The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-02 00:00:00

MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCE.

A young gentleman, known as Alexis the Somnambu-
list, bas just arrived from Paris under the care of M.
Marcellet, and was exhibited on Monday, for the first
time (we believe) in London, at the residence of Dr. El-
liotson. Alexis has for some period excited much inte-
rest in Paris by the wonderful powers of clairvoyance
which he manifests whilst in a state of magnetic sleep.
' Through the kindness of Dr. Elliotson, a large number
of ladies and scientific and distinguished persons had an
opportunity on Monday of witnessing M. Marcellet's
experiments. It is but just to Dr. Elliotson to observe,
that, previously to the commencement of the experiment,
he stated that he did not hold himself at all responsible
for what M. Marcellet had advanced. Knowing M. Mar-
cellet to be a gentleman of undoubted respectability, Dr.
Elliotson permitted him to hold his first levee in Conduit-
.
Street, taking no part whatever in the proceedings.
Without admitting that we have become believers in the
possibility of producing such a condition as that known
by the name of " clairvoyance," we must nevertheless
honestly confess that we have been much staggered by
what we saw after M. Marcellet had thrown his patient
into the magnetic state, and exhibited the tetanic spasm,
or rigidity .of the muscles of the arms and legs, which
usually accompanies this condition of the nervous system.
Preparatory to the phenomena of clairvoyance being
shown, the patient's eyes were bandaged. We pledge
ourselves that we did this effectually. To see, in the or-
dinary sense of the word, a ray of light was physically im-
possible. Two barge pieces of wool were placed over each
eye, and above this were bound with great care two linen
handkerchiefs folded several times. Thus blindfolded he
was placed at a table and commenced playing cfcarle with
a strange gentleman in the room. It was, indeed, won-
derful to see with what accuracy he played, not only
knowin every suit be bad in his own hands, but by a
species of divination being able to detect'the condition of
his 'opponent's hand. Several persons played with him,
and amongst others Dr. Jerden, who, however, was for-
tunate enough to beat the somnambulist. To exhibit the
man's extraordinary powers, a large book of plates, nearly
two inches in thickness. was placed between Alexis and
his opponent, and, notwithstanding this physical impe-
diment, the somnambulist was able to tell the person with
whom he was playing the cards he held in his hand. It
may be said there was collusion. We know such was not
the case. Alexis then had a letter placed in his hands by
Colonel Gurwood, with the view of ascertaining whether he
could make out the name of the party who bad written the
letter. It appears that Col.Gurwood had placed himself in
communication with Alexis, some time back, in Paris, in
order to discover whether he had it in his power to
give him any hint by which to enable him to discover the
residence of a French soldier, whose life Colonel Gurwood
had saved during the siege of Badsjoz. Alexis during the
magnetic state gave Colonel Gurwood some valuable in-
formation on the subject of his inquiry, and acting upon
this, he was fortunate enough td find not only the name
of the person, but his place of abode. Colonel Garwood
wrote to the soldier, and the letter which be placed folded
in Alexis' hands was the answer which he had received.
Alexis, after a little examination, wrote down the person's
name, and told Col. Gurwood the purport of the letter which
he held in his hand.' Ele made one mistake in the final later
of the person's name, but this did not in the slightest degree
detract from his extraordinary penetration. Another gen-
tleman, who had not seen Alexis previously, (Colonel Gar-
dener, we believe,) asked the somnambulist to describe
his residence. This lie did with great accuracy, telling
him the number of pictures he had in his drawinz-room,
their peculiar position, and the subject of the pictures.
Watches were then placed in his hand, and, by merely
feeling on the back of the case for a few minutes he pointed
out, with one exception, the exact position of the hour
and minute hands. A large book of plates was subse-
quently held to the back of his head, and to the amaze-
ment of every person in the room Alexis was able to de-
scribe the various prints to which his attention was directed.
We have thus endeavoured faithfully to record the
facts which we witnessed, It is our belief that the expe-
riments were performed fairly, and that in no single in-
stance did anything like collusion exist. We do not pre-
tend to account for the strange, the wonderful phenomena
which this youth certainly manifested. Of course there
were many present who refused to admit the possibility of
any person seeing under such circumstances. One gen-
tleman, more incredulous than the rest, declared most
emphatically that Alexis was able to see down his nose—
an hypothesis, we' Must confess, at variance with our
anatomical and phYsiOlogical' knowledge. With his eyes
almost hermetically sealed he was able to read a book
taken 'from among a number of works on the table. In-
dependently of this, a handkerchief twice folded was
placed over the printed page of a large volume, and
through this the somnambulist was able to read with
facility. We draw no Conclusion from the facts; we
confess they are mysterious and inexpticable=beyond out
comprehension. Let those who, are disposed to be scepe
tical examine the matter fir themselves ; they will, we
un'derstand, have frequent opportunities of doing so.-
-
Times.

LOVE OF TITLES well-known gentle-
man at Winchester, in thig State (Virginia), related an
amusing anecdote to nit-on this subject. Crossing the
Potomac into Virginia, with his horse, in a ferry-boat, the
ferryman said, " Majc.r, I wish you would lead your horse
a little forward,"_ which lit immocliately_did-; observing to
the man,. I .am not a major, and you need not call me
one." To this the ferryman replied, " Well, Kurnel,
ax your' pardon. and you FO no more." Be_
ing arrived at the landincr-place, led ,his 'wise out of
the boat, and, sari, ".My ,good friend, I am a very plain
man,. I am neither . a colonel nor a major, I have UQ title
at all, and I (knit like them. How .mueh- have Ito pay?"
The ferryman looked at him. and said, " You are the, first
white man? ever crossed this ferry that warn't jjst nobody
at all, and I weir oharge you uothiog:'--Fea-
therstouhaugle. Kreuraioni.