The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-20 00:00:00

MESMERIC ABSURDITIES.

" THE RATIONALE OF MAGNETISM." BY
SAMUEL SPURRELL.
Whilst there i 3 an obvious and increasing ten-
dency, on the part of the public, to inquire into the
reality, the nature, and the uses of the mesmeric
mystery, and to listen with impartiality, if not with
favour, to the averments of its believers, the insane,
or perhaps the fraudulent pretensions of many who,
instead of pursuing the subject as a matter of cautious
investigation, profess it as an art ascertained, estab-
lished, and complete, have the effect of startling
Credulity in her eager advance, and inducing doubt
upon the best authenticated facts, and distrust upon
the most sincere and the most eminent advocates. In
raising the indignation of the honest observer, and the
disgust of the candle sceptic, the ingenious tissue of
absurdities, entitled by its author the " Rationale (!)
of Magnetism," is calculated to be immensely effective,
as the work itself is immensely ridiculous. The in-
troduction gives a learned exposition of the two classi-
fications of the " science," viz., mental and anima
magnetism. It then proceeds to explain some (no/
doubt interesting, if intelligible) views of the
author on the powers of ultra-vision and intro-vision,
and the advantages that would be derived from an
operator becoming his own patient, and thus pos-
sessing himself of those two wonderful powers. The
case of the " Philadelphian Solitary," who could
travel from Philadelphia to Africa, thence over
Europe, and lastly to London, in search of an un-
known man, whom at last he meets bodily at
a convivial table in London, and puts questions to
him from his wife—with the answers to which he
returns to Philadelphia—all his mission having
occupied but a few minutes, and the said solitary
having been all the while entranced in his own
chamber ! This is gravely stated ; not merely as an
illustration, but as an authority ! And the book, too,
is boldly put forth as a text-book—a philosophical
text-book—supported by facts solemnly vouched for
on the author's testimony, and that of several others
named, described, and referred to. But from the
specimen just referred to, Mr. Spurrell goes not for
by-gone authorities, to the Arabian Nights or our
own fairy tales— in truth, these faithful nar-
ratives have too much the semblance of
rationality to bear out his " Rationale." As to
his own facts, ridiculous and unblushing as they are,
they would deserve no notice, but that they are told
with such an air of simplicity, that they might im-
pose upon some innocent lovers of the marvellous, or,
what is perhaps worse, bring into disbelief the impor-
tant and ascertained phenomena upon which this
monstrous superstructure of hardy invention is erected.
Nay, it does appear that the book has a great sale ;
and certainly its contents are very extensively dis-
cussed, finding, strange to say, many sturdy de-
fenders.
Now, the utmost length that a reasonable person
could at present go with the philo-mesmerists would
be to admit that Dr. Illiotson and the other eminent
men, of unquestionable honour and distinguished
talents, who investigate mesmerism, have pretty well
established that it is possible to produce in a human
being a peculiar condition, in a state of existence not
only different, but separate, from the ordinary one is
passed, and powers and faculties are developed which
are not possessed in the ordinary condition. There is a
sleep unlike the natural ; rigidity of the muscles—
utter insensibility to pain—sometimes sleep-waking,
and an inexplicable exaltation of the senses. That
there does
accompany this latter condition a facility
of seeing
objects not presented to the eyes seems to
be affirmed by a large body of evidence very far re-
moved from suspicion. But this clairvoyance is so