It is always best for an operator to have an assistant present whenever practicing upon subjects, and for personal safety this is imperative where the operator is a man and the subject a young girl or woman. Occasionally most serious charges might be preferred by well meaning or designing persons, and these charges might be difficult to refute. The experiences of physicians and dentists while administering chloroform or other anaesthetics should be remembered. It would be considered a manifestation of very poor judgment on the part of a member of either of these professions should he administer an anaesthetic to a patient without the presence of a third party. The hypnotist should not fail to always observe similar precautions.

Some persons believe that one of the greatest dangers in hypnotism is the possibility that the operator may suddenly die or become insane while the subject is under his control. An experienced hypnotist himself became possessed with the idea of this possible danger, and would not at any time hypnotize a subject without the presence of his assistant, and when he had placed the subject completely under control he would say:

"Now, if anything happens to me, you must obey my assistant; or if he interrupts me and orders you to do otherwise than what I have commanded, you must obey him and not me."

Where an operator seriously entertains such fears as sudden death, spells of unconsciousness or of insanity, he might well observe such extraordinary precaution, although it would be far better for him to desist from the practice of hypnotism altogether.

But it must be remembered that even should accident or death happen to the operator, the subject would be sure to awaken in course of time, although the time might be very long should the operator have said: "Now, you will sleep very, very soundly and no one but myself can awaken you." When we consider all the circumstances the danger is reduced to the minimum and should not be considered a factor in any case.

The chances of hypnotists inducing hypnosis for immoral or unlawful purposes are extremely rare. If such thoughts should enter the mind of persons desiring to be hypnotized for curative or other reasons, let them employ an operator of known integrity and then insist upon the presence of a third party. It should also be remembered that few persons can be forced into hypnosis, for the first time, against their will, and that under the most favorable circumstances many persons cannot be hypnotized at all, while chloroform will cause insensibility in everyone to whom it is administered, and an excessive quantity of it means certain death.