Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 2.djvu/92

 248 BOOK REVIEWS

not less than fifty assembled qualified medical men. Had I methods which were inexplicable I might show them to a few individuals in order to find out what they thought of them for my own sake. But in that they are explicable just a few might not properly understand. If I address fifty or more I consider I shall establish the first position for my principles out of the wide acceptance I should certainly win. Until I have ray conditions fulfilled I shall not wish to demonstrate".

The ease and complacency with which the author arrives at far- reaching conclusions is shown on page 17. He quotes from an analysis of a case which he says shows the importance of a study of neuro- induction. The case is as follows : 'A daughter complained of a dread of having anything to do with birds; she would neither eat chicken nor countenance feathers in hats. It was found that her mother had been terrified by a parrot becoming suddenly entangled in her hair while she was "carrying" the offspring in utero; thus I have found that certain, "maternal impressions", of various kinds, are real'. What the author means by 'an analysis' of the case, or what importance a study of neuroinduction has for it he does not tell the reader, perhaps for very good reasons. Thus does he eschew the realm of scientific thought and descends below the mental level of the man in the street.

Fourteen chapters in the book are devoted to diseases and affections j

which the author has treated by neuroinduction and, according to his >

statements, cured. It seems to us much time and labour would have been saved in writing the book if he had simply indicated those affec- tions which he could not influence by his method. Apparently a short paragraph would have been sufficient for this purpose.

His description of neuroinduction seems to be an unscientific re- hash of the views of D^jferine, Dubois and Boris Sidis, mixed up with psycho-physical attempts at explanation of mental phenomena. He puts forward a new nomenclature for the processes he describes, and spurns the present day use and definition of psychological terms. He decries the work of psychologists and psycho-therapeutists and advances his view and method as the only rational one. The author has discarded the fundamental principles of psychology and attempted to put in their place a conglomerate mass of unscientific ideas. Therefore a further criticism would give this book a prominence that it does not merit

D. B.