The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-28 00:00:00

and sleep-waking, antiof rWdity, cat&e -
their dispersion; --seeessee -nee-en—see
n '
lepsy, and relaxation; the mesmeric abolition and eesto-
ration of
_reensation;_ mesmeric tractio;• peel:flier end
formerlai_unknown effeete of metals, cryeteles, arid other
substances in the mesmeric state, and io the ordinary
state oreome persons who have been in the mesmeric
state, e:tyleeven in some who have never been mes-
merised, is no longer regarded us a mark ot sagacity
end superiority, but excites surprise, and eattsss an in-
dividual to 'he , considered ignorant and absurd. Even
such phenomena es the mesmeric excitement of dis-
tinct cerebral organs, • the sympathy of . sense-
tiers and ideas, and and a . certain degree -of tlsirvoyance,
are generally admitted, and their admission ne longer
subjects us to the imputation of credulity, or exposes us
to ridicule. Fourteen years ago mesmerism was tie-
clared is Loralen to ho destroyed for severs,- titeatlyeax- _
tiuguishe, and sure to lie never heard cf again except
as a tale that wes told—illustrative of the ignorance,
weakness, and folly of a few individuals who had ruined
their reputation irrecoverably. But now Mfre..inei4ll3..is
one of the chief topics of conversation, and is ailudetito
as a fact'in publications of every description. 'lite }isle
oe mesmeric becks is very large, and has iecrenseed asto-
nishingly of late, and Mr. Beildare interins us that the
demand for the Engliih quarter's- journal of ineemer.sm,
the Zoist, far exceeds the demand of even last year.
The medical journals sneer at meernerism. and viline us
less frequently than before; and, thotsgh they continue
to keep all our splendid facts fosin tote eyes of their
readers, to whom it is their duty to /2ake all:thece
facts known, it is evident that they are esorescious of
being in an awkward position, behind the pcesent day,
and near an overwhelming necessity of acktio.ndedning
the truth of what they have so violently, coeseselY,
and obstinately denied, and of reporting mesneeric
facts as regularly as others. Although the exisee`tke,
gers of the Royal College of Physicians, of the Royal •
College of Surgeons, and of the Royal Micheal and.Clai-
rargical Society, still refuse to purchase mesmeric
works, it is known that the members of the two latter
bodies continually ask for the Zoist, and the desire -can-
not much longer be disregarded by those who ought to
know better; and to have more feeling for the sufferings
meeting,
of their fellow-creatures. The spread of the conviction
of the truth of mesmerism is shown in the additions to
our
contributorswe
of donors and subscribers. Since thelast annual
haveu miteshad 47
tnoe new
bdonors,
abtei
os
Ili d-ebseaxr
annydm anonymous
new subscriberss
rFive only of our formertheir,
subscribers
have resigned, - subscribers.
com-
plaining that a case of subscriptions, and the fifth
astt a Vitus's
deairnoreegetrhattasthethseienr in-
ability to to continue their s
was not cured off-hand few sittings. Several of the
in consequence donations were bestowed
consequence of mesmeric
cures having been effected
donors, without any corm
Mr. Bailliere, whose daughter'scopra
.in the families of ~the •
with the 'infirmary.
will, I trust, be recorded .recovery from typhus
in consequence of itinfi the next Zoist,
guineas through
herhas hands. Mr. Mr. liingdon, who has'
edvreelred ill the Zoist
v om
nienetsn'userilseml.
accident,wthbeilegrreeaetubeernmegfitfrewmhiachserheerederi
hasmesmerisedba by
tlepresentieg
Miss Jane Preston, who was assidnous
Mr. Janson, has evinced her gratitude
us with 151. The increased confidence of
sick end
their friends in the alleviating and remedial powers of
mesmerism is manifested on every side, and ist
shown by the numerous applications for adesissioungLY
our infirmary—far more numerous than we have the
means of satisfying. They are now aware that mes-
merism exerts a powerful influence, not over nervous
affections only, but over the diseases of every organ, and
over diseases of every description—upon inflammation,
structural as well as functional diseases, enlargement,
change of texture, ulceration, &c.; and that it not only
soothes but invigorates. Some who are believers in its
blessings are still shut out from them by the gross
superstition of its Satanic nature. This preposterous
absurdity will continue till education becomes
what it should be, and points out to those upon
whom it is bestowed that all around us is nature—all
governed by universal and unerring laws ; and that
mesmerism, like everything else that man does, must
be nature], and not a supernatural affair. It may be
worth the reflection of the-superstitious that we have 12
divines on our lists, the greater part of them clergymen
of the Church of England, one a doctor of divinity and
formerly a professor in the University of Oxford, and
at the head of them, an archbishop—his Grace the
Archbishop of Dublin—who did not for a moment he-
sitate to become one of our vice-presidents. Another
anti-Satanic argument is, that above 50 ladies appear on
our list. Continued proofs of the assuaging nod reme-
dial powers of mesmerism pour in upon us on all sides.
The Zoist teems with them from every quarter-r-num.,
berless others are occurring daily whice are not re-
corded. Since the last meeting 154 patients have been
treated at the institution-20 were not improved at all—
but the greater part of them attended too short a
time for mesmerism to exert its power. Teirtecn of
them attended but two or three times, and among them
were cases of epilepsy, blindness, and consumption-19
were slightly improved, and the greater part
of them left us before there was any chance
of a cure ; 39 were much improved, so much that
they did not think it worth while to attend aey longer,
though we should have wished them still to persevere
for some weeks; but persons in all ranks, and of all ages
and education, are disposed to impatience, and the poor
have but too many causes of inability to attend an insti-
tution daily for any time; forty-two have been cured;
thirty-four are still under treatment; and of these ten
are already greatly improved, and some have not been
with us long enough for benefit to be expected. It
must be remembered that the majority of our cases are
chronic—that most of them have defied medical treat-
ment, generally; at the hands of several practitioners—
and that many are certain of receiving no amelioration
from any kind of non-mesmeric treatment."
After describing numerous cases the 'report proceeds .
to state that the receipts for the year have been
437/. 9s. 6d., and the expenses 437/. 10s. Id., being
bid. over cur receipts; but the society has Het. 3s.
9d. in hand. It then states—" We may; therefore ,
consider ourselves very prosperous; but we are anxieus
to extend the benefits of mesmerism—we are anxious
to bo able to mesmerise a much larger number of
patients, and to hive an hospital in which patients
may reside, as the sick cannot obtain the advantage of
mesmerism in the ordinary hospitals. Twenty names
on the list of donors and subscribers are those of me-
dical men. We know the advantage of oedinttrzniedi-
cal treatment; we have the same good opinion Of all
well-established practice as our brethren, end give our
patients the full benefit of it. The difference between
us is that we employ mesmerism in addition to the means
used by them, knowing that mesmerism cures diseases
not at present cured by ordinary means, and assists all
the established methods of cure. The general healing
power of mesmerism appears to be that of assisting na-
ture to throw off disease, whatever that disease may be
—to aid the riv medical naturcc. The lease of the pre-
sent house will expire at Christmas, and we are desirous
of taking such further measures in this respect as may be
necessary. We are bound to express our warmest thanks
to the ladies who kindly compose the ladies' committee.
They meet weekly, and one or more visit the house
every day. Their presence, their suggestions, and
general assistance are invaluable. Nor can we conclude
withaut expressing our sense of Mr. Capern's value. Ms
devotion to the blessings of mesmerism, his untiring
zeal, his benevolence," modesty, and disinterestedness
are beyond all praise.
i Mr. M. Minxes, M.P., in moving the adoption of the
e ieved
I report, said he regarded mesmerism not in any profes-
sional or limited point of view, but as a portion of the
lie
estabbllish-ejd
d—(bCeelinee,Ars,i)sely
kingdom of nature, demanding the interest of
every intelligent man and the appreciation of every
tshtuedemnet
and prudently conducted. It was no easy matt
soil' enraict u Institution satnitdu thi oi6nterhYa.
such an institution in the present state ofpublicer to form
about mesmerism. lie was disposed to think feeling
circumstances connected with there were
mesmerism,
explain the great difficulty it had to encounter which might
ing itself ass science, and establishing . in assert-
careful of receiving evidence as theitselfin a nation so
rally were. The fact of their not being English people gene-
rally
rule defining the physiol ' able to lay down
ogical and
perties' of mesmeriem had led psychological pro-
covered with so much to mesmerism being
Owing to scientific imposture and falsehood.
men ref
coin) mesmerism as a using from prejudice to re-
as a prey to the impostor science, it had been delivered ins
2 whose lusions had prevented exaggerations and tie-
ing as to the real ch an ear and definite understand-
being arrived at. ityeacter of this mysterious agent
would do a vast deal was confident the institution
the hand of as self s of good, because it was 141.
stood forward to -'
acrificing a body of wee as
(Cheers.) Ile demandbelieved it the üblic fiaasZi—a
it was a
dangerous error to use great mistake
mere purpose
of experiment and au! mesmerism
hopedfort
that so dan-
gerous an instrument
onlylsuseumldent andd
be employed by per-
sons well acquainted with.o its real effects.
111% A. J. ELLis seconded the motion, and said the
report alluded to the fact that mesmerism was once con-
sidered dead. Indeed, it was a matter of notoriety that
a certain well-known coroner presumed he had sat on
its body, and even
its grave with an insignificant
•-----
Lancet (L aughter.) dugß ut that occasion was a glorious
apotheosis of its rising, he would not say like a phoenix,
but like a sort of beatified being.—Gear, hear.)
The motion was then put and carried.
The CHAIRMAN observed that Mr.:M. Milnes had said
a good deal about the imposition which was practised by
means of mesmerism. Now, he denied that imposition
medical cases, for they were to be
Was possible in purely
n. Ho supposed the lion.
judged by medical
melluded to th e psychological
Gentleman must have 61 . os .
Ince he had abstained from saying any-
Phen°l7l"s on
wwere not, never were, and never would
be, the object °
thing; for they were
inquiry by that institution; but, at the
did not wish to be understood as throw-
same time, he
bt on the reality of those phenomena.
' ing any, dou
MORE moved, and Mr. A. MAJENDIE
Mr. 'f' C. Lnx f mathe-
Professor De Morgan, pro 'essor o
seconded, that . College,
be elected • -president
in University vice
matics
of the society, which was egreed to.
J. Jetsse
MI. N moNrci, and Mr. J. B. PARxzR se-
corded,.shbourno and Mr. W. Topham, who
that Dr. A
from the committee, be re-elected, and that Mr.
retire
Mr. Wilberforce be elected on the committee,
just© and Mr., Robertson,
who
are and
in the room of Mr- Chandler
are unable to attend.—Agreed to.
The Rev. G. SANDBY moved, and Mr. C. UNDERWOOD
seconded, a resolution of cordial thanks to the ladies of
the committee for their important services, which was
carried by acclamation.
Mr. JOHN AMOR moved, and Professor M'DONALD an
conded a motion, that the committee be empowered to
make arrangements for taking another house for the
purposes of the institution, or for renewing their interest
in the present house, which was also agreed to.
A vote of thanks to the Noble
Chairman
concluded
the business of the meeting,

Sr. JAMES 8 RR RE
T LT • Tlie Ge—rm- an Theatricaleat7
Company arrived at the St. riatharine's-wharf oulY y 8
day morning, by the General Steam Navigation ComPADY 4
mail oteam-ship Ocean, from Rotterdam.