Experts and historical archivists highlight Braid's unique contribution to the transition from occultism to medicine:
Braid debunked the idea that a "magnetic fluid" passed from the operator to the patient.
Braid coined the terms "hypnotism" and "hypnosis" in this book, though he later preferred "monoideism" when he realized the state was not actually sleep.
The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology provides a complete digital copy of the 1899 edition, which includes Waite's extensive biographical introduction.
He recognized that the hypnotic state is dependent on the subject’s mind, not the operator’s power. Key Historical & Scientific Impacts