Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-11-18
MISUNDERSTANDING AND CON.
Rro., the (PAa T, Pennsvivanian.

1 ~
in Animal Magnetism, one of the la
dies who accompanies Mr.. Johnson be-
ing magnetized by physician ofthis city,
his first attempt at any thing OF the kind,
and some experiments being also made on
two other persons. The result was, we
believe, conviction on the minds of all
present that there is in reality magnetic
state, quite different from the ordinary 9.
motions ofthe human system.
The arm of one lady was magnetized
while she was awake and unaffected as TO
the rest oftne system. The arm extend.
ed horizontally, in perfectly rigid state,
and tho medical gentleman applied force
to bend it, for some minutes, without sue
cess, which he said he was satisfied could
not have thus resisted even by the strong.
est athlete in the natural state. Her
wrist and hand were cut with penkniie
until the blood flowed, without the least
perceptible cringing or emotion on the
part Of the lady. We have certainly
never witnessed anything like the power
of such unmoyed endurance in the ordn-
airy state OF the muscles.
Claryoyance being the great point in
dispute, for it is now generally admitted
by all who have given attention to the
subject, that the magnetic state can be
produced and is not deception ; several
experiments in this matter were tried with
Mr.. Johnson, which were certainly pro-
ductive Of very extraordinary results.
1t may be as well to mention that the la
dy was blindfolded throughout tho expert.
ments, and that they were carried on
solely by the visi,ers, Mr.. johnson not in
terfering and remaining at distance,
and port Of the time out Of the way alto
gether. She told how many gentlemen
there were in the room, several of them
having come in together after she was in
the magnetic sleep; the experiment was
again tried after more had come in, and
again succeeded.
She described various scenes in the
country to one gentleman, correctly, as
he said. She was taken in fancy TO a
private room and described various OBJ
jects, and also shelves in a part Of it, on
which she said there were books, and in
particular corner something bright,
part of which was blue and part Of anoth-
or color. The questioner afterwards stat
ed that there were books there, and also
some brass wire wrapped in blue paper, O
part Of which was torn off. She descrb-
ed the two rooms in the AthenBum said
there were paper in one, and many books
in the other, and that there were two gen.
tlemen sitting in the corner handling some
small things. 1t will be recoliected by
some OF our readers that the game of
chess is played in one Of the Athenaum
rooms. Objects were held behind her
head. She was always right as to the
color, whether light or dark, and general
ly rs to the form, but missed once as to
the kind Of article.
She went on a flying expedition with
one gentleman, lighting on hill, which,
as we imagined from his language, was
IN the country away from any water.
She described ii, however, as having wa.
ter on two sides, the one a narrow and
the other wide expanse, which the gen
tleman intmated to be correct.
.. From tbs PHILADELPHIA Gazette.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM. The Masonic
Hall has been crowded night after night
to witness experiments in animal magnet
ism, or Mesmerism. The results attained
were in many instances apparently ex-
traordinary, but were OF a character to
impress many with a conviction that there
was some ingenious method of collision
practised between the magnetzer and
magnetized. The Ledger of this morn
ing contains wha: it calls an exposure OF
the whole affair. 1t certainly looks very
suspicious, but does not account lortex-
perimen,s which have been made by other
parties, where no collision was practical
Bile. We take the result as there detail.
ed: ..... - ..
" An object was held over Harriet's
head, which she guessed correctly was
knife, after the experimenter had asked
her number of times IN various forms oil
expression what the object was. We
were convinced, by the manner Of the
catechis,, that the trick lay in the arrange
ment Of the question and answer, which
might be ngenously contfived by giving
arbitrary meanings to certain words, and
making them the signs of certain objects.
The operator, however, had contrlved
something sul more ingenious, which,
once understood, exposes the whole mys-
terry of animal magnetism, or at least
the charlatanry Of clairvoyance. Let
any one notice the form of the questions,
and he will see that the magnetizer him
self informs his subject what the object to
be described is, simply by furnishing her
Nth the letters phich spell as name. For
instance, "a watch is held up, and the ope-
rator asks Harriet, What do you see 7
No answer is gwen, though the lady
moves as if she intended TO speak. y
Answer me, says the operator.
No anwser again.
Try and see it, repeats the questioner.
| No answer still.
Can you tell me what II is
The lady is still silent.
| How does il look
1t is a watch, says the lady, who, by
putting together the first letter of every
question, had magneiically discovered
that wat c.h spelled that article. The
whole trick is nothing more than this,
with such notifications as may be easily
contrived between them. This is con-
frmed by the fact that when any one of
the audience put the form OF the question
10 him. the generator reluctantly nut the