The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-28 00:00:00

THE WONDERS OF TABLE lIOVING.

A son of Professor Carus. private physician to the King
of Saxony, has recently instituted a course of experiments
in relation to tee movement of tables by animal electricity
—or by whatever power it may be—some notice of Which
has appeared in the journals of Germany, accompanied
by a certificate to the facts alleged from the pen of the
elder Carus. The experiments of the younger Carus
have led him to construct a table in this manner:—The
table is round, of common soft wood, about three feet in
diameter, and has an opening in the centre of the under
side, which enables it to rest upon a pillar of glass, some
2e feet high, and turn upon it freely. This glass pillar is
sustained by a heavy block into which it is inserted. The
experiment with this apparatus is performed by several
persons, three, four or fire sitting round, laying their
hands upon the table, so that the little fingers of each
person shall be upon or beneath those of his neighbour on
either side. Now on moving all the little fingers simul-
taneously for a seace of three to five minutes, the table
begins to turn on its pedestal, as upon an axis. A west
curious fact iu this experiment is, that the motion is
either to the right or to the left, according as the right or
left fingers are al-ove or below. In this manner, says W.
Carus, the experiment comes into the circle of real
science, and is a worthy subject for investigation. The
elder Carus shows the evident relation existing between
this new discovery and certain experiments in moving
copper wheels and plates, which are familiar to the stu-
dents of electro- magnetism.
In Prussia divers singular experiments have been made.
At Heidelberg the whole " faculty of jurists" operated,
and in eight minutes set a nut wood table on the twirl,
and this so rapidly that the gentlemen of the bar became
giddy in their efforts to follow the movement. At Vienna
" the fluid" communicated itself to other articles of
furniture, which all twisted and turned as if moved by
band. The Times' correspondent says :—" Being some-
what sceptical, I last night assisted at an experiment at
the house of an eminent scientific man. The party con-
sisted of some twelve or fourteen persons. Six of these,
three of either sex, seated themselves round a slightish
mahogany table, standing upon a tripod leg, with castors.
The chain was formed by the hands of all being placed
flat on the table, and the little fingers of both hands being
crossed over those of the persons sitting right and left.
Those outside the ring, having mat ked the bearings of the
room, as well as the original position of the table legs,
with chalk, carefully watched the operation. In less than
eleven minutes, a jerking, oscillating movement was per-
ceptible— then a cessation—then a few more jerks to the
left and right—then commenced a slow rotatory and
somewhat progressive motion to the right and northwards;
this in a few seconds was followed by more rapid motion,
which obliged " the chain" to stand up and follow the
movement, until at last the table spun round in the same
double direction, with such velocity as compelled the
chain to relax their hold, when the table, after half a
dozen turns, remained stationary. It must be obcerved
that the experimenters sought by pressure to impede the
rotatory motion, and this so forcibly that not only the
casters indented grooves in the floor, but the flat slab of
the table unscrewed and would have fallen from the stem,
had it not been supported by two of the party. A sec end
trial was made a few minutes later with the same results,
but with this difference, that the effect was not produced •
until the expiration of 3-1 minutes."
In Paris the table-moving question, more than a nine
days' wonder, has at length forced itself on the attention
of the Academy of Sciences. Amongst the vast mass of
letters and reports detailing experiments, which have
been sent to the Academy, the presiding authorities se-
lected one of M. Seguin, senior, a distinguished savant,
to be read at its last public sitting. The statements made
in this document were of the most extraordinary kind--
one of them being, that a table when acted on was made '
to move to the notes of a piano. M. Arago was so
astounded at them—and, it must be added, so incredu-
lous with respect to them—that, before he would allow
the paper to be read, he sent to M. Seguin, to entreat
him to reflect seriously on the responsibility he would
incur, in the presence of the scientific world, in letting
them go forth to the public under the sanction of his
name. But M. Seguin, who, from being a stubborn
sceptic, has become a devout believer in the tables,
answered that he was ready to endorse a good deal more
than he had said, and so his paper was read. M. Aragon
after the reading, intimated, in brief but vague terms,
that his belief is, that the movement of the tables is
caused by muscular action. This, however, he alleged,
is no novelty, as " Mr. Elliot, a watchmaker, relates in
the ' Philosophical Transactions' of some years ago that
two cocks having been hung to the wall, a foot apart,
one of which was going and the ether standing, the latter
after a while began going too, being set in motion by the
imperceptible vibrations transmitted from the other
through the solid body between them—and it even con-
tinued going after the first one was stopped."
But the wonders of table-moving are witnessed nearer
home. A citizen of Chester says :—" Being a sceptic 00
the point, I had not cared either to try the experiment or
to see it tried ; but, returning home one day, I found eat
household putting it to the test. One of my best and
largest tables was in the very act of passing through the
parlour door into the ball. The legs were,
strange to
say, a little raised above the floor. You can better con-
ceive than I can describe the sort of feeling which came
over me. I was at once a believer, notwithstanding
if I
my obstinate doubts. The " tables were turned," an I
could only gaze and wonder. On recovering my first sur-
prise, I had presence of mind enough to scrutinize the .
cause, having so undeniable an experiment for the pur-
pose. I found, on questioning two of my domestics, who
had evidently been the successful operators, that it was
done entirely by the application of their fingers in the
manner usually prescribed. All they could distinctly tes-
tify to, however, was, that they had perceived a tension
of the nerves in the arm, and a deadening effect on the
palms of the hands,—in consequence of the exertion of
their simple will, on touching the table, in obedience to
which (by mutual agreement) the table made for the door.
Whether electricity, or galvanism, or magnetic influence
were the connecting link, of course they could not say.'
The Preston Guardian says :—Yesterday, we formed
one of a party at Mr. G. Cartwright's, optician, when a
common deal table, upon a centre pillar, was used suc-
cessfully. After experimenting in table moving, four
parties placed their hands (in the usual way) upon the
table, which stood upon a flagged floor. One of the four
said, " Tell us how many letters there are in
name ?" One of the three feet of the table fell and rose
fourteen times, thus giving fourteen letters, which was
correct. Another question was—How many articles are
contained in bands, no one in the room being
informed on the subject but the person who had posses
sion of the articles, which consisted of a ring with shc
keys. The table gave a sudden circular movement, and
then the feet rose and fell six times. Other similar
questions were answered, the majority of them correctly/
but some few decidedly incorrectly. The previous
day Mr. Dearden was much more successful, at his
own house, where a party, whose address includes 26
letters, was correctly informed as to the number, be"
the rising and falling of the foot of the table, eachfall,
of course, making a rap upon the floor. The number of
dogs kept in the establishment of a person present was also
told, and a vast number of other questions were answered,
by similar indications. On Wednesday evening we
formed one of a party at Mr. Joseph Gillow's, Frecchwood•
street, being the first experiment we had seen. Along
with four others, we sat with our hands upon a small
mahogany table connected in the usual way by joining our
own thumbs and touching the little fingers of our next
companions. In less than a quarter of an hour, the table
began to move rapidly, and at the desire of the experi-
menters, travelled from one room to another. A small
mahogany stand was next tried, with still greater success,
as it marched towards any one it was wished, or in any di-
rection. One of the experimenters was a daughter of Mr.
Gillow, aged 12 years, who desired all the others to retire
from the table, which she immediately got to march out
of the room into the lobby. and then, step by step, up a
very numerous flight of stairs, along the landing at the
top, and finally into the drawing-room. This experiment
she has repeated several times this week. We watched
her movements very narrowly, as the table was taken uP
the stairs, and noticed that she only touched it with her
thumbs and little fingers.

PREMATURE BALDNESS.—Mr. J. Sergeant, bookseller,
of Linton, Cambridge, has made public a curious case of
a young man named Haylock, of Ashdon,- whoie hair
came off entire from some very unaccountable cause, and
left him in a state of premature baldness. He purchased
from Mr. Sergeant several popular preparations, which
he applied, but without-any effect whatever. At last,
however, he made trial of the Macassar Oil of Messrs.
Rowlands, of London, and exhibited to the most in-
credulous the proof of its efficacy in a thick crop of hair.
Mr. Sergeant permits a direct reference to him on this
very interesting fact.—The Observer.
OUR CANADIAN COLONIES.—In the course of seventy
years—from 1783 to the present—Upper Canada has ad,
yenned from little beyond a wilderness—the home of toe
red men—to that of owning a population exceeding
1,000,000 persons ; Lower Canada possesses a population
of 900,000, having, in point of numerical strength, in'
creased 100 per cent., since 1828. Upper Canada has
still more rapidly progressed, as the number of inhabi-
tants there, in the year last mentioned, was only about
185,000, thus giving an advance of 450 per cent., in the
course of the past quarter of a century. British North
America :—Acreable extent, 218,340,000 acres ; popula-
tion, 2,500,000_. trade with all nations, 70,200,000 dollars•
HORRIBLE MURDER IN AN AMERICAN LUNATIC
ASYLUM.—On Wednesday, May 25, a singular tragedy
occurred at the Insane Hospital at Somerville. Mme'
Strong, of Vermont, an aged and very feeble person, was
missing. The alarm was immediately given, and a search
instituted for her in all directions. In the course of
few minutes she was found in the room of Mrs.-Jamesua'f
another lunatic, lying on the bed, in the attitude ,°f
prayer, and looking directly down upon the body, whics7
was covered by a sheet. There was apparent a sligLi
bruise near the right temple, and another on the throat:
but no indication of a struggle having occurred betwee7,
the two women, and there was no discoloration of the
face ,pf Mrs. Strong, whose body, when found, retain t
much of the natural warmth of life, except that the fee
were cold. Immediate and active restorative means 'Ort:,
used, but without effect—she was dead. Mrs. Jarnea°o
was asked how Mrs. Strong happened to he in her roolj
and what had taken place to occasion her death. Altai
many evidences of entire delusion, she yet gave a natural
and consistent account :—" I heard Mrs. Strong ns"'l
for light—this was her constant habit—it occurred to r.
that the Lord had delivered her into my hands, and turta
if there was any more light in the other world, she shetilth
see it. She had been plaguing me for many months vi:00
this inquiry, and now, one of the attendants being,g_'be
out and the other preparing dinner, I determined r°,,,
rid of the annoyance. I accordingly !lipped out Into the
gallery and invited Mrs. S. into my room. She off
with me willingly, she had on two caps, I took thena,,,,e
and tied them round her neck, the strings broke:
k::15,
stood still, close to me, making no resistance, so ihands
the Lord had given her to me. I then put my
dowcrli
around her throat and choked her. I then laid her
took °
on the floor softly, so as to make no noise,
alreaJy*
it as hard as I could—but it was no use—shee was at one of my stockings, and put it around her nanecaks, P
dead. I felt her pulse, and I knew it. While
that ho
this I said my prayers, and thanked the
he trus-
had permitted me to thus glorify His name.
and alsomatter. TO
deceased, Mrs .
tees of the instiStrong tution re investigMrs. Jameson, are re'
ha boom 11C1°'
spectably connected, but fcr somQ tale ve
lessly insane •