'Medistic therapeutics', as has been already mentioned, comprehends within itself all known forms of Psychotherapy which employs 'Suggestion', in some form or other, after inducing in the patient a state of 'meditation' for healing purposes. Although primarily a combination of the methods of 'direct' and 'indirect' Suggestions as conveyed by the earlier types of Psychotherapy, such as 'Faith-healing', 'Christian science', 'Suggestive therapeutics', 'Magnetism', 'Mesmerism', 'Hypnotism', 'Psychoanalysis' etc., 'Medistic Therapeutics', does not deny at the same time, the efficacy of medical treatment. It simply points out the importance of 'Suggestion' in the treatment of diseases which the practitioners of medicine generally neglect. Every disease, according to it, has a more or less, psychological background and 'Medistic therapeutics' gives treatment to patients by bringing about a spiritual regeneration in him through the spiritual forces of 'Personal Magnetism' and 'Suggestion'.

'Medistic therapeutics', as such is a new name, not a new thing; its method is nothing more than a combination of the various methods of 'Suggestive therapeutics', so far known.

Method

In explaining the various methods of 'Medistic therapeutics' which I have been successfully employing during my psychotherapeutic career, I have to mention my method of treatment is divided into three well marked stages: (1) The Recording stage, (2) The Diagnostic stage, and (3) The Therapeutic stage.

(1) The Recording stage consists of procuring a faithful report of the disease from the patient himself which may be supplemented by reports from his relatives. The patient must be asked to write out a complete history of his disease without omitting anything which might appear to him as insignificant. This report from the patient helps the physician in understanding the disease properly. It generally happens that the patient remains ignorant of the origin of the disease as most of the diseases are rooted far back in his childhood. He must write, among other things, his physical and psychological drawbacks with special reference to their symptoms. Over and above all these, the patient must supply the physician with the record of his general attitude towards life, his social and sex relations. Even for purposes of 'Distant treatment' where the patient cannot meet the physician personally, all these details must be sent. When the patient can meet the physician, this must be invariably done inasmuch as 'treatment at hand' is obviously far better than 'Distant treatment'. The physician, on his part, must record his own impressions about the patient's ailments. Even the petty mannerisms must not be lost sight of, as they may supply the physician with valuable clues to the nature of the disease.

Over and above all these, the patient must keep a record of his dreams, for dream, according to Freud, 'is the via regia to the unconscious'. During his conscious waking life, the patient, represses all the anti-social 'wishes' into the Unconscious chamber of his mind. This 'repression' is done by what Freud calls, 'the endo-psychic censor'—the moral-self in us. During sleep, when the conscious mind slumbers and the 'censor' relaxes, these 'repressed wishes' invade the field of consciousness in the form of dreams. Thus, dreams according to Freud, are symbolic manifestations of 'repressed wishes'. But unfortunately, Freud has laid too much emphasis upon the past, in interpretating dreams. That is why he has failed to explain the Prophetic and the Telepathic dreams.

Dream, as this book upholds, is an emergent quality which symbolically represents a tendency. This tendency reflects the spiritual development in the dreamer attained through his past and present self-culture which points towards the future. When the 'manifest content' of the dream is interpreted, the physician gets a glimpse into the patient's 'latent' tendencies. That is why, 'Interpretation of Dreams' forms an important method of 'Medistic therapeutics'. Dreams can be very easily interpreted by the 'Method of Free-Association' of Psychoanalysis. The validity of the interpretation is determined by its acceptance by the dreamer himself. Dream interpretation throws a flood of light on the cause of the symptoms of the patient's disease.

When the patient has supplied the physician with a record of his ailments, this must be verified by his friends and relations. The physician must be told if the disease is suspected to be hereditary, for in that case an altogether different line of treatment might have to be followed. It does not matter even if the disease is seriously chronic or hereditary, for 'Medistic therapeutics' has proved to be an infallible remedy for all diseases where medicine fails. After procuring a record of the ailment from the patient, together with all his dreams and symptoms, the 'Diagnostic stage' of 'Medistic therapeutics' begins.

(2) The 'Diagnostic stage' is the most important and the most difficult stage of 'Medistic therapeutics' in which the physician has to depend mainly upon his 'insight' into the nature of the disease. In this stage, the main task of the physician begins. In the 'Recording stage', he has to remain more or less passive as the patient has to do the recording work; but here the physician himself has to be very alert and active in seeing through the symptoms and interpreting them. The physician has not only to observe the various symptoms of the patient and record them; he must be able to diagnose properly the real cause of those symptoms, inasmuch as the success of the treatment is dependent upon proper diagnosis of the disease.

For the purpose of exact diagnosis, the physician may take the help of (a) medical experts or specialists. Even (b) instrumental diagnosis by X-ray, Cardiography, Thermometer and by other required instruments may be obtained; and stools, urine, sputum and blood etc., may be properly examined. The beginners must invariably consult expert psychotherapists both for diagnosis and for treatment, otherwise they may do incalculable harm to their patients. Instrumental diagnosis may, at times, be dispensed with, if genuine (c) 'clairvoyants' could be questioned after inducing Hypermedism. Although a very rare occurrence, I have been greatly helped by my 'clairvoyant' subjects in diagnosing accurately, complicated diseases which baffled even instrumental diagnosis. As it is unsafe to rely on diagnosis by 'clairvoyants', the beginners who have become expert hypnotists would do well to (d) hypnotise the patient and obtain his own diagnosis of the disease. The patient, when hypnotised, will give a fairly accurate report about the nature of his ailment and also of its productive cause. The conscious mind of the patient remains ignorant of the slight physical and mental changes as productive factors of the disease which invariably impress upon his unconscious mind. Under hypnotic 'trance', all these factors come to the level of the patient's conscious mind, and thus enable him to glimpse into his 'unconscious complexes'.

In case the patient cannot be hypnotised for the purpose of diagnosis, the only course open to the physician is the (e) Psychoanalytical method of 'Free-Association'. The 'Free-Association' method is, unfortunately, not free in the true sense of the term. As in hypnotism, the patient here has to relax and remain uncritical and passive as far as practicable. He is then asked by the physician to give a fairly accurate association to certain symptoms of the disease which the physician considers to be important. The 'Free-Association' method is, as such, a misnomer ; it should be better called 'Controlled Association'. In fact, the method of 'Free-Association' developed out of what is known as the method of 'Talking Cure'. Its diagnostic value cannot be denied although its curative virtue has been very much doubted even by experts. In applying the method of 'Free-Association', the physician has to select certain suggestive symptoms and the patient has to give 'Free Associations' to all of them. The patient must not hide anything from the physician as that would seriously handicap the progress of diagnosis, as also of treatment. He must be induced to tell everything even if it be unpleasant, immoral, or anti-social in nature. The duty of the patient in Psychoanalysis, is the duty of a reporter ; he must not be allowed to criticise or rationalise the chain of ideas as they creep into his mind.

While Psychoanalysing, the physician must observe minutely all the symptomatic acts and mannerisms of the patient to all of which the latter has to give his Tree-Associations'. It is generally found that the cause of most of the symptoms is rooted in the childhood life of the patient. The physician, as such, must not be content with a mere superficial analysis of the symptoms to which only recent experiences are associated. The analysis must be pushed still further back till the childhood level of the patient's unconscious is reached. The moment the patient is found to hesitate to give further Tree-Associations', it has to be understood that he is exerting 'resistance' upon an important anti-social and 'repressed complex' which is forcing its entrance into the field of his consciousness. Here the task of the physician would be to encourage the patient to lift the ban upon the 'complex' and to speak it out frankly. It is in this manner that even serious types of 'mental disorders' such as, 'Dementia Praecox', 'Paranoeia', 'Delusions', 'Phobias' and 'Inferiority Complex' and others of this type, can be properly diagnosed after a number of 'sittings'.

(3) The 'Therapeutic stage' of 'Medistic therapeutics' comes after its 'Diagnostic stage'. When the disease has been properly diagnosed and its originating cause discovered by any of the above methods, the physician has to prescribe approriate remedies which must be directed to root out the cause of the symptoms of the disease. Here the most important therapeutic method is supplied by (a) the Personal Magnetism of the physician. The Medistic-physician must be a reservoir of Personal Magnetism which, by itself alone, can effect miraculously instantaneous cures, at times. It is simply by means of this spiritual force of Personal Magnetism that the saints and sages of the bygone days were pastmasters in giving relief to the suffering humanity.

In the materialistic world of to-day the 'Medistic' physician has to move with the times. He cannot retire into the hills and hope to bring spiritual regeneration into the world. It is better for him to live in a well-furnished bungalow with different rooms for carrying on properly his therapeutic practice. It may be mentioned here that although the practice of 'Medistic therapeutics' does not involve much expenditure on the part of the physician, the patient must not be given free treatment on that account and there are reasons for this. Generally, patients are averse to any form of treatment which does not administer medicines at all. 'Medistic therapeutics', being predominantly a combination of the various methods of Psychotherapy, lays more emphasis upon psycho-spiritual, rather than medical treatment. That is why patients generally remain sceptical about the merits of psychotherapeutic treatment. If, however, the patient is made to pay every time he consults the physician, he becomes more regular and interested in the progress of his treatment than he would otherwise do. The amount of the fee per sitting should vary with the financial position of the patient. The principle is that the patient must be made to pay to his capacity. Really poor people may be given free treatment as their faith in this form of treatment remains stronger than that of the richer ones. In fact, poor and illiterate villagers generally derive more benefit out of 'Medistic therapeutics' than rich and the educated cockneys. If the latter class of people are heavily taxed, they are expected to co-operate with the physician and thus derive ready and lasting benefit out of the treatment. Thus it is mostly in the interest of the patient himself that the physician has to charge the fees.

The moment the patient meets the physician, the latter must welcome the former most cordially, shake hands and offer a seat just in front. The physician must keep his eyes fixed into the base of the patient's nose and try to influence him mentally by his Personal Magnetism. Then after 2 or 3 sittings when recording and diagnosis have been done, the physician may give the patient some appropriate medicines along with a definite formula of (b) auto-suggestion. At first, the general auto-suggestion formula of Emile Coue may be prescribed. It runs thus : 'Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better'. This autosuggestion has to be repeated at least 20 times, morning and evening. The best time for applying 'auto-suggestion' is after retiring in the night and before leaving the bed in the morning. The physician must tell the patient how to practise 'auto-suggestion' properly.

The general formula of 'auto-suggestion' may be prescribed for about a week after which a specific formula has to be selected for the next week's use. The formula of 'auto-suggestion' must be varied from time to time along with the change of the symptoms and the progress of the treatment.

The physician, on his part, must apply appropriate (c) hetero-suggestions whenever the patient meets him. The best way to do so, is to suggest: 'Mr. Jones, you look so cheerful to-day ; you must be feeling much better'. If the physician has a strong Personal Magnetism, the patient is sure to reply in the positive and that would greatly accelerate the progress of the treatment. When the patient is made to believe that he looks better, he would naturally feel better after some time and get cured. In fact, 'Medistic therapeutics' attempts to counteract unhealthy 'auto-suggestions' by infusing healthy 'auto-suggestions' and all its various methods have been designed with that end in view. 'Personal Magnetism' is the main pillar of 'Medistic therapeutics'. As has been already mentioned, it can be discharged through 'Suggestion' and 'Passes'—the 'direct' and the 'indirect' forms of 'suggestion'. Direct vocal suggestions must always be formulated for rooting out the symptoms by removing their cause. For this reason, proper diagnosis of the disease is essential, otherwise, the physician is liable to do serious injuries to the patient. While suggesting the physician must be careful to omit 'negative' suggestions as far as practicable. For instance, if the patient suffers from stammering, it is injurious to suggest: 'You do not stammer; you are not a stammerer'. The reason is that the patient must be made to forget that he is a stammerer and this cannot be done if the physician repeats the word 'stammerer' while giving his 'suggestions'. Not to speak of 'hetero-suggestions,' even in 'auto-suggestion' the name of the ailment must not appear at all even if the formula is composed negatively.

While giving treatment, positive suggestions have to be given for uprooting the cause of the ailment. The physician must be a master of human psychology as that would greatly help him in understanding the personality of the patient whom he is going to treat. It must be realised that every disease is a symptom of the psycho-spiritual derangement of the patient and 'Medistic therapeutics' attempts to remove the unhealthy symptoms by strengthening the spiritual capacity of the patient who ultimately cures himself. Take the case of 'stammering' again. If instead of giving the negative suggestions as before which included the word 'stammering' the patient is told: 'you can can speak better', the progress of the treatment would be greatly accelerated. The different cases of 'stammering' and 'stuttering' that

I have been successful in curing invariably followed the above method of treatment. My principle has always been to root out the cause of the disease by means of suggestion. The disease is simply a symptom of the cause which lies deep-rooted in the Unconscious mind of the patient. 'Stammering', as I have understood it, is a 'Social neurosis' originating from the patient's lack of self-confidence and 'Inferiority complex'. My method of treatment of stammering follows, as such, the technique of instilling into the mind of the patient sufficient self-confidence, self-reliance and self-control by well-planned suggestive formulae and the symptom of 'stammering' disappears in course of time. The same principle has to be followed while giving treatment to patients suffering from such 'mental disorders' as Paranoeia, Dementia Praecox, Delusions, Hallucinations etc.

'As Medistic therapeutics' has no quarrel with medical treatment, medicines may be applied whenever considered desirable. In case the patient is found to have a strong faith in medicines, even (d) Magnetised water or powder, may be given with profit. In fact, the earlier Faith-healers and Magnetisers made the most use of such magnetised things for the treatment of diseases. Even Mesmer used 'Magnetised steel-plates' for giving relief to his patients. Magnetised articles produce their healing effect by means of faith and indirect suggestion. Even roots and herbs, talismans and incantations, blowing of hot or cold breath when administered by saintly persons, have been known to cure complicated diseases. These can equally be applied by the 'Medistic physician' who must be a store-house of 'Personal Magnetism'. While magnetising any mineral or other articles, the physician has to saturate the tip of the fingers of his hands with Personal Magnetism, then with the force of will-power direct his magnetism into the selected article. In doing so, the article has to be kept in his left hand and his right hand fingers must quiver for a time over the article to which his eyes have to be kept steadfastly fixed. In the course of this procedure, the physician must be mentally repeating a prescribed formula of auto-suggestion which must be directed to rooting out the cause, rather than, the symptom of the disease. Thus, 'magnetisation' is one of the important methods of 'Medistic therapeutics'.

(e) The application of 'Passes' form another important method of 'Medistic therapeutics'. Like 'magnetisation' and 'suggestion' as above, 'passes' too transmit the spiritual force of 'Personal Magnetism' for curing patients. It is better to combine all the various methods of 'Medistic therapeutics' instead of trying one at a time. That would attack the disease from different angles and produce almost a miraculous effect. Especially in cases of physical ailments, such as pains, headaches etc., the application of 'passes' prove beneficial. The nature of the 'passes' to be applied must be skilfully selected. The quivering 'passes' with contact are far better than any of its other types. Skin-diseases of any sort can be given wonderful relief by the application of 'passes'.

All the methods, so far considered, are generally applied during the ordinary waking life of the patient. Even Psychoanalytical treatment is given in the waking state. When proper diagnosis of the disease has been done by the psychoanalytical method of 'Free-Association' and the hidden 'complexes' have been abreacted, the patient is thrown into a helpless condition. It generally happens that the patient, in order to save himself from this helpless condition, transfers the 'complex' to the person of the physician and makes the progress of the treatment all the more complicated. It is at this stage that the physician has to be very cautious in helping the patient to (f) 'transfer' or sublimate the abreacted 'complex' to some socially useful pursuit. Thus, 'transference' and 'sublimation' serve the purpose of re-educating the patient for bis recovery. The Psychoanalysts have denied the necessity of 'suggestion' in the course of their treatment, but in actual practice 'transference' and 'sublimation' can be effected by 'suggestions' alone. The personality of the analyst exerts too, a healthy 'suggestion' in the patient. Thus, the role of 'suggestion' in Psychoanalytical treatment cannot be denied.

Medistic therapeutics, as such, emphasises the importance of 'suggestion' in the treatment of diseases. The patient being utterly helpless cannot recover himself unless he is helped by an expert physician. The physician must not take undue advantage of this helpless condition in the patient by implanting into him unhealthy suggestions. He must remember that 'Medistic therapeutics' is a method of liberation and co-operation, and not of domination. The 'Personal Magnetism' and 'suggestions' of the physician must increase the 'insight' of the patient who would ultimately cure himself through healthy 'auto-suggestion'.

If the patient gets cured by the above methods, he does not require to be hypnotised. But if hypnosis has to be induced at all (g) 'post-medistic suggestions' may give him relief in course of time. In doing so, the suggestions must be properly selected and after inducing the stage of 'Medism' in the patient, these should be applied with a 'post-medistic' reference. Generally the effect of 'post-medistic suggestion' becomes almost instantaneous. When 'the patient cannot be hypnotised for some reason or other, the physician may take the help of one of his regular subjects for (b) 'transferring' the disease of the patient to the person of the subject. This method of transferring a disease to some other person has been generally made use of by Dr. Luy of Paris.

In order to apply the method of 'transference' the physician should hypnotise one of his regular subjects and ask him to transfer the various symptoms of the patient's disease to his own person. The subject would inevitably do so as during hypnosis, he remains in a heightened state of 'suggestibility'. Whether he actually transfers the disease or not, he is sure to imitate the various symptoms of the patient. The patient, on his part, finding that the subject has contracted all the symptoms of his ailment, implicitly believes that his disease has been really transferred. Whatever might be the explanation of Dr. Luy himself, 'Medistic therapeutics' maintains that such 'transference' infuses healthy 'auto-suggestion' in the patient who ultimately works out his own recovery. Believing that his disease has been taken away by the subject, he cures himself by healthy 'autosuggestions'.

After the patient has been given the required 'post-medistic suggestions', he should be dehypnotised. Here the physician must instruct the patient to practise 'auto-suggestion' while at home. He may also be recommended certain suitable (i) physical exercises in order to keep the affected parts of his body strong and active. (j) Regular massaging may also be recommended. If in this way, the disease is attacked from various angles, nature and nurture will co-operate in effecting a spiritual regeneration in the patient to cure himself.

'Medistic therapeutics' is, as such, an all-comprehensive method of treatment which the materialistic world of to-day badly needs. For purposes of 'distant treatment' too, it has been found to be equally efficacious. In order to give 'distant treatment' to patients who cannot meet the physician in person, (k) Magnetism and Telepathy prove to be the only effective remedies. At times the physician has to magnetise either 'water' or 'Suger of Milk' and send these on to distant patients with the necessary instructions. If Telepathic treatment has to be given, it is better to procure a photograph of the patient. This would help the physician to form a distinct mental image of the patient who has to be influenced telepathically. With due concentration, thought-waves consisting of appropriate suggestions, have to be transmitted to the distant patient. Along with this, the patient may be sent the necessary formula of 'auto-suggestion' and other required instructions which he has to practise and observe, regularly.

In 'distant treatment' as in 'treatment at hand', a complete history of the disease must be sent to the physician. A good deal of correspondence may have to be carried out in order to diagnose the disease properly. The physician must be very cautious in prescribing the appropriate remedy so that his success in 'Medistic therapeutics' may be assured.

Scope and Possibilities

The rationale of 'Medistic therapeutics' is 'suggestion' and 'suggestion' alone and, all known forms of diseases can be cured by it even without administering any medicine at all. Thus the scope of 'Medistic therapeutics' is very wide. Whether in the waking or in the hypnotic state, 'medistic suggestion' leaves behind its curative effect upon the patient and completely cures him in course of time. Emile Coue has rightly observed that even 'by means of suggestion (without hypnosis) one can stop haemorrhages, cure constipation, cause fibrous tumours to disappear, cure paralysis, tubercular lesions, vericose ulcers, etc.'¹ Not only this ; 'suggestion' can work wonders in moulding the destiny of the future generations by infusing healthy 'maternal impression' upon the baby in the uterus of the pregnant mother. Emile Coue has observed in this connection: 'In sober truth, if a woman, a few weeks after conception, makes a mental picture of the sex of the child she is going to bring forth into the world, of the physical and moral qualities with which she desires to see it endowed, and if she will continue during the time of gestation to impress on herself the same mental image, the child will have the sex and qualities desired.'² Suggestion, direct or indirect, even if applied in the waking state, can achieve, as such, wonderful results like hypnotic suggestion.

¹ Self-mastery through conscious Auto-suggestion.

² Self-mastery through conscious Auto-suggestion.

The various forms of 'Medistic therapeutics', from Faith-healing down to Psychoanalysis, have been known to cure all types of mental and physical disorders. Hypnotism which is a therapeutic agent of immense value, has even been successful in removing functional and moral drawbacks. The scope of 'Medistic therapeutics', through its method of hypnotism, is much wider than is generally supposed. Dr. Paul Joire has rightly observed : 'Formerly it was believed that hypnotism could be applied to the treatment of nervous illnesses ; its domain is far greater than that. It is true that hypnotism acts through the intermediary of the nervous system ; but the nervous system dominates the whole organism. The muscles are set in movement by the nerves; the nerves regulate the circulation by that direct action on the heart, and by the action on the blood-vessels which they dilate or contract. The nerves act then on all the organs and by their intermediation all the unhealthy organs may be affected'. Thus, on the basis of the influence of hypnotism on the nervous system, Dr. Paul Joire has tried to prove that all organic disorders are amenable to hypnotic treatment.

Dr. Sylvian A. Lee, on the other hand, has allowed a far wider scope to hypnotic treatment. He says in this connection : 'Among the ailments in which hypnotic treatment has been followed by relief or cure may be mentioned : rheumatism, muscular and articular, sciatica, tic, pleurisy, insomnia, headache, indigestion, spasmodic affections, such as coughing and sneezing, eczema, writers' cramp, constipation, diarrhoea, anaemia, hysteria, hystero-epilepsy, gastralgia, stammering, enuresis, neuraesthenia'. Dr. Haddock has recorded a case of blindness which he cured by means of hypnotism. While in India, Colonel Olcott cured several cases of paralysis, blindness, deafness and dumbness. During the last few years of my psychotherapeutic career, I have been successful in curing several cases of stammering, neuraesthenia, hysteria, epilepsy, blood-pressure, colic pain, diabetes, piles, pleurisy, tic, loss of memory and lack of concentration and various types of psychoses, neurosis and functional disorders.

Mesmer while commenting upon the curative effect of what he called Mesmerism was partially right in observing that 'it can cure nervous diseases directly and others indirectly. By its aid the physician is enlightened as to the use of drugs; he perfects their action, provokes and directs at will salutary crisis, so as to completely master them'. 'Medistic therapeutics', as such, claims to cure patients of all varieties without administering any medicines at all.

In the treatment of insanity, hypnotism should be combined with psychoanalysis, otherwise it may do incalculable harm to the patients. But hypnotism, by itself alone, has proved, at times, an effective remedy against various types of mental disorders. Even Freud employed it in the treatment of hysteria before he devised the Free-Association method of Psychoanalysis. Drs. Voisin, Forel and Burckhardt have successfully treated several cases of acute mania, hallucination, suicidal insanity and melancholia. When properly diagnosed by psycho-analysis, hypnotic or even waking suggestions, may be effectively applied in curing mental disorders. Suggestion can equally remove female troubles of various sorts. Menstrual disorders, pains of child-birth and ovarian troubles can be successfully combated by hypnotic suggestion.

Not only this; hypnotism has proved to be an anaesthetic of immense value. Long before the invention of chloroform and other anaesthetics like ether, methylene bichloride etc., hypnotism was largely used by Magnetisers and Mesmerists for removing pain. The application of 'touch' or 'passes' which later on developed into the practice of 'king's touch' for the purpose of removing pain has entered the surgical theatres of western hospitals. When 'suggestions' are combined with 'passes' their anaesthetic virtue become greatly accelerated. For the purpose of surgical operations, the patient has to be given a few preliminary hypnotic sittings for producing anaesthesia by means of 'post-medistic' suggestions. Dr. James Esdaille who was granted a special Hospital in Calcutta in the year 1846 by Sir Herbert Maddock, the then Deputy Governor of Bengal, has left a record of 250 surgical operations which he successfully carried out by producing anaesthesia through what was then known as Mesmerism.

Apart from its anaesthetic virtue, 'Medistic therapeutics', with its main tool of hypnotism, has been found to be a moralising and educating agent of immense value. Perhaps for this reason that Prof. Durand declared in the year 1860: 'Braid-ism provides us with the basis of an intellectual and moral orthopaedia'. It can be effectively employed in removing vicious and immoral habits, commonly called 'dipsomania'—such as inebriety, tobacco or opium habits, alcoholism, kleptomania, lying or stealing habits. Hypnotism is the only remedy in such cases. 'A habit, once ingrained, can neither be repressed by law nor by force, nor can it be given a medical treatment; hypnotism alone can remove it.'¹ Forcible repression of a habit is worse than allowing it free play ; for it is sure to create abnormalities in some other directions and possibly may do more harm than good. But by the application of skilful 'medistic suggestions' all types of vicious habits can be gradually rooted out. Prof. Sylvian A. Lee has mentioned in this connection: 'For my own part, I can only say that I have treated inebriates by means of suggestion, and seen positive aversion to alcohol follow; and in case of an apparently established habit of lying and thieving, I have seen truthfulness and honesty as apparently rooted after a few hypnotic sittings.'² Even medistic suggestions, applied in the waking state, can remove such vicious habits. Emile Coue has rightly observed : 'I am absolutely convinced that if suggestion were daily applied to vicious children, more than 50 per cent could be reclaimed.'³ Thus, 'Medistic therapeutics' is a moralising agent of untold value. It can even be successfully employed in regulating the criminal machinery of a country. Reformatory schools for juvenile offenders may employ hypnotism for removing the criminal and antisocial tendencies of its inmates.

¹ Art. on 'Hypnotism and Education' by the author, published in the 'Leader', Allahabad, Nov. 30, 1939.

² "The Practice of Hypnotic Suggestion".

³ "Self-mastery through conscious Auto-suggestion".

Apart from its moralising influence, hypnotism has a wonderful effect in the field of education. Education, as understood these days, is not a method of domination, but of liberation. By liberating the innate potentialities of schoolchildren, it can effectively direct them to socially useful pursuits by means of 'medistic suggestions'. It can instill into the so-called dullards a good memory, intelligence, self-confidence, attention and interest in their studies. J. Louis Orton has tightly observed : 'I have used hypnotism successfully for memory culture, dramatic ability, public speaking, vocal culture... .of functional speech disorders and for the instillation of self-confidence, perseverance... .and so on.'¹ In school-children, where we have to deal with comparatively immature minds, hypnotic suggestion produces exaggerated effects. Prof. L. Forbes Winslow has rightly observed: 'The chief remedial agency we have for transforming the pernicious child into a truthful one, for eradicating infant vices, is hypnotic suggestion'. Emile Coue has maintained that if parents desire to mould the child according to their own sweet will, constant suggestion in the waking state or while the child is fast asleep, may achieve the desired result.

¹ The 'Psychology' Journal, Feb. 1939.

Not only this; hypnotism can be employed as an effective instrument for the purpose of 'Vocational Guidance'. The June issue of the New York 'Sun' of 1890 observed in this connection : 'Stupid children are made gifted by this discovery of hypnotism with mere verbal suggestion and instruction. By this process... .their studies may be directed the way their parents incline. A mechanic may have a son who desires to follow a profession ; the son is hypnotised, and by suggestion abandons his ideas of a profession for his father's trade'.

Thus, the future of hypnotism and of 'Medistic therapeutics' in general, is undoubtedly very bright and promising. In the contemporary world it can do yeoman's service in removing 'shell-shock' in soldiers as resulting from modern warfares. 'Stage-fright' of prospective actors and of novice orators can be equally coped with by 'medistic suggestions'. As revealed from its past achievements, 'Medistic therapeutics' can rightly claim to be the only effective remedy against all sorts of human ailments that have been devastating the materialistic world of to-day.