Psychology Applied to Medicine

Contents

CHAPTER I

REASON AND INSTINCT

Donaldson, "Growth of Brain," Scribners; Sandford,

Experimental Psychology," Heath; Waldstein, "The

Subconscious Self," Scribners; Bramwell, "Hypnotism,"

Lippincott; Sidis, "Psychology of Suggestion," Apple-

ton; Sidis, "Multiple Personalities," Appleton. -Mod-

ern psychology is becoming an important branch of

medicine, because it is recognized that "no mental

modification ever occurs which is not accompanied or

followed by bodily change."-Cerebration is accompa-

nied by a temporary association and grouping of nerve

cells, but thought is not a physical matter. - Develop-

ment of nervous system a part of organic evolution. —

Psychic missing links. — Instincts, common to man and

beast. Man alone possesses reason."No action but

such as shows a choice of means can be called indu-

bitable expression of mind."— Recepts and concepts. —

Man has three sets of impulses: (1) Congenital reflexes,

(2) acquired reflexes, (3) reason

CHAPTER II

HABIT

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Habit. Human instincts are transient unless developed

into habits." As the twig is bent the tree inclines."

Habits are reflex arcs, which like electric currents follow

the path of least resistance. - The development of hab-

its. The moral significance. -"Man is a mere bundle

of habits." The concatenated impulse; economic value.

· Professional habits. — Intelligent reading is wise skip-

ping. The conscious and subconscious; relationship. —

The "Moment Consciousness." - Sleep a dissociation of

few or many nerve centers. Dreams are sleeping hallu-

cinations; duration short. Caused by some centripetal

stimulus, somatic or external. — Infinite resources of the

subconscious. Wonderful memory; how to utilize it.

A possible explanation of genius. - Geniuses not well

balanced. - Mental epidemics.- Concentration: in the

crowd but not of it

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SENSATION

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Sensation. Evolution of the special senses. - Doctrine of

relativity: noumenon, phenomenon. Limitations of

sense perception. - The threshold. The greatness and

littleness of human intellect. - Special senses, a refine-

ment of tactile sense. The outward reference of sensa-

tion. The correlation of the senses. - Visual percep-

tions. - The inverted retinal image, current explanation

of erect vision: tactile experience reinverts visual sensa-

tion; incorrect, because not analogous to other special

senses. First sight of congenitally blind is always erect.

- Mr. Hanna's experience. Man ignorant of retinal

image. Each mathematical point of object is referred

back to its proper place, and we see not the retinal image,

but the object itself in space

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

The blind spots; the two optic discs. Retinal shadows:

erect, because cast by objects too near the eye to form

image on retina; outward projection of, produces inverted

image. Outward reference of tactile sense; flexible

cane.

- Monocular estimation of distance. - Difficult without parallax. — Law of corresponding points. — Each ganglion cell two neurons, divide for both retina. - Orientation, with prism. — Diplopia : — physiological at distances farther or nearer than point fixed. — Analogy of digital tactile sense. - Binocular estimation of distance. - Fusing successive double images. — Coördination of convergence and accommodation. - Stereoscopic perspective. Pictures correspond to right and left retinal images. Convergence required to fuse, determines distance; convergence excessive, nearness; convergence slight, distance. — May overcome mathematical perspective. — Binocular vision an acquired faculty. — Fusion training. — The amblyoscope. — Phoro-optometer stereoscope.- Controlled reading

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CHAPTER V

HYPNOSIS-HISTORICAL

Hypnotism. Historical.

Neuro-hypnotism.

Nerve

sleep, so called by Braid, 1843.· Phenomena are as old
as civilization. - Early religions show many instances.
Evident in religious fanaticism of to-day. — Mesmer.
"De Planetarium Influxa,” 1776. — The action and virtue
of animal magnetism. The Paris establishment; mys-
tery. Investigation by Academy of Sciences: "Not
worthy of further scientific investigation." - Second in-
vestigation of mesmerism.—Eliotson, 1837, University
Hosp., London. — Resignation and publication of journal.
— Esdaile, 1845, India. — Painless surgery. - Braid, 1843,
Hypnotism."
"Neurypnology."— Rechristened “
Re-
sult of subjective causes. — Liébeault, 1864, Nancy, so-
called "school."— Charcot, 1878, Salpêtrière school.
Society for Psychic Research, 1882, International.
Bramwell, England, best living exponent. Quacken-
boss, New York, moral reformation. - Morton Prince,
Boston, multiple personalities. - Petersen, Boston, trans-
lator of Wetterstrand. — Sidis, Brookline, "Psychology

PAGE

of Suggestion," "Psycho-pathological Researches," "Mul-
tiple Personality."— Methods of hypnotizing. — Physical
means not essential but useful. Patient should be told
what to expect. - Narcotics and anesthetics. Suscep-
tibility, almost univ ersal. Well-balanced dividuals
best subjects.
- Hysterical and weak-willed difficult. -
Hypnotism a physiological function

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Hypnosis. Phenomena. - Classification, difficult and somewhat arbitrary. — Mild, catalepsy, conclusive evidence of hypnosis. Deep, somnambulism, hallucinations accepted. Catalepsy unwise to exceed at first attempt; sufficient for slight analgesia; sufficient for therapeutic suggestions. Anesthesia not practicable for general surgery, because not absolute in more than ten per cent. - Character and frequency of pulse may be controlled. -Suggestibility increased, raise of threshold. - Amnesia the rule, but subject to suggestion. The alert stage, seemingly inconsistent with sleep. Hallucinations: positive, negative; en rapport with operator, but others may be introduced. — Subject reasons deductively, but not inductively.— Post-hypnotic suggestions; appreciation of time.-Automatism, not absolute, subject may refuse harmless suggestion. Criminal suggestions, popular literature responsible for belief in; mistaken deductions from paper dagger experiment. Refinement of moral sense. — The higher self : avoid being deceived. Precautions in conducting experiments: avoid selfdeception

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