"I myself, and I believe many other medical men, have observed cases of this or of a similar nature. I will quote two, in which I think I took all necessary precautions before being convinced of their truth.
"1st. About 1853 or 1854, I had under my care a young woman with confirmed hysteria: nothing was easier than to put her to sleep by various means. I consider myself entitled to state that, while holding her hand, my unspoken thoughts were transferred to her, but upon this I do not insist, error and fraud being possible.
"But the transmission of a definite sensation seemed to me to be absolutely certain. This is how I proceeded: Having put the patient to sleep, and seated myself by her side, I leaned towards her and dropped my handkerchief behind her chair; then, while stooping to lift it up, I quickly put into my mouth a pinch of common salt, which, unknown to her, I had beforehand put into the right-hand pocket of my waistcoat. The salt being absolutely without smell, it was impossible that the patient should have known that I had some in my mouth; but as soon as I raised myself again I saw her face express disgust, and she moved her lips about. 'That is very nasty,' she said; 'why did you put salt into my mouth?'
"I have repeated this experiment several times with other inodorous substances, and it has always succeeded. I report this fact alone because it seems to me to be certain."
Transference of Pain.
Experiments with sensations of pain, as has been pointed out, stand on a different footing. There is no special source of error to be guarded against. The following trials, conducted by Mr. Edmund Gurney, with the assistance of the present writer and others, on two evenings in the early part of 1883, will perhaps suffice to indicate the possibility of such transmission. The percipient was a youth named Wells, at the time of the experiments a baker's apprentice. He was hypnotised by Mr. G. A. Smith. During the trials Wells was blindfolded, and Mr. Smith stood behind his chair. On the first evening Mr. Smith held one of the percipient's hands; and throughout the series it was necessary for Mr. Smith to hold communication with Wells; the only words used, however, being the simple uniform question, "Do you feel anything?"[28]
No. 11.—By EDMUND GURNEY.
First Series. January 4th, 1883.
1. The upper part of Mr. Smith's right arm was pinched continuously. Wells, after an interval of about two minutes, began to rub the corresponding part on his own body.
2. Back of the neck pinched. Same result.
3. Calf of left leg slapped. Same result.
4. Lobe of left ear pinched. Same result.
5. Outside of left wrist pinched. Same result.
6. Upper part of back slapped. Same result.
7. Hair pulled. Wells localised the pain on his left arm.
8. Right shoulder slapped. The corresponding part was correctly indicated.
9. Outside of left wrist pricked. Same result.
10. Back of neck pricked. Same result.
11. Left toe trodden on. No indication given.
12. Left ear pricked. The corresponding part was correctly indicated.
13. Back of left shoulder slapped. Same result.
14. Calf of right leg pinched. Wells touched his arm.
15. Inside of left wrist pricked. The corresponding part was correctly indicated.
16. Neck below right ear pricked. Same result.
In the next series of these experiments Wells was blindfolded, as before; but in this case a screen was interposed between Mr. Smith and Wells; and there was no contact between them. During two or three of the trials Mr. Smith was in an adjoining room, separated from Wells by thick curtains.
Second Series. April 10th, 1883.
17. Upper part of Mr. Smith's left ear pinched. After a lapse of about two minutes, Wells cried out, "Who's pinching me?" and began to rub the corresponding part.
18. Upper part of Mr. Smith's left arm pinched. Wells indicated the corresponding part almost at once.
19. Mr. Smith's right ear pinched. Wells struck his own right ear, after the lapse of about a minute, as if catching a troublesome fly, crying out, "Settled him that time."
20. Mr. Smith's chin was pinched. Wells indicated the right part almost immediately.
21. The hair at the back of Mr. Smith's head was pulled. No indication.
22. Back of Mr. Smith's neck pinched. Wells pointed, after a short interval, to the corresponding part.
23. Mr. Smith's left ear pinched. Same result.
After this, Mr. Smith being now in an adjoining room, Wells began, as he said, "to go to sleep;" and said that he "didn't want to be bothered." He was partially waked up, and the experiments were resumed.