Preface

THE present essay has developed as a result of several years' experience lecturing to medical students.

The matter presented is an attempt to bridge over the gap between psychology and medicine. Medical education in the past has undoubtedly tended toward an ultramaterialistic conception of biology. The psychological aspect has been postponed not merely to a postgraduate period, but more often to a postpractical period, a very proper study for the veteran after his years of experience.

Psychology is no longer merely a cultural study, but is the means of solving many practical problems presented to the physician. The subject should therefore be opened up to the undergraduate, at least in an elementary way. This gives him a better understanding of his own mental processes, which will in turn broaden his conception of the factors which make for health and happiness.

Most standard works on psychic matters pre

suppose previous elementary knowledge of the subject on the part of the reader. With a majority of medical students this is not the case, and it is for his use especially that these introductory studies are presented.

Medical technicalities have been avoided as far as possible, in order that the book may prove interesting to that constantly growing class of the laity, which recognizes an underlying truth in psychic therapeutics.

Free use has been made of the available authorities, to whom, it is hoped, due credit has been given. It would be presumptuous to claim to present many new ideas, but it is hoped that the grouping of facts and theories may accomplish the purpose of the author, namely, to prepare the reader's mind to take up with greater satisfaction the many erudite and comprehensive works on kindred subjects.

It may seem to some readers that too much space has been given to the psychology of sight. In extenuation it should be remembered that a specialist can hardly fail to exaggerate the importance of his own limited field of practise.

Three chapters have been devoted to hypnotism in an attempt to sum up the essentials of the history, phenomena, and theories. Every physician should have a working knowledge of this subject, whatever his opinion may be as to the advisability of practising it.

The great subject of mental healing in its various

forms is a living issue which every physician has to meet. The proposition that "all disease is mental" seems so absurd to the medically trained man, that he is apt to ignore the fact that some disease is mental.

It is admitted that the profession has been engrossed with the physical side, discovering the principles of hygiene, aseptic surgery, antitoxin, scientific medicine, etc. It has not given attention to the psychic side, but there is evident an increased interest, and a few medical schools have established chairs in psychotherapeutics.

COPLEY SQUARE, BOSTON, January, 1907.

D. W. W.