Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-02-07


ANIMAL MAeNErlsM-a mystery pretended
10 be discovered many years ago in France,
and once thought to be pretty fairly, exploded
is now all tie fashion down cast" A Mr.
Charles Poyen, Frenchman, has been en-
tightening the people Of Boston and along the
coast with lectures, and yankee, late from
Dartmouth, has wonderfully astonished them
with experiments Of an interesting and most
singular kind. The pretended results Of ami
NAL magnetism exceed human understanding,
and SO there is no wonder that men will have
none, or but little faith, 10 believe even what
they apparently see We think there is too
much evidence 10 permit men utterly to reject
animal magnetism; yet it is a very hard mat
ter TO bring the mind to believe ii. The fol-
lowing account Of sundry experiments we find
in the Boston Courier. Dr. Capron is repre-
scented to be "much esteemed for his profess
ional abilities ant moral qualities !" he resides
in Providence, r. 1t
The subscriber, having been induced by at
tending Mr.. Poyen's lectures and the very
great degree Of excitement that has existed
upon the subject, TO make u series Of expert
ments in AnImu Magnetism, considers it a
duty, in order to promote the investigation oil
go mysterious and important a subject, 10 state
that, among the cases he has magnetlzed, he
has produced one undoubted cass Of sonnani-
buiism."
The young lady who was the subject Of this
very curious affection has for q number Of years
been patient Of the subscriber, and. at the
time Of the experiments, was n resident ia his
family. An intimate acquaintance with hel
for several years, enables him ~ say, without
fear of contradiction, that she is young lady
whose modesty and nvariable regard TO truth
would render her wholly inca Fable Of any at.
tempis 10 deceive, even supposing she cou!c
have any interest in SO doing, which cannot b,
the fact, as she is very reluctant TO have he
name known before the public as u sornnaln
bulist. The disease of this patient has JuoI
so completely anomalous, that any attempt t.
state what ii has been would be frutloss, OK
cept by tedious and particular description o
symptoms. Ii is sufficient for the present pur
pose TO say, that when these experiments wer,
commenced, she was subject TO frequent al
lacks of "a very singular nervous affection
almost Of consciousness for number OF hours
When in this state, her appearance resembed
more than any thing else, those Of a person
laboiing under compression of the brain, from
dropsy Of that organ. This distressing atfec
lion will frequently return periodically, sever
al days in succession, commencing in the car
~ part OF the evening, and lasting until abou
eleven O'Clock, when II passes off, and she ap
pears like a person awaking from Sleep
Sometimes, however, her head appears to bt
entirely free from complaint, and her left sid,
is affected with the most severe spasmodi,
pains; and at other times, instead Of these az
fections, she is affected with incessant cough
which, as well as the pain in the side, observe.
with the greatest precision the same periods q!
the disorder of the head. For these and mum
berless other complaints which she has hal
within the last -four years, great number o
remedies have been prescribed, but with LITTLE
benefit, except that she has always received
temporarily from bleeding. The first time
magnetized her, it was done from mere curl
osity, when she was entirely deprived of he
reason, and apparently Of consciousness 0
what was passing. made hut few passes
confinlng my hands principally upon the fore
head, and avoided such motions as might dis
turb her, in case she had any degree of con
most instantaneous, 90 much so indeed as tt
astonish me very much some phenomena be
ing produced, which was, by no means, ex
pectins TO witness. She Immediately bccam,
extremely uneasy, appearing TO suffer grea
pain, especially wherever put my hands,
Not only did she appear 10 feel pain when my
hand was in actual contract with hers, bu
when it was only in approximation TO any par
OF her body or limbs she had frequent painful
spasmodic actions Of the muscles Of the part
II, for instance, put my hand upon her head
she would throw II from me with violence, anl
as passed II down before her eyes, she woulI
start back as though ball Of fire had passed
near them. Her hands and feet were invaria
bly, Withdrawn and generally with spasmo
die action, when held my hands near them
when, too, 1t was done in such manner tina
it was impossible for her 10 see or in any way
know, except through the agency of feeling.
But what most astonishCd me was, the ef
feet produced by my putting my hand 10 lhC
pit OF the slomuch-this gave her great dis.
tress. Her breathing became hurried and la
borious, and she frequently would groan aloud
As soon, however, as my hand was removed
these symptoms would disappear, aud hol
breathing would again become calm as before
NO material change was produced in her com.
plaints at this time. The following night, the
cough came on, unattended by pain, ol any at
lection oil the head, aud determined to mag,
nellze her more ,ntclually; TO put her 10 sleep
If possible, and ascertain what influence il
might have upon her maady. As soon as
commenced The ordinary manipulatons, she
began 10 be distressed in the same manner at
she had been The evening preceding. Hel
distress and uneasiness increased for about
eight or ten minutes when her cough began
10 subside, and her breathing to grow less Ia
borious; in two or three minutes more the
cough began to subsida, and her breathing 10
grow less laberious; IN two or three minutes
more the cough ceased entirely, she became
perfectly calm; and, in fifteen or eighteen
minutes from the commencement, she was