The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

MESMERISM IN EDINBURGH

The most prominent topic of discussion at present
in the northern metropolis is Mesmerism, demonstra-
tions of which so-called science have been repeatedly
attended by nearly all the University professors now
in the city, as well as by Professor Liebig, Mr.
George Combe, and a considerable number of other
gentlemen distinguished in the world of science and
letters. The following, which appears in the supple-
ment of the last North British Advertiser, is, we un-
derstand, from the pen of Bon Gaultier :
" The recent lectures and experiments of Mr. Spencer
Hall in this city have revived the interest in Mes-
merism, which had been in a great measure shaken
by the somewhat suspicious demonstrations of the
lecturers on the same sub:ect who had previously
visited us. The facts of Mesmerism are of a nature
so startling, and many of the demonstrations so clearly
of a kind which it is possible, though perhaps only
just possible, to imitate, that we must be satisfied not
merely of the integrity, but also of the sagacity of the
operator, before we can yield them our belief. Both
these qualities Mr. Hall obviously possesses in a re-
markable degree. A mind that has from childhood
taken nothing upon trust, that has always kept a free
open eye and heart to the impressions and impuls-s
of nature, and accustomed itself to build its know-
ledge, wherever it was possible to do so, upon facts
and individual experience, seems to render him pe-
culiarly fitted for investigating the subject to which
he has for some years devoted his whole energies,
while the combination of these qualities with a can-
dour, simplicity, and frankness, which at once inspire
confidence in his sincerity, and a modest caution in
drawing his deductions, entitle him to a fair and full
hearing for whatever he may have to adduce.
"The phenomena which he elicits are of so singular
a kind—not only so unlike, but so contrary to, or-
dinary experience—that they must be seen to be
believed. The story of the enchanter in the Arabian
Nights, who held the Prince spellbound in a chair
for years, has ceased to be a fable. He did no more
than we have seen Mr. Hall do, in a less degree, again
and again. But had we not seen this with our own
eyes we must have regarded both cases as equally
fabulous.

" It will not do to maintain, as we have heard some
do, that such phenomena are produced by collusion.
Mr. Hall is above suspicion, and the inducements to
the parties operated upon to act contrary to his will
were too powerful to leave a doubt that they would
have done so if they could. The strongest instance
of this which we have seen occured at a demonstra-
tion, a few evenings ago, at a private house in the
New Town of Edinburgh, in presence of a party of
gentlemen met for the purpose of testing some of Mr.
Hall's experiments. The patients were four in num
her—three of them lads earning from 3s. 6d. to 5s
per week, and the fourth a person to whom
twenty pounds must have been an important sum.
Mr. Hall, first, by what appeared a mere effort of
will, made one of the lads unable to move from the
place where he stood ; another was rendered unable
either to walk or to drop a walking-stick which was
put into his hand ; the third found himself incapable
of rising from the chair in which he sat; while the
fourth, who was told to rest his right knee upon
a chair, could neither withdraw it nor move his
other leg, While thus riveted, the operator offered
twenty pounds to the boy who was then rooted to the
ground, if he would abstain from sitting down in
a chair which was placed at the distance of a few feet
from him, and he likewise offered the same sum
to each of the other parties who should not go out of
the room. In a few seconds, the boy who was stand-
ing threw himself into the chair—the lad who was
sitting sprang up and darted out of the room—the
fingers of the boy who held the stick forced them-
selves open, and he shuffled, by working his heels
and toes alternately, out of the room also. He could
not walk, his legs having been previously made rigid
by Mr. Hall. The fourth patient withdrew his
knee from the chair, and after resisting the influence
for three minutes and a half (the time fixed by Mr.
Hall for accomplishing the experiment being five
minutes), sprang forward into the adjoining room,
to which Mr. Hall had withdrawn. Here collusion
was out of the question. The patients were strangers
to Mr. Hall,—twenty pounds a-piece was a bribe too
tempting to be slighted,—and to suppose that they
had either been promised, or had hopes of a larger
sum for co-operating with Mr. Hall, would have
been simply ridiculous. It was plain, that the parties
would have won the money if they could. Their
will was opposed to the operator's, but their limbs
were entirely subservient to his control. Here, then,
was an undeniable fact, directly at variance with all
our previous experience. How is scepticism to ex-
plain it away ? Admit it, and what limits are to be
set to the operations of the mysterious influence by
which it is produced ?
" The power of producing a rigidity and intensified
muscular force, which shall make a delicate girl's
arm oppose an easy resistance to a power that would
bend a strong man's like a reed,—of twisting limbs
into unnatural contortions without discomfort to the
patient,—of producing entire insensibility to pain in
the most sensitive parts of the body, are all facts
demonstrated by Mr. Hall beyond the shadow of
doubt. There is no sagacity in the scepticism which
looks profound, and shakes its unbelieving head, and
asks for explanation, of why and wherefore, when
these phenomena are exhibited. The results are

there,—there as unquestionable facts,—and it is
nothing against their reality that no unequivocal
rationale why they are so can be given. Principles
may he guessed at, but they can be proved only by
an aggregate of facts ; and a vast variety of observa-
tion and experience is required before a science can be
framed out of phenomena so new and so fluctuating as
those of Mesmerism. But surely enough has already
been demonstrated to make it the duty of all lovers
of truth, of all students of physiology, of all medical
men worthy of their profession, to inquire earnestly
into the subject. If there be no truth in this thing
let it be put down as a troublesome lie ; but if there
be truth in it, then its results should be, without
loss of time, converted, as they appear most capable
of being, to the benefit of mankind. The apathy of
the medical profession on this subject is not very
creditable to them. We rarely meet one of its mem-
bers who does not admit the existence of some such
influence or agency as that contended for by the mes-
merists ; and yet, admitting this much, they are con-
tented to let their inquiries stop here. They will let
iuch men as Mr. Hall go on investigating the science
through abuse, insult, and calumny, and the diffi-
culty arising from imperfect scientific knowledge ;
and-when the science is established, if established it

shall be, and there is nothing to be feared in reputa-
tion or in purse from giving countenance to it, they
will embrace it and convert it to their profit. Is it a
fact, or is it not, that persons are cured by Mes-
merism of catalepsy, epilepsy, and all that monstrous
train of nervous disorders which create much more
than half the ailments of civilised life ? Is it a fact,
that by it even organic disease of the most fearful
kind, as in the case of Miss Martineau, is alleviated,
and r-ssibly removed ? If these be facts—and they
seem to be demonstrated by evidence as powerful as
,hat upon which any other facts are admitted—then
s it indeed time, to say the very least, that the
medical faculty should devote the whole energy of
Their intellect and knowledge to this important subject.
" That Mr. Hall has established a great variety of
facts in Phreno-Mesmerism we think there can be no
loubt. We have seen as little reason to suspect col-
lusion in his demonstrations of this class of phenomena
.s in those to which we have already alluded. In
fact, it would tax our belief more to conclude that
the parties operated upon were able to feign the mani-
festations which they exhibited than to suppose
that they were influenced by some agency to which
we were strangers. Actors, with a natural capability
or expressing emotion, and who have made grace
and fitness of gesture and expression the study of
t lifetime, have not been able to do what we have seen
Illiterate boys do. Nothing in sculpture surpasses the
beauty of their attitudes, nothing in features irradiated
by the habitual emotions of a noble and cultivated
nature, is more exquisite than the expression which we
have seen light up their features, when the organs of
the higher moral faculties have been excited. They
speak, and their stumbling grammar, halting sense,
and vulgar dialect become fluent and forcible lan-
guage, delivered in the tones and with the manner
of a superior class. How comes it, if all this he
acting, that this marvellous faculty is not turned to
account, when it would be the certain source of
wealth ? People who ask us to believe it to be acting
forget that they are taxing our credulity quite as much
as Mr. Hall.
" Much more will require to be known and esta-
blished in regard to Mesmerism in all its branches,
before its uses, both as regards mental and physical
science, can be ascertained. But in the meantime,
enough has been established in our opinion to entitle
it to the thoughtful and patient scrutiny of all lovers
of truth."

BRUTALITY.—Mr. Higgs on Thursday resumed the
inTiest on the body of a woman named Parker, whose
husband was in custody, awaiting the result, it being
alleged that his brutal violence towards her had caused
her death. On a post um tem examinatian, the surgeons
gave it as their opinion that this violence, though it had
undoubtedly accelerated, had not directly caused, he.
death. The coroner deeply regretted that on this ell-
dence it would be useless to commit the prisoner, even
for manslaughter. The jury declared he was one of the
greatest ruffians they had ever heard of, and returned a
verdict in accordance with the medical eridence, but
also expressed very strongly their feeling of the brutal
treatment the poor woman had received from her husband
BLANDFORD, OCTOBER 22.—A meeting was held
at the Town Hall, at a very short notice, relative
to a line of railroa4 proposed to be adopted by the
South-Western Railwai*Company, to bring a branch
from_ their line to Salisbury, Cranbourne, Wimborne,
M nilfoyd, Dorchester, and Weymonth. The 'meeting
was
swell attended, 44(1 the subject appeared to excite
mii4 .
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