Dumont-Pallier should be considered as the founder
of a series of experiments, for he was the first one to show in a
decisive manner that the duality of the cerebral system was proved by
these hypnotic phenomena; and his works, as well as those of Messrs.
Berillon and Descourtis, have brought to light the following facts:
Under hypnotic conditions, the psychical activity of a brain
hemisphere may be suppressed without nullifying the intellectual
activity or consciousness. Both hemispheres may be started at the same
time in different degrees of activity; and also, when the grade is the
same, they may be independently the seat of psychical manifestations
which are in their natures entirely different. In close connection
with this and with the whole doctrine of hemi-hypnotism, which is
founded upon these facts, stand the phenomena of thought transference,
which we must consider later.

As an addition to the investigations of Charcot and Dumont-Pallier,
Bremaud, in 1884, made the discovery that there was a fourth hypnotic
state, "fascination," which preceded the three others, and manifested
itself by a tendency to muscular contractions, as well as through
sensitiveness to hallucination and suggestion, but at the same time
left to the subject a full consciousness of his surroundings and
remembrance of what had taken place. Descourtis, in addition,
perceived a similar condition in the transition from hypnotic sleep to
waking, which he called _delire posthypnotique_, and, instead of using
the word "fascination" to express the opening stage, he substituted
"captation." According to him, the diagram would be the following:

[Illustration]

This whole movement, which I have tried to sketch, and whose chief
peculiarity is that it considers hypnotism a nervous malady, and one
that must be treated clinically and nosographically, was opposed in
1880 in two directions--one source of opposition producing great
results, while the other fell to the ground. The latter joined itself
to the theory of the mesmerists, and tried, by means of exact
experiments, to measure the fluid emanating from the human body--an
undertaking which gave slight promise of any satisfactory result.

Baillif in his thesis (1878) and Chevillard in his (for spiritualists)
very interesting books, tried, by means of various arguments, to
uphold the fluidic explanation. Despine also thought that by its help
he had been able to explain the phenomena; but it was Bar