The native American., 1839-02-02
ANIMAL XaGNATfsN.
[Prcm lie CAristim Statesman ]

4 The following sencibie remarks are extracted
ron, paper rpoa this subject published IN the
asst numberof the Medico Chronical Review and
Journal Of Practical Medicine, British pnblica-
ton Of the highest authority. The extract though
brief, contains much worthy Of consideration
But let the philosophers of the new light ponder
a little on the results Of their discoveries. Nhcn
the ,noaern prometheus succeeded in infusing
spark of life into the man monster at Geneva, he
ilt,!e thought that he was bringing into the world
demon over v hom he would have no control; /;
but who, on The contrary, would enlbtter the days
OF his creator, and destroy the lives OF innocent
victims SO the magnetiziag Frankensteins may
be unchaining moaster who may overWhelm the
liberators in ruin or destruction.
Let us come little closer 10 the question. AMI
NAL magnetism must either be true or false-a
fact or fiction. Suppose it oo true and see
the consequences. BY single wave of the hand,
we deprive female of all sense, and throw hel
into such profound sleep that the teeth may be
pulled out of her head without the slightest con-
sciousness on her part. Should such power on
the one side, and such susceptibility on the other,
be once established, no female in the realm, how
ever high or low her station, would be one da,
safe fron, the Vaccinations of the Wicked ana
IGcentious! In short, the whole foundations ot
society would be broken up, and every fence Q
virtue and honor would be lcveilcd in the dust
Eortpnately for society, animal magnetism
Is tiction--a fAsehooi. Bat even in this pon
afview, is it harmless? BY no means, i'll the iirsi
place, il has already affixed stigma on the
uedtal profession, Wlose members were consider.
| Il to be too inteillgcnt and too cnli ghtencd tt
,econc the dupes OF inlpostors, and to give Gre
| .cnce to absurdits which would scarcely be lis,
IL. IL Ma, ,,,ta
Australia. Medical men were generally sup
posed to know something Q! anatomy and ply
,ialo-v, and TO be amongst the foremost to beal
teStincnv TO the n(initc wisdom displayed in adapt,
| ing every organ in the human body TO is prope,
! and peculiar function. But now the public
14sonishcd to learn that some OF the magnates Q
lie profession have repudatel this divine adapta
ion, and proclaim the astounding fact that the
iingos, or the cpeastilum can perform the func
tio.s Of the eye thus proving that the Architect Of
man vas bunger and went to a great and IN
necessary trouble in constructing complicated ap
parltuscs for specific functions, when any, evei
he most superficial part of the body could, by ths
mandate of man himself perform these function
allotted by the Deity 10 their proper organs. Bu
dis j. not al. Tie medical profession and th'
world al large saw'clearly, and freely acknowledg
Cd tlat man had no prescience-lnew nothing, il
saSt Uht NHak iic Sdi!lcESu Iloi!l MS Pm
sen$es-cxcept where there was special ycvea.
Son from Heaven yetno there are medical mel
who implicitly believe that a latulent, hysterica
md in'pudent baggage can prophecy-can set
events that are in the womb Of fate-and predic:
he operation of medicines of which she is TOTALLY
;gnorant!! (Already has infdelity dscoyed tha
he nniricles Of our Saviour and his Apostles, wer,
lot wrought 10y any super natural agency, divlns
power, but by the influence Of Animal Magne
lsm.) What must the world think of believer
IN such tiasphemous ;nummercs? We pity ant
!aspisc the poor Hndoo who worshIps his COW
md the Chinese who fogs his Josse-God, Whel
he is net favoured with fair wind in his junk
but these benig!lted people were born and brougI
Up in the darkness of dolatry-an excuse which
medical men cannot plead.
We shall alIude to only one more consequence
# animal magnetism, contemplated as adelusiur
It en- bes avery artful wcnch, under the manpula
lions o. the magnates, or even Of their bra!nles
disciples, to set up as prophecies. and, in he
Mesmcrlc rawlings, not only to see but reveal tn,
transactions that are going on amongst her neigh
1ors Every person whose brains are not in
state of magnetic coma, must see, at glance
what irreparable mischief ola Pythia Of the moder
Delphi may produce by giving her tongue liberty
10 wag, and her jealousies or hatreds ample scopt
10 victimize at the expense Of others. 1t is sal,
Of the original Pytha that, when Greece began t
lose its independence. means were found TO corrur
The Pythia-and Demosthenes complains that
his time, "she spoke as Philip of Macedon wouls
have her," The public will readily perceive th'
applicability Of this passage to certain Macedonia
oonarchs who are working the tripod at present
With little credit to themselves and much scand,
70 the profession at large. Extremes approximate
Strange that philosophers 50 far elevated abo,,
he common crednlity Of the world, should We
e SO creIulous themselves, as TO believe in tn
supernatural powers and prophetic visions ofigno
ant, vulgar, and nendacious inpostors
These observations arc not evelled at nor in
ended for, any individual, but they are addressc,
o every one who sanctions BY his presence, q,
upports by his pen, one Of the most barefacet
md outrageousimpostures that was ever foisted or
he public, or that disgraced the members of Ii
eral and enlightened faculty.