Mesmerism

Wc nttemlcfl lli firsl Iccl uro of Prof. Dp DvnneviUe on Uiis subject on Monda y cven1 ing. It wts evoted to nrt éYpóskion of the tficory of Human Mngne:ism, the niet hod of operattoD, and its rfibclx on the physicnl and ! mental power". As many of rnir renders have not had an opportunity of bremning acqunintea villi lhis pystcin, a brief nolice of the lecturc and experincnts may not be uninteresting. Aftcrsome remarks on tho ?istory of the fcience, in which tle lectiirer asserted that jts reality was fully tülbfthed in Continental Enropc, he adverted to the fnct, well known to evory person, that the connec'.ing ngent by hicli mind opérales on matter had nol yet been discovered. For instance, a person wills to move bis nrm, nd the arm obeys tl'e volition. Bmgit'is that an inmaterial spirit can opérate on orgunized matter, has hitJierto been a mystcry. But the mngnetic investigations tend to show that there is n subtle tnngnetic fluid or ether, pervading nll nature, which is the intermedíate substancebetween matter and mind. Theearth is a magI net, and by its magnetic inflnence retains al! j animatcd beings npon its surface. The mag notie phenoniena of tlic atmosphere have long been mntters of observatiun. It is also well kiiown that the eiüuvia fronncwly ploughed fields lins a reviving and cheering efFect on inval ds. The mognetic ether, tluis extended throiigh epace, is found to exist also in the liinnnn body . Tlie influence of one body upon another produced by mere contiguity, ha.' been observcd from the time of David to tbc present. Phjsicians well known that when young and aged persons sleep together, an effect is produce d upon each, the one losing nervous vigour and energy, while in the same proportion they are imparted to the other.TIuh magnetic ether is conveyed through ! ilio entire systera by means of the nérvea. - j It is snpposed that the will has its location in the organ of Firmnes5,which is exactly on the top of the head, and from thence the elher passes nto the other organs, according to the volitions of tlie mind. A deficiency of thus fluid is the chuse of natural sleep; a superabundance of it is the cause of the magnetic or somnambulistic slcop. This Jatter state more nearly resembles (eath than sleep. In its profourdest state, the patiënt h dcad to all external impressions. The oyelids are fast closed, Ihc caro are insensible to ihe loudest noiee, the smell is not nflected by the most punger.t odors, the scn.-o of feeling is entirely gone, and the respiration is steady and uniform. This slate when once produced, unless cöufilerncfed by the will of the magneliser, Iasts six dayp. The lecturer said this would be incrcdible to mo&t persons, and he did not believe it uutil he had convinced himself by actual expennients in Detroit. The person magnetised, wliile thus dead to every externa! impression, was completely subject to the will of the operator. These striking effects could be produced by the volitiofis of tlie operator, the exterit of whose power rs in propoTtiou to the weakness of the person magnetiácd. accordmg to the estnblish'ïd la-iV of nature, that the greutcr power shaïl overeóme the less. Tho magnetizer will also bc more or less succesful in tion as he is weak or strong, thus j tirrgthat the magnetic fluid may i ted and exhaüstcd. Thid proves that it is al phy.ic.il 3iibstnnce,for thulwhidi is immatenal cannot be increased or dimimshed. The effret is produced by the passes of the hand} by the eye, and sometimos by toüching the forefiead of the niagnizer tof that of the subject, accofiipanied by a strong (íctt'fmirtation or tüill otilhc part of the operator to produce the desired effect. Clairvoyance, or clear slightedness, íyas a state of mind in which the patiënt could follow the train of ideas and feelingsof the operutor, and wlien once out on this exploring voyage, by following the influence of the magnetic elher, the pationt often becamfe apprised of thiugs unknown to the operator The lecturer then adverted to tlie uses of thescience. It had beenfound of great value m ca1' es of rheumatism,toothache, insanity and all kinds of nervous affections. Resides tliis. it would help medical science in another w.iy. VVhcn a physican is calJed to prescribe for the sick, he cannot see what is the internal state of the systera. He can only judge by the externa] symptoms what is the inward condilion of the patiënt. Thus, as is discoverod by post morían examinations, the most fatal miitakes are often made. Now, by thisscicncc, the perron magnetizad, by taking the hand or tonchifi tlie forehcad fo' nny other person, could have a dislinct view of thcir inlernal conformntion, of the condition of the lun; s, henrf, brain, intestinos, Sic. and thus was able to describe wliat parts were discased, and snggest appropriate remedies. The magnctic influence liad also been successfully used to alleviate the pnin ofsurgicai operation?, both in this country and in Europe. The lecturer relatcd the circumtances of an nmputation of thelhih wliich he witnessed in a hospital in France, in which the patiënt know nolhing of the transactinn until it had been finislied, and was then much astorished to find that one leg,by some unknown proces?, had disnppenred. Tumnurs had been remo ved, teeih extractcd,Si other Eimilar'opcrationp perfonned, witliout the least pain to the aubjeef?. The lecturor then exhibited the power of his art, by cousinga ypung man woll kHown in Ann Arboi. (without putting him to s)eepf) lo join the onds of his fingers together, and theyadliered so that he was unable tu sepaale tliLiii. lío then causcd him to rake hisarm, uixl paralzed it, tlint i.-, rendered il so ' rigidwhen extended, liiat l!i paticnc could Hot move it. (The Itcturer grnvclv ns.ured tlic midience !t wotild rcmniii in tliat condition six days nnless he slionld wil] it othcnvisei) He tlien willed thcpaticiit to go ia nny particular dircction, to follow Iiim ubout the room &ic. all of vrbieb le did to the satisfaction of the oudience, The 6econd subject Una the daugbler of oiie of our most respeciuble citizene. nbout niño years oíd, nnd evitlenlly not cnpable of any collusron vr:h the Jecturer.i Similar experimenta wilh lier were eqnnlly successful. Tlie third pntient wns from De, troif, ond performed everythingr to admiration. The trulh of PhrcnoTogy was testèd" by put-ting- hiin in conversation wilh a gentleman, and his convcrsationr gestares, amï manirer varied nccording as Self-Esteem, Combalivcnes?, Veneration,or otlier orgnns werf excited. Theresultt! were similar to'thosQ araic) by Sunderland in Zion's Watchmon. VVhcn Alimentiveness was excited, bc washungry; when the lecturcr pointed his finger nt Tune, he 6ing; whon the organ of motion was excited, he dar.ced . On Tuesday evening the experitnents were repeated on several iiew subjecta of thU village. The most interesting opcration was the extmetion of a tooth from a daughtcr of W. S. Maynard, Esq. while in the mngnctic sleep. She was about nine years old. Tl:e tooth was doublé, firmly set, and difiicult to extract. The opcration was performed by fi dentist of thiá place, and the patiënt manifescd no sense of feeling whatever, and knew nothingof the operation unlil it was completed. These things were witnesscd by lorge and intelligent asscmblies of ladies and gentlemen. VVhether these seeming miracles were real, or whcLher thcy were the result of legerdcmain and collusion, is a question respecting which opinions diner, as is tiMial in such cases. We mny sny, however, tbat the belief in Lho rcality of the science (so calted) is gaining grouud in tlns community.Some of ou r readers areratlier dissatisfied bocatisc they think we find more fuult with the Whigs tlian with the Democrnts. Tlus is a very unrcasonable cömplniiit. Whcn did we ever come undcr obligulions to spcak in just sucli a manner of eilhcr uf the ])arties? Tliis is an anü-Slavcry paper, c'cvotcd to tiie advanecment of that cause. Every enndid reader knows that we do not side witli ihe Democratie party. We oppoio botlj the present corrupt partie?, whencver we think they are wrong1, and shall continue to do it; and shoulu we beatow more attention on the one thnn the olher, (he reason mny be found in the fact, that while the Democratie paity are generallv possive, although holding us in abhorrence, the whigs are dceply intcrested in ovr political deslruclion, and ar nctively at work to accomplish it. A difference in iheir position requires a coTrcsponding adaptation in otirs.