skepticism by others, judged with exaggerated sanguinism by others again, and, lastly, decorated with all sorts of various exaggerations.

Some regard it as humbug, and call all hypnotized persons malingerers. This view, I may explain in passing, ha3 been refuted as absurd to the mind of every unbiassed person by the very number of the so-called malingerers. Some believe that the world is being turned upside down and the law endangered, and they wish the police to interfere, to drive hypnotism away like a plague.

I shall be glad if I can help, by means of this work, to disperse the various outgrowths arising from this irrational human mental excitement, and reduce the facts to their actual measure and importance. I believe that a fairly wide experience, extending over two years, will enable me to succeed in doing this.

I would say to the scoffers and skeptics, " Test before you judge,"

One can only judge hypnotism if one has practiced hypnotizing for a considerable time.

DR. AUG. FOREL.

ZURICH.