[Hypnosis, hysteria, psychoanalysis. Apropos of 5 cases]

Five cases, chosen for their illustrative value and for the perspectives they open up for clinical and theoretical research, show that hypnosis does sometimes produce lasting results in patients who have failed to respond to all other forms of treatment; after all these centuries, this form of therapy is alive and well. Further, hypnosis offers an excellent opportunity of studying suggestion, which lies at the heart of the psycho-therapeutic process in general, and which is still little known. The strength of still-surviving prejudice on this subject are an obstacle to greater understanding.