To begin with, we may quote the case of mental torticollis. The sufferer's head is irresistibly driven to the right, say, yet he replaces it immediately by the mere application of his right forefinger to his chin, and the correct attitude is maintained so long as the finger is applied. Of the variants of this efficacious antagonistic gesture the most common is the grasping of the head in the hands, or its support in the palm, or the simple contact of the fingers with chin, or cheek, or temple. In some cases the mere threat of this gesture suffices for the purpose. S. approximates his hand to his left ear, but before he has actually touched it his head turns spontaneously to the right. It would be difficult to find more conclusive evidence of the purely psychical value of such corrective acts. Sometimes the resources at the patient's disposal are confined to one measure, though more frequently he avails himself of several, as in a case recorded by Sgobbo.[141] The antagonistic gesture may fail of its object if some one other than the patient put it to the test. Even with the expenditure of considerable force he may make no impression on the tonic contraction; this rule, however, is by no means general. One of our patients, whose head used to be strongly tilted on to his elevated right shoulder, while his right arm was flexed, his left shoulder depressed, and his whole trunk deviated to the former side, was able instantaneously to resume his normal attitude by merely placing his thumbs one on either side of his head. If any one else sought to correct his vicious position he could do so by applying his fingers to two well-defined spots on the occiput, towards the base of the mastoid processes.[142] Occasionally the antagonistic gesture is of the nature of a paradox. We may cite an example from Raymond and Janet.[143] If we ask the patient whether she cannot sometimes prevent her head from rotating, she declares she can, and demonstrates how it is done by lightly touching her forehead with her finger tips. Now, in view of the fact that her head is deviated to the left and backwards, it will be seen that no pressure exerted in front could obviate this. What really happens is that at the moment of contact not only does she inhibit the movement by the aid of her will, but she also makes a slight forward inclination of her head to rest it on the point of support. No performance of this description could have any efficacy in the case of a genuine spasm due to irritation on a reflex arc.