The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-04 00:00:00

MESMERISM IN AMERICA.

Sainuelßrown, of Gravel-lane, Southwark, engineer, for I
improvements in the manufacture of metallic casks or ves-
sels, and in tinning or zincing metal for such and other pur-
poses. Sealed 11th August—six months for inrolment.
John Seaward and Samuel Seaward, of the Canal Iron
Works, Poplar, encrineer, for certain improvements in
steam engines. Sealed 13th August—six months for in-
rolment.
William Hale, engineer, and Edward Dell, merchant,
both of Woolwich. for improvements in cases and ma-
gazines for gunpowder. Sealed 13th August—six months
for inrolments.
John Hawig, of the Strand, gentleman, and Felix Mo-
reau, of Holywell-street, Milbank, sculptor, for a new or
improved mode or process for cutting or working cork
for various purposes. Sealed August 21st—six months
for inrolment.
John Hawig, of the Strand, gentleman, and Felix Mo-
reau, of Holywell-street, Milbank, sculptor, for a new or
improved process or processes for sculpturing, moulding,
engraving and polishing stones, metals, and other sub-
stances. Sealed 21st August—six months for inrolment.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—An aged man, named
James.. Chorley, employed on the Bristol and Exeter
Railway, on Thursday night fell asleep, and the deceased.
who had unfortunately sat Clow to the line, must have
fallen across the rail. The mail train came down at its
usual hour, and being undisturbed by its noise, it passed
over him, severed his head from his body, carrying it to
a considerable distance, and divided his trunk at a little
below his chest. So little alteration in the motion of the
engine and carriages did the accident occasion, that the
engineers, guards, and passengers were, on their arrival
at Bridgewater, unconscious of the occurrence of any-
thing unusual.—Bristol Standard.
DEPARTURE OF THE GREAT WESTERN.
BRISTOL, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEP. I.—The Great
Western sailed this day on her 42d trip across the At-
lantic, carrying with her the very full complement of•
121 passengers, and a very valuable cargo of woollen
goods, &c. A deputation of the Society of Merchants
went with her to the Holmes, in order to take soundings
at dead low water of the highest spring tide, with a
view to giving evidence before the Port Commissioners
now in Bristol, as to the capabilities of the Bristol
Channel, but as the press was not permitted to accom-
pany them, we can know nothing of the results of the
sarvey.
Great quantities of pilchards and mackerel have
been brought in here this last week past, and gave re-
munerating prices to the fishermen.—Plymouth Journal

" With respect to' the degree of credit to be
attached to those statements, we really have no-
thing to say, but that they are placed before us
on as sound a basis as it is possible for human
evidence to rest upon. . . . Expe-
rience has proved that the influences which may
be exercised over the nervous powers of man are
altogether unlimited in their extent and in their
nature. Hence it is always unwise, and even
irrational, for any one to say, on a subject so
mysterious, that this fact is impossible, and that
that fact could never have taken place."—
Monthly Review, London, Oct., 1833.
The pleasant pseudo-paradox, " It may be
impossible, but I know it is true," will often be the
only answer which can be offered to the per-
versely incredulous, by a person who is placed,
with respect to animal magnetism, in the same
circumstances as some of the American editors,
whose papers are now before us. These gentle-
men—all writers of great ability and high attain-
ments—all known personally to their fellow-
citizens by the daily publication of their names,
with the titles of their several journals—solemnly
testify to the " fearful reality of the mys-
terious influence called animal magnetism,"
in some cases from their personal obser-
vation, in others from their personal expe-
rience. But their assertion, of " True," is still
met with the cry of " Impossible," by numbers
around them, who, like a large mass of our own
neighbours, will neither observe nor inquire.
From the candid and elaborate reports, which
we find in the Boston. newspapers of last month,
it appears that the public investigation of mes-
meric phenomena is proceeding in New Eng-
land with as much energy, both of favour and
opposition, as in Europe; but with far greater
fairness and good feeling, and consequently with
far greater chance of a searching and satisfactory
scrutiny than the subject has yet undergone in
London.

In Boston, Taunton, and all throughout Mas-
sachusetts, the subject has attracted the greatest
attention, and is examined with the most in-
tense, yet, as far as we can judge, with the most
sober interest. Clergymen, physicians, and
even barristers of the highest repute, not only
attend the public exhibitions, but test the cor-
rectness of the impressions which they receive
there by private experiments in their respective
social circles, under circumstances into which
fraud or delusion could not enter; and the tes-
timony which they render is at once startling
and conclusive. _

Although from the open and severely-scruti-
nized character of the exhibitions, it may be of
little moment to inquire who is the exhibitor ?
yet it will, perhaps, be satisfactory to state all
that we know of him. His name is Dr. Henry Ro-
bert Collyer. He is a native of Jersey, and stu-
died medicine and surgery at the London Uni-
versity, under Dr. Elliotson and Mr. Samuel
Cooper, the celebrated author of the Dictionary
of Practical Surgery. The latter, in writing of
Dr. Collyer, says :—" I am convinced that he
will manifest, not only great professional skill,
but the strictest honour and integrity in whatever
situation he may be placed." It seems that in
consequence of the excitement produced in Bos
ton, by reports of his private practice in Mes-
merism, he was either invited or challenged by
members of the Massachusetts Medical Associa-
tion, of which he is a licentiate, to repeat his
experiments in public, and to operate not only on
his own patients, whose susceptibility was ascer-
tained, but upon all who might choose to submit
to the operation. Accordingly, in the beginning
of July last, the public exhibitions commenced
in a theatre of the Temple in that city, and were
repeated nightafter night with wonderful results
before crowded audiences of the most respectable
citizens, including all the distinguished members
of the learned professions, whose names are
given in these reports. The ordinary phenomena,
which we have repeatedly reported in The Sun,
as we witnessed them in the experiments at the
North London Hospital, the Hanover-square
Rooms, and at private meetings in the house of
Dr. Elliotson, were again and again exhibited.
By ordinary phenomena, we mean the mesmeric
sleep, accompanied with preternatural insensi-
bility, somnambulism, magnetically produced,
and in many respects different from that which
sometimes naturally occurs, and an occasional
manifestation of physical and intellectual powers
not possessed by the patient in the natural state.
It happened sometimes (as we learn from the re-
ports, though we suppose it must in such re-
peated experiments with so many subjects of
various temperaments, have happened often)
that an evening's exhibition passed off with-
out producing any other result than the
fatigue and disappointment of the ;sr dience.
This would not have been made a ground for the
accusation of " imposture and humbug" by any
reasonable sceptic, who fairly conceded the pos-
tulate, which is premised before a solution of the
mesmeric problem can be attempted—that " all
persons are not susceptible, and that the same
persons are not susceptible at all times." Occa-
sional failures, therefore, partial or total, should re-
move from any mind, justly reasoninss all suspicion
of trickery or collusion. If the exhibitor were a
charlatan' he should never fail, as the Charlatan
commands his own results, and can always effect
the same deception by thei same means. The
non-universality of mesmeric susceptibility is an
acknowledged principle, and where the magnet-
iser never fails collusion may justly be suspected.
No number of subsequent failures could disprove
an effect once manifestly obtained; but there
were not wanting in the Boston Temple, more
than at the Queen's Rooms, those who could dis-
believe the facts which they had previously wit-
nessed, because they did not appear again under
apparently the same circumstances. These
persons, reasoning by the logic of the
Irishman, who could not believe himself guilty
of the act which a dozen had seen him commit,
because he could produce a dozen others who
did not see him do it, created unseemly inter-
ruptions of the exhibition; and, consequently,
the frequenters of the theatre came to a resolu-
tion, that at each meeting the company should
elect from amongst themselves a committee to
superintend the proceedings, and act as a medium
of communication between the professor and
those who wished to put questions, or to propose
particular tests of the experiments. From that
time matters went on with regularity, which was
interrupted only on one occasion by an eminent
engineer, who failed in producing the failure
which he pertinaciously attempted. He retired
amidst the laughter of his fellow-citizens, and a
Boston paper thus reports him :
" Mr. Adams during the whole affair mani-
fested a degree of impudence, stupidity, and
bigoted self-conceit altogether insufferable. He
was made the butt of ridicule to the end of the
exhibition."
The license of the British press would not al-
low-us to characterise in such terms, however
appropriate, the conduct of certain gentlemen
who have similarly disturbed the London exhi-
bitions.
At length Dr. Collyer was induced, by the de-
mand of his visitors, to produce, from a distant
place, a young lady, whose powers of clairvoy-
ance had been much talked of, and the reported
results of those public experiments in her case
are such as we should at once reject with disbe-
lief and contempt, if we had not already seen
enough to make us hesitate before we pronounce
anything impossible which comes supported by
similar evidence. The reporter (and, it seems,
editor) the Boston Paper, the Yankee
Notion gives
editor)
the following account of his own
experiments upon her :—[We must premise that
i
by faking her placer
it is meant that, being
in what is ealolel a
with her, whilst she"N.Nrn'asaginnettihCe communication"
with
in ascertained insensibility to everything
fo.rez
and
when the clairvoyante, though
s in imagination to the
place,paraorutiientlalairer,h pro
Ls expected to describe
never in that place be
it, without any. signor intimation from him.]
"Dr. Lewis requested us, in •
the Neck,' so
a whisper, to take the
- round, on
new burying-ground,
called, near the Roxbury line ; place we had never
visited, and had only seen from the street as we have
lady to the
d occasionally on foot, or in a carriage. B
passeßeing put
communication with the
in magnetic com lady, we took her
to the corner of Winter-street, '
in imagination, r-street, down
Winter-street to Washington-street, u-
p Washington-
street to the Lafayette Hotel. We then mentally looked
asked her chat
at the Boylston-market, and she saw.
She replied, A high building.' We then took her, in
thought, directly
.from the Boylston-market to
assin the
gate
of the new burying-ground, without l) g
.along the
street, and asked her what she saw • She replied, I see
a large open place.' Dr. Lewis sat very near the lady,
and heard her answers distinctly. We then asked what
see
she saw in the .open place. She
answered, I
Answer—
great many trees.' Question—' What else?'
Some shrubbery there.' Ques.—' What else?' ADS.
Some large things built up there, not very high.'
gr eat
Ques.—' How many do you see ?' Ans.--;
ADS
A.—
many.' Ques.—' What else do you see •What
' Something growing on one of them. Ques.—
built U
do you see upon the sides of those things
ues.
there ?' Ans.—' I see some black letters.' Q
Will you read one of the lines ?' Ans.—' I cannot—
itt
is dark—yes, there is one; the light shines upon it-I_,
is 22.' Ques.—' What are those places used for ?,
Ans.—' I don't know'—(then)—' they put people there.
Ques.—' What else do you see ?' Ans.—' Some fresh
earth.' Ques.—' What is that for ?' Ans.—' I don't
know • I don't like to stay here; it is a lonesome place 1'
We then tried to make her enter one of the tombs, but
she became much excited and convulsed, and Dr.
Collyer, seeing her condition, insisted that the experi-
ment must be discontinued.
" We then informed the audience where we had taken

now

of their proceedings from day to day, and con-
cluded with an unanimous resolution.

" That, while this Committee refrain from ex-
pressing any decisive opinion as to the science or
principle of animal magnetism, they freely
confess, that, in the experiments of Dr. Collyer,
certain appearances have been presented, which
cannot be explained on the supposition of collu-
sion, or by a reference to any physiological
principle known to them.".
It cannot be denied that the resolution is suffi-
ciently cautions, especially when we find in the
authenticated report of the investigations made
by the Committee, the following account amongst
several of a similar character :
Pr. C. had said to some members that Frederick was
in an unusually fine state for clairvoyance, when
John C. Park, Esq., whom Dr. C. had declared to have
the requisite continuity of thought, was put in commu-
nication with the lad. Mr. Park, without giving any
intimation of his intended course, and avoiding all lead-
ing questions, asked the boy as to what he saw. The
first two or three answers not being satisfactory to Mr.
P., he willed him back again, he said, to where we were
sitting, and then proceeded again. Each succeeding an-
swer, as Mr. P. declares, was correctly descriptive of
the same things, in the same order, and at the same times
that Mr. P. had the ideas of them in his mind directing
attention to them. Mr. Park's question-1. What do
you see ? Frederick's answer—Something high. Mr.
Park's statement made on each answer after the conclu-
sion of the whole experiments.—The building west side
of Bowdoin-square. Mr. I'. 2. What colour is it ? Ans.
—Black or white—not very black. Mr. P.'s statement
—lt is of granite. Mr. P.-3. What is there about it?
are there any streets ? Ans. One on each side. Mr.
P.'s statement—Such is the fact. Mr. P.-4. What do
you see now ? A door, Mr. P.'s statement—l viewed
in imagination the door of the jail in Leveret-street.
Mr. P.-5. Any thing about it ? Ans.—Only tha steps
there. Mr. P.'s statement—There are steps to it.
Mr. Now pass into that door with me through
an entry, and what do you see ?—Ans.—Oh, a great
many doors. Mr. P.'s statement—l was in imagination
at this time, and during the' two following questions was
in a',ltall of the jail, hating in it nine: doors all in view.—
Mr. P.-7. Huw many ? count them.—Ans.-1, 2, 3 ;
I can't count them. Mr. P.-8. Yes you can; I can and
so can you. Try again.--Ans.-1, 2,3, 4,5, 6, 7 ; oh,
there's more than that ; I can't count them. It's a cold
place ; I don't want to stay here. Mr. P.—Well, then,
we'll leave this place and go to another. What do you
see ?—Ans.—A door. Mr. P.'s statement—l contem-
plated the door of Williamson's cell. Mr. P.-10. Well,
we'll go into that door. Ans.—Oh, we can't, it's all I
barred up. We can't: go in. Mr. P.'s statement
—lt's kept bolted, of course. Mr. P.-11. Why
not ? yes, we can. We will go in. Are we in ?
—Ans.—Yes. Mr. P.-12. What do you see there ?
Ans.—A man. Mr. P. 13.—Any body else there ?
Ans.—No, one man, and no more. Mr. P.'s statement
—Williamson alone is kept there. Mr. P.-14. What
is he doing?—Ans.—Sitting there. Mr. P. 15.—What
does he sit on ?—Ans.—Something dirty. Mr. P.'s
statement—The beds are dirty. Mr. P.-16. Do
you see any thing else ? —Ans.—Only the black
thing over there. Mr. P.'s statement—l knew not what
the boy meant at the time, but went directly to the gaol
and Williamson had a black article up against
the wall to lean against as he sat. Mr. P.-
17. Now we'll turn 'round, and what do you
see ? Ans.—A small white 'thing, round. Mr. I).'s
statement- —A tub, for necessary' purposes, which is
round. Mr. P.-18. What is it for ? Ans.--It's nasty
I don't want to tell.-7(Exhibitinc, great disittitt) Mr.
P.'s statement—Correctly .described thus. Mr. P. 19.,
Well, you've told enough about that. What do you see
now ? Ans.—A window. Mr. P.'s statement—l was
directing attention to the window. Mr. P.-20. Look
out at that window. Ans.--I can't. Mr. P.-21. Why?
Ans.—lt's dirty. Mr. P.'s statement.—l was wishing to
have him speak of the iron gates to it, but I do not com-
prehend his answer. Mr. P. then said—Now we'll go to
another part. What do you see ? But the answers to
this and another question not being satisfactory, Mr. P.
said—Well, I don't know where you are. You are where
I'm not, and proceeded no further. The following is
Mr. Park's certificate of the above :—" I hereby certify
that the expressions above attributed to me, are in sub-
stance correct. " JOHN C. PARK."
This article has already carried us so far that
we must conclude by expressing a concurrence
with the sentiment expressed in the paragraph
from the Monthly Review, which we have placed
above. There can be little doubt that the recent
work of Mrs. Romer will cause mesmerism to
be more extensively thought of and discussed in
this country, than all the writings of Mr.
Colquhoun, or the experiments of Elliotson and
Lafontaine. It is at this moment, therefore, the
more desirable that the subject should be fully
investigated, and the question determined whe-
ther it is one of imposture or reality. For this
end, we could suggest no better means than
those adopted by the intelligent citizens of Bos-
ton—the election of a Committee at every exhi-
bition to communicate between the company
and the magnetiser, so as to prevent
disorderly interruption, which have no more
satisfactory results than to expose the ill manners
and presumption of some well dressed persons.
A general meeting of the learned professions and
others interested in physiological research
might be held here as in Boston, for the purpose
of appointing a Committee to conduct in private
a series of experiments, which we have no doubt
would very soon enable them to give the public
a conclusive and satisfactory report.

PROTEST OF THE DUKE OF SUSSEX.—In
addition to his Royal Highness, the protest published
in the The Sun on Wednesday last, against the
amendment to the Address agreed to on Tuesday
week, has been signed by the following Peers :—Scar-
borough, Zetland, Charlemont, De Mauley, Montfort,
Clements, Foley ; and Radnor, Hatherton, and Gosford
for the first, second, third, and last reasons.
DEATH FROM WANT OF MEDICAL AID.—
On Thursday evening, Mr. Payne held an inquest at the
Bell public-house, Poppin's-court, Fleet-street, on view
of the body of Elizabeth Biggs, aged 28. Deceased had
been subject to fits of epilepsy during the last three
years, and on Tuesday last, she was suddenly seized with
a renewal of her former attacks. She continued in fits
all that night, and died in consequence on the following
morning. Just before her death a medical man was
called in, but it was teo late. In giving his evidence, this
gentleman stated deceased's life would undoubtedly have
been saved if she had had proper and timely medical
aid. Verdict —" Died from the effect of fits."
MEATH ELECTION.—We refer with unallayed
satisfaction to the influential requisition calling on Mr.
Corbally to stand for the representation of Meath.
In rank, wealth, patriotism, and public virtue,
the requisitionists are second to none in the em-
pire. It must be peculiarly gratifying to Mr. Cor-
bally to find that his character as a public man,
and his services in the public cause, are appreciated
by so numerous and respectable a body of the inde-
pendent freeholders of Meath. Mr. Corbally may
rejoice at having earned the approval of such men ;
and with equal pride and satisfaction can he respond to
the call they have made. To represent a county situated
as Meath is—a county in which Toryism has been pros-
trated, if not utterly annihilated—is an honour of which
any man might well be proud.--Dublin Pilot.