The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 19, 1861.

MESMERIC INFIRMARY.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of this institution,• No. 36, Wey-
mouth-street, Portland-place, took place yesterday after-
noon at Willis's Rooms, King••street, St. James's, on which
occasion there was a very large assemblage of the friends
of the infirmary. _ _

Amongst those present on the'platform we observed Sir
W. Topham, Sir William Kirbey, Monckton Miklos, Esq.,
M.P., William J. Foi; Esq., M.P., the Rev. Dr. Vaughan,
the Rev. G. Sanaby, H. Poland, Esq., Wing, Esq., Dr.
Purland, Dr. Elliotron, and other staunch friends of the
cause,

On the motion of Dr. ELLIOTSON, the chair was taken
by MONCKTON MILNES, Esq., who announced that the
proceedings of the day would commence with the reading
of the annual report. _ .

Mr. WING then, in a very clear and distinct manner,
read the statement, which was _ a long andl interesting
one, from which we extract the following portions :
INSANITY.—" We have up to this time reported but one
case of• the treatment of insanity with mesmerism ; but
that was a cure, and, like the majority of mesmeric cures,
striking and satisfactory. The account appeared in our
Fifth Report, which may be found in the forty-sixth num-
ber of The Zoist. The patient was a middle-aged man,
anxious to:die, and, who, meditated suicille, believing that
all around him were happy while he was cursed and all his
efforts doomed to turn out badly : that people were always
insulting him 7 and absolutely distracted with endless other
fancies. He had taken immense quantities of medicine in
vain : biit'heimproved under us immediately, and left us
perfectly well in less than two months.
The following case of insanity cured by mesmerism
deserves to be recorded :—" On the 27th of June, 1861, Dr.
Elliotson received a letter from the father of the young man
named Childs, informing him of the delusion he laboured
under, viz., that he was heir to the throne, that George the
IV. was his father, and Queen Victoria his mother. lir.
Elliotson gave directions for him to attend the infirmary,
and he was brought daily, and mesmerised by Mr.
Russel. This began on the 14th of February, and
on the 13th of March he was carefully examined by the
Council, and did not exhibit any trace of insanity. On the
16th March, the gentleman who sent him to the infirmary
wrote to Dr. Elliotson—‘ It would have given you pleasure
to see the delight of the young man's father and mother—
people as deserving as can be found in the world. They
send you their thanks and blessing. We advised that ho
should be occasionally mesmerised for some time to come :
as it is very wrong to relinquish mesmerism soon after the
cessation of any chronic affection. We have received letters
from both the patient and his family to a late period, stating
his healthy condition.
"NEURALGIA.—The following case of neuralgia, as
pitiable as can well be imagined, displays the power of
mesmerism over the disease most remarkably. On last
September the 6th, a poor Italian shoemaker, named Julio
Antonio Fano, working for Mr. Thierry, 70 kegentestreet,
was brought to the infirmary by Mrs. Fradelle, who had
found him in the utmost misery begging in the streets.
Six months previously, he had been seized with severe
pain at the lowest part of the left side of the back of the
neck, and it spread to the fore part of the right half of the
head, and to the shoulders, so that he nearly lost the use
of his arms, and could scarcely raise the stick which sup-
ported him in walking, nor could he pick up money which
his companions threw upan the ground for him. His head
had becpme gradually and firmly drawn down and to the
right side, so that he could neither raise nor turn it in any
direction. He was in a hospital for three weeks, and, when
found in the streets begging by Mrs. Fradelle, was taking
medicine as an out-patient. As soon as he was got to the
Infirmary Mr. Fradelle mesmerised him. The following
day, Sept. 7, he was able to work a very little. On Oct. 3,
he could work at his trade for four or five hours' and on the
17th for seven hours a day. He then left us ; but he pre-
sented himself before us in the middle of last month, in
perfect health, to the astonishment of all who saw him.
STAMMERING.—This distressing affection is decidedly of
a nervous nature, and bears some affinity to chorea or St.
Vitus's dance. Mary Ann Mills, aged 23, of 17, Upper
George-street, Portman-square, applied to us, Sept. 27,
1860, on account of stammering. She was always excitable,
and when three years of age was frightened by an engrav-
ing of a skeleton, and soon after by a real skeleton in a
house ; she was too frightened to be able to scream, and
from that time anything resembling the ribs of a skeleton
has caused a nervous sensation ; her spirits were affected,
and her speech more or less impeded. Mr. Fradelle mes-
merised her, and she went to sleep, and even into sleep-
waking, the first time ; aad this always happened, and ins
a week she was decidedly better. On the 28th of March'
she left us all but cured, and could no longer be spared
from business to visit us. She is now quite well.
EPILEPSY.—James Wingrove, a house-painter, residing
at No. 18, Henstredge-street, Portland Town, had an epi-
leptic fit on Christmas-day, 1850 ; from strong excitement,
ho believes. A second occurred in 1851 on the 27th of
December, and they increased in frequency till he had one
every week. His friends always concealed their occurrence
from him as much as possible ; but he knows that they
were violent, for he has at times found his face cut, his
tongue bitten nearly through, his head painful for 'several
days, and his limbs so stiff that for some daYs he could not
walk. Various medical gentlemen had prescribed bleeding,
cupping, and large quantities of different medicines. Mr.
C. Fisher began to mesmerise him on the 7th of November,
and regularly till March 8, when he left us for a situation,
the disease having greatly lessened. On the 6th May, he
wrote to the Secretary that he had experienced but two at-
tacks for three months. In the beginning of June, wo have
learnt that he remains well. Another epileptic, named
Frederic Stephen, and mesmerised first by Mr. Seymour,
then by Mr. C. sher, and ultimately by Mr. Russel, has
not had a fit since March, 1860.
RimumAnc GouT.—Thomas Davis, aged 51, of 26,
Weymouth•street, butler, applied May 22, 1861. States
that he was first attacked with rheumatism 15 years ago.
Was free from it at times for several years. Has had it in
various parts of the body. Some called it rheumatic gout.
The present attack came on a week ago, and affected the
right arm and hand : the hand was much swollen, and very
painful and inflammed : the swelling extended to the elbow :
the arm also was painful. The pain, being worse at night,
deprived him of sleep. Had on former occasions advice
from doctors out of number, but from none this time.
Mesmerised by Mr. C. Fisher, and the swelling was at once
reduced by local passes ; and by June 5 he was quite cured.
At the time of our last report we had 36 patients, since
cduringured o
or the hger
eya
telayr .r
el
iOefv
etdhels2e7,37u t ri
me sp tri lv pe
da t4i eBn. t s ,mwa
ne
yh aa
ab-
sent then we have had 139, so that there have been treated 175
sent themselves after a few, or even one or two mesmerisa-
tions, as if they expected miracles : many have had no
means of continuing their attendance.

On account of the soothing and strengthening influence '
of mesmerism,lthere is scarcely any kind of case, medical
or surgical, in which it may not be employed with advan-
tage, whatever be the established means also properly em-
ployed. If it does not cure, it may facilitate cure, and may
alleviate. In fevers, inflammations, acute and chronic dis-
eases, functional and structural, and in cases of mechanical
injury, it may render immense service: and will one day,
we have not the least doubt, be more or less employed as
matter of course.
We have always urged that in refusing to investigate
carefully, and in opposing mesmerism, a double sin is coin_
mitted ; the sin of scorning nature's facts, and the sin of
blindly rejecting a blessing to the human race. In Harvey's
time the former sin was committed : but in the present day
both are committed.
A very large number of persons oppose mesmerism from
moral paltroonery ; their miserable fear of ridicule over-
comes their *son and their courage. Not merely the poo
doctor, but some of the wealthiest members of both the
houses of Parliament, would be ashamed Let them their names
in the list of subscribers to our Infirmary.
however, that the distinguished Rev. Baden Powell, late
Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Ox-
ford, informs us that :—Hallam and Rogers are cited as
veritable witnesses to the truth of certain effects of mes-
merism, in their day generally disbelieved; and for assert-
ing which they were met with all but an imputation of
" the lie direct.
Dr. Elliotson from the first told all who witnessed his
cases and doubted, or affected to doubt, in University Col-
lege Hospital and his own house, that what had occurred
would occur again and be witnessed by mankind again and
again : because the facts resulted from general laws which
must last with the human race.
The question of mesmerism must indeed at length be
considered by the least informed, as it was many years ago
by the w ell informed, an established truth. This further
appears by the increased support given to the Infirmary.
The year before last we had 19 new subscribers : last year,
23 : and this year 31.
We lament to record the death of a member of the coun-
cil—Mr. Adolphe Kiate, who was not only a powerful,
indefatigable, and most successful mesmeriser, but better
acquainted with both the science and the art of mesmerism
than most persons.
The CHAIRMAN said, after the very interesting repot
just read, it would not be necessary for him to detain them
at any great length, but at the commencement of his re-
marks ho could not forbear saying that ho took the greatest
interest in the institution because it did a vast amount of

practical good at a very moderate outlay. As he had said

it would not be necessary for him to refer to the cures
effected; they were generally well known to most of these
present. The meetings now of the Mesmeric Infirmary, he
was happy to say, were of a very different nature :to
what they used to be on former occasions. There were
numbers of persons of education and standing in so-
ciety who used to attend for the purpose of scoffing
and ridiculing their exertions,but a great change had occurred,
and now the feeling was of an opposite tendency, and many
who were the bitterest opponents of mesmerism—were now
loudest in its praise. By the establishment of the Mes-
meric
ancient
professors,
fas 0
rs
Infirmary a want, that had long existed, had been
supplied, and the good that was daily and hourly effected
was
the
hills,"inestimable.
buti, t
and
had beenMesmerismforth allowedewasreerecovery
t o not
ry of h
new,
e‘
w‘ droptite wasout"
bay tohl old
as e
inestimable
blessing they were indebted to the untiring
and unceasing
exertions of their valued friend, Dr. Elliotson. (Cheers.)
It depended on this meeting that the noble recovery should
not again be allowed to dwindle down. (Hear, and cheers.)
Mesmerism, as an anesthetic, was known and practised
amongst the Italians in the 12th and 13th centuries, but
then, as now, it was opposed by some of the celebrities of
the time. The medical profession of the present day were
not scrupulous in condemning the practice of others. Why,
one of the greatest statesmen of the age—the late Count
Cavour—had been, it was asserted, bled to death by the
use of the lancet. Had mesmerism been resorted to, the
world, most probably, would not have had to deplore the
loss of one of the master minds of the present ago. (Hear,
hear.) He (Mr. M.) came amongst them that day to testify
his admiration for his valued friend, Dr. Elliotson. He
was eminent for his abilities, and he was glad to know that
his opinion in
all matters of science was considered that of
of the present trusted the
one of the master mindsage. e
Infirmary would go on increasing in importance until it
took its those ;3,0b1e etitU"
place amongst the foremost of ma

tiens which were the wonder of the foreigner, and the pride
of the Englishman. (Cheers.) Ho: came there that day to
express his admiration of the science, and his respect for
Dr. Elliotson. (Lend cheers.) Ho would conclude by call-
ing upon Dr. Vaughan. to move the first resolution, viz.,
that the report be adopted, printed, and circulated'as widely
as possible. _ _ _

The Rev. Dr. VAudnAN, in inovinglhe adoption of the
report, bore testimony to the valuie of mesmerism, for, in
tho case of a dearly beloved member of his family, it had
been tried with such effect that the lady in question, from
being in a state of great physkal and painful prostration,
was now enabled to take her plate in society, and perform
pieces of music on the piano ; and this great change had
been effected through the influence of mesmerism, which
had been put in practice in the case in question by his friend
Dr. Elliotson.

Mr. HARRY POLAND seconded the motion, which was
adopted.
Mr. W. J. Fox, M.P., moved the next resolution, which
had relation to the appointments •of those members of the
council of the Infirmary who went out by rotation, and said
that the zeport which had been read to them proved that
mesmerism was sound in. philosophy, correct in its facts,
and justified all that it promised to the public. The science
of mesmerism was not new; as had been frequently stated,
and the efforts of Dr. Elliotson and his coadjutors had
shown that it was a science that alleviated pain, and pro-
duced results of the most valuable description to suffering
huthanity. (Hear, hear.) Owing to it he had been mate-
rially relieved in his eyesight,- which had been seriously
affected, but now his eyesight had been so much restored
that he could read for sole hours without inconvenience.
The Rev. G. Saisrsix had great pleasure in seconding
the resolution. He was not'a new believer in the truths of
mesmerism, he was one of the earliest amongst them, and
he looked upon that circumstance with great satisfaction.

The resolution was carried unanimously.
Dr. PURLAND then movecl,A.e appointment of three
ladies to the-Ladies' CommitteKi*the Infirmary, and cited
an instance in which a limb m as saved by the appliaiiiin of
mesmerism, after other means had been tried and failed.
Mr. WING seconded the resolution(which wad adopted.

Sir W. TOPHAM moved, and Sir WM. KIRBY seconded
a resolution expressive of the warm thanks of the meeting
to Dr. Elliotson for his zeal and ability in promoting the
science of mesmerism, and for the warmth and goodness of
his heart in connection with the manner in which he had
worked out the usefulness of that science.
The motion was cordially adopted.
Dr. ELLIOTSON said he felt greatly obliged to the meet-
ing for the compliment. He could hardly have conceived
it possible for any person endowed with the ordinary facul-
ties to doubt the truth and existence of mesmerism. As its
existence had been established long ago its progress had
been slow, but the great truths advanced by Newton shared
the same fate for a time. That mesmerism would continue
to advance he felt certain, and all attempts to pub
it back would not merely be absurd but would be
acts of insanity. Like many other things mesmer-
ism had suffered to some degree from the over-zealui
exertions of its friends ; they bad promised cures in certain
cases, and success had not attended them. True disciples of
mesmerism made no promises, neither did the professors of
medicine or surgery. Amongst the clergy, ho rejoiced to
say, they bad found some of their earliest and strongest
friends. At length it bad been said that mesmerism had
something of the devil about it. (Laughter.) He would
conclude by again thanking them for their kindness.
Dr. PURL AND in moving a vote of thanks to the early
friends of the institution, said, all that was wanted was an
increase of funds to lead to increase of usefulness on the
part of the Infirmary. It was one deserving the utmost
support, and he trusted those who'had it in their power
would come forward to assist them in their difficult but
noble and courageous duty. (Cheers.)
The motion having been seconded was carried unani-
mously.
The invaluable exertions of Mr. Fradelle, the secretary
of the Institution, and of his amiable lady, the Lady Super-
intendent, having been gracefully alluded to, the proceed-
ings terminated.

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

THE SOUTHERN STATES.
(From the Special Correspondent of the Times.)

NEW ORLEANS, MAY 24.

It is impossible to resist the conviction that the
Southern Confederacy can only be conquered by
means as irresistible as those by which Poland was
subjugated. The South will fall, if at all, as a
nation prostrate at the feet of a victorious enemy,
There is no doubt of the unanimity of the people.
If words mean anything, they are animated by only
one sentiment, and they will resist the North as
long as they can command a man or a dollar. There
is nothing of a sectional character in this disposi-
tion of the South. In every State there is only one
voice audible. Hereafter, indeed, State jealousies
may work their own way. Whatever may be the
resgat, unless the men are the merest braggart
and they do not look like it—they will figh
to the last before they give in, and their con-
fidence in their resources is only equalled by
their determination to test them to the utmost.
There is a noisy vociferation about their declara-
tions of implicit trust and reliance on their slaves
-which makes one think they do "protest too much,"
and it remains to be seen whether the slaves really
will remain faithful to their masters should the
Abolition army ever come among them as an armed
propaganda. One thing is obvious here. A large
number of men who might be usefully employed in
the ranks are idling about the streets. The military
enthusiasm is in proportion to the property interest
of the various classes of the people, and the very
boast that so many rich men are serving in the
ranks is a significant proof either of the want of a
substratum, or of the absence of great devotion to
the cause in any such layer of white people as may
underlie the great slaveholding, mercantile, and
planting oligarchy. The whole State of Louisiana
contains about 50,000 men liable to serve when
called on. Of that number only 15,000 are enrolled
and under arms in any shape whatever, and if one
is to judge of the state of affairs by the advertise-
ments which appear from the Adjutant-General's-
office, there was some difficulty in procuring iihe
3,000 men—merely 3,000 volunteers—" to serve
during the war," who are required by the Confede-
rate Government. There There is plenty of " prave
'ords," and if fierce writing and talking could do
killed work the
and
eaten armies sidesloenirnotiygivbaceosdantghlon;
t is would
found have t beenthat
valuable
ttohrme live
thatts
e ofbs
be
theadl
ships,osi akaaelpni
pre
ao.
plague,
away attacking tt
theae Pensacola
ei
yellowto dot fever,
he war
k mosquitoes,
shot, rattlesnakes,shsll
any of these agencies is looked to with confidence
and bayonet. Our
American " brethren in arms" have yet to learn
that great law in military cookery, that " if they
want to make omelets they must break eggs."
The " moral suasion" of the lasso, of head-shaving,
ducking, kicking, and such processes, are, I suspect,
used not unfrequently to stimulate volunteers ; and
the extent to which the acts of the recruiting officer
are somewhat aided by the arm of the law, and the
forco of the policeman and the magistrate, may be
seen from paragraphs in the morning papers now
and then, to the effect that certain gentlemen of
Milesian extraction, who might have been engaged
in pugilistic pursuits, were discharged from custody
unpunishedon n
With
th
econditionr tvhi
ea
wt theys e e
nt
er enlisted
ef
fo r f
rtehee.
dom of opinion and action by large classes of people
living
Mayorhccas omuerott
.of
ht
ahicmoomi here
s commit
man
mnwaooi inkrnttf
named
on this continent, such a mode of obtaining volun-
teers is very natural, but resort to it evinces a want
of zeal on the part of some of the 50,000 who are on
the rolls; and, from all I can hear—and I have
asked numerous persons likely to be acquainted
with the subject—there are not more than those
15,000 men of whom I have spoken in all the State
under arms, or in training, of whom a considerable
proportion will be needed for garrison and coast
defence duties. It may be that the Northern
States and Northern sentiments are 'as violent as
those of the South, but I see some evidences to the
contrary: For instance, in New York ladies and
gentlemen from the South are permitted to live at
their favourite hotel without molestation, and one
hotel-keeper at Saratoga Springs advertises openly
for the custom of his Southern patrons. In no city
of the South which I have visited would a party
of Northern people be permitted to remain for an
hour if the " citizens" were aware of their presence.
It is laughable to hear men speaking of the "unani-
mity" of the South. Just look at the peculiar means
by which unanimity is enforced and secured ! This
is an extract from a New Orleans paper :
"Charges of Abolitionism.—Mayor Monroe has disposed
with wurterin
of some of the cases brought before him on charges of this
kind by sending the accused to the workhouse.
inagneharlrisghed7wi
"A Mexican named Bernard Cruz, born in Tampico, and
broughtg AAbolition
tbi before rsee thesenti-
ments. ti _
meats. After a full investigation, it was found from the
utterance of his incendiary language that Cruz's education
was not yet perfect in Southern classics, and his Honour
therefore directed that he be sent for six months to the
Humane Institution for the Amelioration of the Condition
of Northern Barbarians and Abolition Fanatics, presided
over by professor Henry Mitchell, keeper of the workhouse,
who will put him through a course of study on Southern
ethics and institutions.
theuce
mt
wheedo
witnesses
children
accusedv
ei
Bd06;0i iohtreoesletltr
trial
flea,
fesba was
positivelyf
nsour e ec
Lincoln;
nh aes; to
Criminal
lianomttdhi
"The testimony before him on Saturday, however, in the
hearcl

that the accused had said lam an Abolitionist,' &c. ' The
witnesses, neighbours of the accused, gave their evidence
reluctantly, saying they had warned him of the folly and
danger of his conduct. O'Keefe says he has been•a United
States' soldier and came here from St. Louis and Kansas.
"John White was arraigned before Recorder tnierson
on Saturday for uttering incendiary language while travel-
ling in the baggage car of a train of the New Orleans,,Ohio,
and Great Western Railroad, intimating that the decapita-
tor of Jefferson Davis would get 10,000 dols. for 13i.s trouble,
and the last man of us would .be whipped like dogs by the
Lincolnites. lie was held under bonds of 500 (lois. to answer
the charge on the Sth of Jane.
" Niehoias Gento, charged with declaring himself an
Abolitionist, and acting very much like he was one by har-
bouring a runaway slave, was sent to prison, in default of
bail, to await examination before the Recorder."

Such is " freedom of speech" in Louisiana! But
in Texas the machinery for the production of " una-
nimity" is less complicatel, and there are no insult-
ing legal formalities connected with the working of
the simple appliances which a primitive agricultural
people have devised for their own purposes. Hear
the Texan correspondent of ono of the journals of
this city on the subject. "It is to us astonishing,"
he says--
" That such unmitigated lies as those Northern papers
disseminate of anarchy and disorder here in Texas, disFen-
sion among ourselves, and especially from our German, &c.,
population, with dangers and anxieties from the fear of in-
surrection among the nogroes, 6kc., should be deemed any-
where South worthy of a moment's thought. It is surely
notorious enough that in no part of the South are Aboli-
tionists or other disturbers of the public peace so very unsafe
as in Texas. The lasso is so very convenient I"

Here is an excellent method of preventing dissen-
sion described by a stroke of the pen; and as such
an ingenious people are not likely to lose sight of
the uses of a revolution in developing peculiar prin-
ciples to their own advantage, repudiation of debts
to the North bas been proclaimed and acted on.
One gentleman has found it convenient to inform
Major Anderson that he does not intend to meet
certain bills which be had given the Major for knnie
slaves. Another declares he won't, pay anybody at
all, as he has discovered it is and contrary
to the law of nations, to do so. A third feels him-
self bound to obey the commands of the Governor
of his State, who has ordered that debts due to the
North shall not be liquidated. As a naive specimen
of the way in which the whole case is treated, take
this article and the correspondence of " one of the
most prominent mercantile houses of New Or-
leans :"