The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-24 00:00:00

MESMERISM.--CAPTAIN BROWN'S LECTURE
ON THE DISCOVERIES OF MR. BRAID, OF
MANCHESTER.

On Tuesday evening Captain Thomas Brown. M.W.S.,
late president of the Royal Physical Society, delivered a lec-
ture on the subject of mesmerism, at the Portico, Newing-
ton, before a highly respectable audience, amounting to be-
tween 130 and 130 individuals, including several ladies and
medical gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. The
discoveries were not those of Captain Brown, but of Mr.
Braid, a surgeon, of Manchester. who, it was stated, had ex-
hibited the influence of mesmerism on almost every indi-
vidual at first trial, including somnolency, insensibility to
pain, the cataleptiform state, somnambulism, sleep-talking,
dancing, and various evolutions as desired. Mr. Braid's
professional engagements precluded the possibility of his de
11vering lectures in the various towns, hut in order that his
views might he fairly exhibited, he had given such instruc-
tions and extracts from his lectures as were sufficient to ena-
ble Captain Brown to supply his place successfully, and to
illustrate all the effects on subjects previously tested, as well
as on others who might present themselves from the audience.
Shortly before the commencement of the lecture Captain
Brown requested of any medical gentleman present to retire
to an anti-room, where six of Mr. Braid's patients were in
readiness to submit to the various operations, in order that
they might feel their pulses. Two medical gentlemen, Drs.
111 'Culloch and Carson. accordingly retired for the purpose,
and after being absent for some minutes, the six patients, all
females, came upon the stage and took their seats. Four of
them were young women, ranging between 20 and 25 years
of age ; the fifth appeared to be about 32 or 35, and the sixth
was a grown-up girl of about 14 or 15.
The captain, in the introductory part of his lecture, gave
an account of the mode in which Mr. Braid's attention had
been directed to the subject from attending the lectures of M.
Lafontaine, in Manchester. Having gone through this, he
explained Mr. Braid's theory thus :
He considers that, by an individual keeping up a steady
gaze or fixed stare at an object placed in such a position as to
put the greatest number of muscles connected with that organ
and appendages into action, and which of course, requires an
abstraction of mind from other objects to enable the individual
to maintain this fixed stare without winking or moving the
eyeballs, congestion takes place in the eye, and a rapid ex-
haustion of the natural sensibility of the retina and morter
nerves of the eye and eyelids. This is reflected on the brain,
and from that to the heart and lungs, producing enervation
and consequent sinking in the force and frequency of the
heart's action.

The enervation of the brain is still farther increased by the
enfeebled action of the heart, and from the same cause the
blood is sent to the extremities in diminished quantity, and
is, therefore, accumulited in the large blood vessels in the
region of the heart. The heart is now stimulated to greater
efforts, and, in order to overcome its increased labour, is com-
pelled to quicken its velocity to compensate for its lessened
power. The pulse now rises, and is followed by determina-
tion of blood to the brain, as evinced by the flushing of the
face, &c., and now succeed all the phenomena of mesmerism,
arising from congestion and irregular circulation through
that important organ the brain, and its appendage the spinal
cord.

The effects may be induced by a steady fixed stare, kept
up in any direction, together with that quiet of body and nb-
straction of mind from all other objects necessary to enable
the patient to maintain the eye and eyelids in a state of ab-
solute rest. The patient may look straightforward, upward
or downwards, to the right or to the left, or any intermediate
angle. The greater the strain on the eye, the more rapid is
the effect, and, therefore, upward and downward, so as to in-
duce an internal and upward squint, is decidedly the one to
be preferred. Looking with both eves, so as to make and
maintain the greatest possible internal squint, is the next
most rapid in its effects. It has not hitherto been observed
that by these two positions the pupil of the eye is powerfully
contracted, whereas, by directing the eye straight upward,
downward, to the right or to the left, it dilates irrespectively
of the intensity of the rays of light passing to the retina, so
that in one sense the iris may be called a voluntary muscle,
as it can he thus contracted or dilated at will. Nor should
the fact he overlooked of the remarkable effect produced in
the respirations by keeping up a fixed gaze, with the mind
directed to the subject in the manner referred to. There is
an instinctive tendency during such experiments to breathe
softly, or hold in the breath, which, no doubt has considera-
ble influence in affecting the disarrangement of the circulation
in the brain, and depressing its energy by the imperfect arte-
rialisation of the blood, which takes place in consequence of
the suppressed respiration.
The closing of the eyelids, and the inability to open them
afterwards, may be accounted for in part on the principle of
temporary paralysis of the legator palpebrce and occipito
frontalis arising from exhaustion by long-continued exertion
in keeping the eyelids open, and on the increased energy
given to the orbicularis palpebrarum during its repose.
This muscle is possessed of the double attribute of a volun-
tary and involuntary motion ; and the accumulation of tears
under the upper eyelid, and the aril state of the conjuncteval
membrane in consequence of its exposure to the air, without
being lubricated by the tears, and, as usually happens during
netation (or winking) of the eyelids, produce at length so
much irritation as to excite spasmodic action of the orbicu-
tante, and, consequently, spasmodic closure of the eyelids.
and this, by reflection, is transferred to the other muscles.
Mr. Braid considers his mode of dissipating the mesmeric
spell quite as remarkable as its production, and says, and
proves it may be accomplished, almost instantaneously (if
taken in proper time,) by any abrupt or instantaneous shock.
Thus the whole limbs may be cataleptiform, resisting the
greatest force to displace them, and yet a single abrupt puff
from the lips or a pair of bellows on the eyes, into the ears
or nostrils, will instantly rouse the patient, and the rigid
limbs will become as rapidly perfectly limber. If it is wished
to demesmerise a particular part only, manipulation or fan-
ning must be directed to that particular part only, and the
patient roused gradually : but if roused abruptly, the whole
will become flaccid at once.

Mr. Braid does not deny that certain manipulations may
heighten certain effects, but he most unequivocally denies
that the will of the operator, or any emanation from his
body, produces the effects. In short, that gesture and mani-
pulations by an automaton would just have the same in-
fluence, provided the patient considered it a living being.
Having finished the lecture which was listened to with
marked attention, one of the young women was brought for-
ward to the front of the stage, and fixed her eyes steadily on
an object in the room. Capt. Brown told her to lift her arms.
She did so. He next told her to follow him round the stage,and
she immediately obeyed the command. She was next told to
kneel down, and she knelt down accordingly. She was then told
to stand up again, and speedily she was upon her legs. All this
time her arms were extended,and herbody appeared as perfectly
stiff and unwieldy as though animation were altogether sus-
pended. Capt. B. remarked that it was somewhat of a remark-
able fact, that while the patients were in this particular state
they never lost their equilibrium. Dr. M'Culloch felt the
eyelids, and found that fast closed. A chair was then
brought, and she was placed in a sitting posture, when
Captain Brown raised both her legs, and extended them in a
horizonal position from the body—a position in which she
continued to keep them without any support. Dr. Carson
felt her pulse while in this state, and announced that it had
risen from 92 to 108. Three or four other medical gentlemen
then ascended the stage and felt her hands. Captain Brown
pricked her with a pin in the head and in the fo: Axed, aad
she appeared insensible to pain. A bottle of ammonia was
applied by the medical gentlemen to her nose, and it seemed
not to produce the slightest effect. After having been in the
same state for six minutes altogether, Captain Brown blew
upon her eyes and face with a small bellows, and instantly
her arms and legs fell down, he eyes opened, and after ap-
pearing at first perfectly unconscious of what had been pas-
sing, and weakened by the effect, she walked across the
stage to the chair upon which she had been sitting before
the experiment commenced.
The same patient was then placed on a chair—opposite her
sat the captain on another chair. He then held her hands
in his, while both continued for two or three minutes to look
staringly in each other's faces, during which he continued
to move his thumbs and to press them upon her fingers.
Suddenly she closed her eyes ; and immediately he released
her from his grasp and proceeded to pass his hands, in La-
fontaine's peculiar style, over her face and body. He then
went behind her, lifted her up, and placed her, in a standing
position, upon the stage. He then told her to come to him,
and she immediately followed him, at a slow and hesitating
pace, round the stage. She next knelt down and got up
again, as before, at his bidding ; after which she was placed
in a chair and her legs exteaded. Her pulse was felt at this
period and announced to be 111. Her head then fell back-
wards, she groaned audibly, and animation was restored.
The girl, about 34 or 15 years of age, was next introduced
to the meeting. After looking intently at the ceiling for
about two minutes, her eyes closed, and the captain, after
extending both her arms, asked her several times to sing
" the Troubadore." She refused. He then asked her to
sing any song she liked; but she still refused to comply. He
then asked whether she could waltz, and she whispered in
the affirmative. He then whistled an air, apologising for not
having a musician present, and instantly she waltzed about
the stage. He then blew upon her face with his breath,
whereupon she opened her eyes and retired to her seat.
The third patient introduced to the audience was the fe-
male which we have described as about 32 or 3:') years of age.
In less than a minute after she commenced to look at an ob-
ject her eyes closed. Two or three of the medical gentlemen
then felt her hands and fingers, which had been previously
extended. They were imperceptible to touch. The bottle
of ammonia was applied to her nasal organs without effect.
Two chairs were then hung upon her left arm, and they ap-
peared not in the least to have disturbed her equilibrium.
So unconscious did she seem to be of what was passing, that

she had to be asked three or four times in aloud tone of

voice before she complied with the request. Her pulse,
which had been previously at 105, was now announced to be
at 144. One of the medical gentlemen blew upon her face,
and after several puffs she opened her eyes, and the process

of demesmerisation was said to have been completed.
The three remaining patients were next introduced to the
meeting. They all looked steadily towards the ceiling.
Speedily one closed her eyes, and then the second followed
her example. The third, however, kept her eyes open for a
considerably longer period; but at last she too became mes-
merised. The latter was then told to sing a song, when she
attempted, in a very faint voice, to sing the first verse of
"Ye banks and braes." While she was in the act of singing
it, a medical gentleman applied the ammonia to the nose of
one of the other two, and it had an immediate effect. The
patient wriggled, made wry faces, opened her peepers, took
her handkerchief deliberately from her pocket and wiped
away the moisture which the ammonia had evidently brought
to her eyes, then looked apparently unconscious for a moment
and walked to where she had been previously sitting, amid a
roar of laughter from the audience.
The experiments having now been gone through upon all
the patients,
The Captain announced that he was ready to mesmerise
any gentleman in company.
Mr. GRZEN accordingly leaped upon the stage, and sub-
mitted to the operation, but it failed.
Three gentlemen then submitted to the operation. We
could only learn the names of two of them—Mr. Bramwell
and Mr. George Thompson. They were put in sitting pos-
tures. with corks fastened to their foreheads. They were
directed, as in Mr. Green's case, to keep their eyes intently
fixed on the corks. They were further directed to keep their
hands loosely by their sides, the captain observing that to
keep the hands in such an attitude was a means whereby the
effect would be soonest produced.
After the space of about four minutes, the head of one of
them fell suddenly upon his breast, which seemed to rouse
him a little, for he rubbed his eyes, raised the cork off his
forehead, stuck both his hands into the pockets of a capacious
white " down-the-road" in which he was habited, stretched
out both his legs to their fullest dimensions, and appeared as
much at home as if he were enjoying a comfortable after-
dinner nap in his arm-chair by the fireside. All eyes were
directed towards him, and the audience laughed outright at
the grotesqueness of his appearance, believing it to have
been simulated.
The two others were " wide awake" all the time, looking
intently at the corks, but insensible as to any effect. The
captain passed his wand several times over their eyes, but it
was all to no purpose
By this time the third gentleman had opened his eyes, and
in reply to the inquiries of the audience, assured them that
ke had tried once or twice to get up from his seat while under
the influence, but found himself unable so to do. He tried
to bear what had been passiug, but failed in this respect also.
Dr. M'CuLLocu said that the gentleman's pulse was going
most furiously whilst he was in the state described. He
(Dr. C.) thought the case was simulated, but the patient had
declared, upon his honour as a gentleman, that the fact was
otherwise. (Hear, hear.)
In answer to further inquiries,
The GENTLEMAN declared that be was between asleep and
awake while under the influence, and that he could only hoar
the audience clapping.
Luring this conversation the gentleman appeared some-
.