The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-09 00:00:00

hand, when in his natural state, but no effect had been
produced. •
The Father—Oh yes, after you went.
Dr. Elliotson—What was it—how did you feel?
Boy—l don't know—it was very curious. •
Doctor Elliotson—l was not aware that any effect: bad
been produced. It appears that it took, a longer time
to act.
The boy was again thrown into Mesmeric stupor by Dr.
E. in the usual manner—a sovereign, charged by being fur
some time held in the Doctor's baud, was put into the
boy's hand, and the body and limbs immediately became
rigid—the teeth were fixed and were separated with great
difficulty—the arms and legs remaining in whatever po-
sition they were placed. The Doctor observed that this
was a complete state of catalepsy. In the case of one pa-
tient, the girl Okey he had found that nickel produced very
dreadful effects—indeed, so violent were they, that he had
very great reluctance to try it again with her.
The muscles at length suddenly relaxed, and the stupor
became very profound. From this he was awakened by
rubbing the eyebrows outwards. The Mesmeric stupor
was aeain induced by a repetition of the vertical passes,
and by movements of Dr. E.'S hands at a distance, he
was raised from the chair and got upon his legs—the ryes
appeared to he quite closed, and he followed- the Doctor
several yards across the room. The Doctor then extended
his arms, stood upon one leg, opened his mouth, and turned
round, in all of which he was imitated by the boy ; in at-
tempting- to follow this last movement, however, the boy,
from weakness, had well nigh fallen, but he was carried
back to his chair, and recovered by rubbing the fingers
across his eyebrows.
Ile was then asked if he recollected having walked
across the room? The little fellow smiled, and shook his
head incredulously. He was asked if he had not attempted
to turn round, and his reply was—" How could I turn
round when I cannot walk?"
Several of the medical gentlemen present having put
questions to the father and the little boy for the purpose
of satisfying themselves on particular points, the boy was
removed.
Dr. Elliotson said the next patient he should bring be'
fore them was the girl Okey, one of two sisters who were
brought into the hospital, subject to epileptic fits. Various
means were resorted to, and all the established modes of •
treatment tried, both by himself and other gentlemen,
without effect, and the cases were given up as hopeless.
At last he resolved to try Mesmerism, and both the cases s
were cured. One of the girls had not had a fit for the
previous twelve months, and the other not since the Ist of
September.
A gentleman present inquired how often had they at-
tacks previously ?
Dr. Elliotson—At various intervals. Sometimes there
were two or three in a week. It would appear to hirt
that there was predisposition to the disease in their consti-
tutions, for their great grandfather and grandfather had
died of apoplexy; their father has been subject re
fainting fits. The girl to whom he referred, showed
the Mesmeric phenomena in a higher degree than alines
any other person upon whom he had operated. TheY
were both little girls of the greatest probity, and he could
answer for their integrity in every particular. He could
as :tire the gentlemen present, that there was no impropriety
or deception in their conduct, and he could answer for there
with his life. Ile had watched them narrowly for a long
period. Their father had been a chaser of silver—he rya'
educated in Christ's Hospital, and his family was in the
highest degree respectable. The children had been ad-
mirably brought up, and the statements made respecting
them, he knew not why, were most unfounded—they bad
been most cruelly and grossly traduced. The elder was a,
great favourite with the matron of the hospital, who had
her repeatedly to spend the evening with her, an
the Chaplain gave her a most excellent character. •
This little girl exhibited very extraordinary phene;
mena. He could produce sleep directly—he Couto
draw different parts of her body—affect her by metals'
and send her into a state of somnambulism, when she
would answer questions although fast asleep. She was
very much affected by mercury and gold, and violently bY
nickel. Iron never produced any effect. On the other
hand, it took away the effect of the other metals. Ai!,
cordingly, as one metal or the other was employed, the
effects were different. If charged silver was applied, sleeP
and somnambulism were induced—if gold, sleep and
lirium. Where very violent effects were produced by the
de-
-
application of metals, the patients for some time after-
wards were not susceptible, and no effect could be pro-
duced upon them. Now, in the case of the girl Okey,
when gold, or water strongly charged, or nickel was ar
plied, very violent. effects were produced, but for some
time afterwards she was insensible to their effects. lie
would bring the girl in her natural state, to enable those
gentlemen who had not previously seen her, to judge of her
manners and character.
Dr. Elliotson was then asked several questions as to the
girl's age, her habit of body, &c. lie said she was about
eighteen years old—small for her age, and of a weak state
of body. He observed further, that it was said she line
gone to Irving's chapel to prophecy. Now, that
state:
meta was altogether untrue ; it was a gratuitous falsehood,
as was also the assertion that he ever took her into the
wards to prophecy on the fate of a patient, or that ho
had had a party of students, large or small, at his house
this season.
The girl Okey was then brought in. Her app
ale
has been already described. She is of low size, Pale an •
thin, with very d i
Clark hair and eyes, and an expressive, in:.
telligent countenance. She was addressed by several er
the gentlemen present, who had previously seen her. 115
manner was rather diffident and retiring, and she spoke In
a low melancholy tone. After being placed in the chair a piece
of Mesmerised silver was put into her hands, and in a few in",
nutes Mesmeric coma or stupor was induced—her eyes closet'
and her head fell back. The silver was then taken out of her
hands, and she passed into a state of somnambulism. Her
eyes were open—she walked about, knew the persons pre'
sect, and conversed with them in a low tone of voice.
A gentleman inquired in what I.er present state di"
fcred from that state in which she was when she entered
the room, for he saw no difference ?
Dr. Elliotson said [she knew much less in her present
state than before, and could do far less.
A boy was then brought into the room, who was eubjee;
( Dr. Elliotson said) to dreadful epileptic fits, and it ha
e
been found impossible to affect bins. It sometimes bar.
veiled that patients in a Mesmeric state could affect orhoefisd
and he wished to try it now. The girl, however, e ,"b0
not be induced to pass her hands before his face, age
was taken away.
Gold, Mesmerised, was now placed in her hands, and
most extraordinary change took place. She fell ba
her
senseless, and on awaking, her face became animated, to
eyes lighted up—she started from her chair, and began. „
talk in a loud voice with great rapidity, mispronounoel
most of her words. (Dr. Elliotson observed that this wen,
a state of delirium.) This state continued for a very
her
period, during which Mesmerised water was applied to
ost
lips, face, eyelids, hands, and other parts, producing al
immediately spasms, and violent contractions of the muse `t.
N'Vhen applied to her gums the teeth became firmly Stele,
In the course of the experiments she got hold of a gelhfitcl
man's gold-headed cane, and complained that she e°sy
not get it- away from her bands—that it burned her ve
il
much. Dr. Elliotson feared to employ nickel, and stabe
that its peculiar effects are correctly described illit
Lancet as very violent; so that, on a certain occasion
r
was not thought right to apply it again for half an boar.a
t
Ile added, that they sometimes do not occur till the par
to which it has been applied is rubbed with somethettnq
,_
else. Even substances which cannot be charged dire ber
from the body so as to affect her, may be made to affect vas
by being put in contact with charged nickel. The pee lead
effects of nickel, said to have occurred when copper or, bad
was rubbed upon a part, never did occur unless nicker, or
been applied to the part before it was rubbed with the leTiied•
copper, or to the lead or copper before they were aPP an.
Mere friction of a part to which gold or nickel has been stn
plied, will re-produce their peculiar effects again and egoss
without any fresh application of them. These circuresteupe ea
are all omitted in the worthless account which has The.
published of these experiments. Indeed a very large of .
ber of beautiful and convincing experiments were ma'ree's.
which no account is given, (no doubt for the best of „cis
sons), and what arecalled failures were results all 811)1'84
ble to any one in the least acquainted with the subject, bet
capable of philosophical observation and research. " the
be
repeated every experiment again and again, and found
results perfectly conclusive.
The experiments had not concluded when we left. We
make no comment upon them, but leave the public to
their own conclusions.

The exportation of the precious metals frota :eau,
P a ort London, for the week ending on Saturday last, consisted
according to the official returns, of 118,000 ounces a silver -4-1;5
131,2'27 ounces of silver coin, 4080 ounces of gold bars. and
to
ounces of gold coin. The silver bars were disposed of betwectiCalen'
arid Madras, 28,000 ounces being sent to the former, and 90TH cab
the latter place. The siver coin was forwarded as follows 500cutta, 44,000 ounces; Madras, 40,000 ounces; Lintin;
ounces ; West Indies, 20,727 ounces ; Boulogne, 1,500 ounc,iit to
Rotterdam 1,500 ounces. Ofthe gold bars, 1,350 ounces weres'n,s;
Rotterdam; I,2ooounces to Calcutta; 780 ounces to the Maurirt6ls
and 750 to Boulogne. The gold coin was shipped thus :---:!„"ccs
ounces to Rotterdam; 1,800 ounces to Madras; and 1,000
to Calcutta.
C (treat
CHURCH-RATES—Mr. Joseph Sub, of duster
mm
Coggeshall, was summoned for non-payment of 61. ls. lld r 1 tho
Church-rates. Mr.
demand, but the defendant did not appear, and the order 10a
upon him.
„ti
Clllal
SLANG AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS,—A ge-
not long since told me that he had to entertain a youth just re`l-
%.,,I,at
from Eton. He asked him if he had any brothers or sisters. 14.00,
was his reply ? He "believed there was a chap at home ?" frecta.
is it possible that this affectation, even if for the present it be a outft,
lion only, should not engender cold-blooded selfishness. A Y- tiog
such as I have described, has been evidently under a detoriogs
system of artificial education. I speak of education as not of
the
only : everything is education that is said or done by er I:e„ed ;
young. Ile will read slang, and think himself sufficiently
he will talk slang, and think himself a wit; ho will grimace it, If
pronounce himself a gentleman; he will look it, and fancy
independeut. Ile will put it on biro with his very clothes Is
it, drink it, and smoke it, sleep upon it, and wake upon it, till tvi"`l
little better than an ape: and an ape will he be to the end a hi' ltt.eci
for even his walking upright is artificial, and not as nature liate"-C
he should.—Blackwood.
CIVIL ESTABLISHMENTS OF RELIGEOI4.—: to
meeting was held at Lanark on Thursday, the 31st of Janu37'd•
prove that Civil Establishments of Iteigion were unscriPt"3" un
just, and despotic, and consequently injuriousto civil and religi°',
liberty. The meeting was large and respectable, co 1" g
m__„ed
Churchmen and Dissenters. Mr. Brown, of Orchard, was
eh-
meeting in an able, eloquent,
to the Chair. Mr. Andrew Nicol, from Edinburgh, addressed
deavouredli,v,,l to establish the above propositions. Liberty being:n
' to any Clergyman or Layman to reply, Mr. Stark, theedTo at
and forcible speech, in which he
great length,
Missionary, came forward in the Kirk's defence. He in- and
upon the Scripture text, " Whether ye cat or drink, or whatso,eitel: on Magistrates acting in their official capscitY,
ye do, do all to the glory of God." The meeting listelo_
great patience, and not a few with great wonder and adtnir
the bde.
the ingenuity of the Learned Divine ; but, at the close of _
bate, it was moved, that he had completely failed to answer
ad-
speech of Mr. Nicol ; which, although opposed by a few Kir
that
mirers, was carried almost unanimously. Mr. Nicol stated
then
timedid not permit him to address them farther—it beinl,
past midnight—but proferred a challenge to Mr. Stark, ba the
at any future opportnity. Whether Mr. Stark posseUes
courage than the Rev. Mr. Gibson,
be seen.—Glasgow dirgus. of Glasgow, or not, remains se