ABSTRACT
An interesting point arises here. It is well known that people cannot be hypnotised against their own will; one must be prepared to co-operate with the hypnotist and accept freely his suggestions.a On the other hand when a barbiturate is injected no amount of 'will-power can succeed in preventing the anaesthesia that will result. Where acupuncture analgesia stands in this context is rather obscure, for we do not know of any psycho-physiological experiments set up to determine whether the exercise of strong will-power in an antagonistic direction could prevent or delay the onset of the effect. The only observation relevant seems to be that of Woodley (I), an Australian anaesthesiologist, who when in China and Hongkong had himself prepared by electro-acupuncture as for a molar extraction. The result was an area of oral numbness not at all unlike that produced by novocaine injection into the gums, as is normally done for extractions.b Further exploration of this area would be well worth while, for there has been so much concentration on making acupuncture
a Chertok (I), p. x; Fromm & Shor (I), pp. 527ff. This is the reason why the hypnotic subject can be made to do strange or even embarrassing things during or after the 'trance' period, but not antisocial or autonocive things-the superego always remains in control.
