The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-08 00:00:00

ANIMAL MAGNETISM AND MESMERISM

Monsieur Lafontaine's second lecture upon animal magnetism
was delivered, on Tuesday evening, in the theatre of the Medical
hall, Mount-pleasant, and was attended by a numerous audience,
principally consisting of gentlemen connected with the profession.
A few ladies also were present. Amongst the medical gentlemen
we noticed Dr. Carson, jun., Dr. M'Kenzie, Dr. Watson, Dr. Suther-
land, Dr. Anderson, Mr. K. Ellison, Mr. Nottingham, Mr. Marshall,
Mr. Currie, &c, Upon the platform were the lady from Manchester,
who was magnetised at the former meeting, and two female servants
from the George Hotel, upon whom we witnessed the experiment
tried for the first time on Monday evening. Mr. Nottingham was
called upon the platform to superintend the experiments.
In opening the proceedings, M. Lafontaine briefly detailed the
course which lie should pursue, which was the same as described in
our notice of his former lecture. Ile then commenced his experi-
ments upon his first subject, the young lady from Manchester, and
in less, we should think, than a minute, succeeded in putting her
into a state of somnolency, and afterwards cataleptized her legs and
arms. Whilst in this condition she was subjected to the test of be-
ing punctured by pins in the forehead, eyelids, hands, ankles, &c.,
which she bore without betraying the least symptoms of sensibility.
In the commencement of the proceedings Mr. Currie, surgeon, who
on the last occasion manifested a somewhat insulting suspicion.
inquired if the suldect was this evening in perfect health,— (on a
former occasion she was not so)—and was informed that she was
in a proper state, bodily, so far as the lecturer knew, to test his
powers. When the lecturer was pricking her forehead, &c., the de-
mand of the same gentleman, to be permitted to apply the pin, was
met with a very decided " non" by M. Lafontaine. The test, how-
ever, was allowed to be tried by Dr. Nottingham. At this stage of.
the experiment the pulse of the lady, which, before being magne-
tised, tised, (although after some excitement might reasonably
produced,) had been 100, was declared by Mr. Nottingharnlt'eaovbee 104.
subject
A strong aromatic was then applied to the nostrils of ttho
sev_raz
for about 30 seconds—(having previously been
handeaitldioug
h resPi•
medical gentlemen to ascertain its strength)—and,
application,
ration was fully ascertained to be going on during its
was objectad
the effect produced was slight, though perceptiblen
aniLec....i. un.
by Mr. Currie that any person—he himself, foart t
ibis nostrils for half
magnetized state, could endure the aromatic
th The
a minute; but, on the appeal of the lecturer t this gentleman, it
was admitted that he could only do so by holdirtfthabra
ep
ap
l
i
c.ation.
lady. we may repeat, breathed the whole time
erY Pain" test, was applied
v
A singular, and, we should think, a Of paper under the eye.
by Mr. Nottingham, by introducing
fd
a Mr No Nottingham annotMeed
lids, and running it round that organc)._uced
by tho gyplication to tilt
that no sensation appeared to be pr