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It was clear that, though his actions had been conscious, intelligent and purposive, yet his conscious activity was of a restricted kind; he seemed to have had no thought about the consequences of his action, but to have been driven on by the single strong impulse of fear, taking the form of a desire to get far away from the danger-zone." The above cases of so-called fugue typify a mental disease called hysteria.The malady is rather common, both among women and men, and takes countless forms, difficult to classify. Like other neuroses, hysteria is often left without medical attention and treatment, and only the graver cases are hospitalized. The ailment is of particular interest to us, because it manifests symptoms which, in many respects, parallel the phenomena of hypnosis. It is the consensus of medical opinion that hysteria is not caused by an organic trouble; at least, the latter could not be detected. Yet the patient may be totally or partially blind or deaf, be afflicted with the paralysis of limbs or side, suffer from fits, chorea or skin anaesthesia; or he may be a sleep-walker. Such a condition is serious enough to make any person desperate, it seems; yet surprisingly, despite the gravity of his trouble, the patient often feels no mental agonies whatever, but accepts the ailment indifferently, almost willingly.

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However, the relationship of prestige-and-faith cannot always be ordered into existence. Every so often the practician meets a person whose skepticism cannot be easily shaken by verbal persuasion or argument. What shall he do? Experience has taught me that a determined effort on the part of the subject to resist suggestion practically assures its failure. Consequently, I came to the conclusion never again to yield to the request or challenge of a skeptic to try him out, not until a change of mind has taken place. There are, certainly, ways to allay and overcome doubts. Where a direct approach is not sure, an indirect one may be of assistance. Or psychological preparation may be indicated. In this connection, W. F. Lovatt offers us an excellent, though not entirely new, method of handling a "doubting Thomas."