Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-31
DOMESTIC.
Correspondence If The HeraA.l

PHILADELPHIA, May ~,
wight before last there xpe iments before
large select private party in s'phreno. agnetsm a
Inc house of DR.. Mitchell Chestnut street. Neal
OF the rennsy !vanan, the subject, and the expe
nents were of that character convince every be
holder OF the truth of both sciences The patient was
thrown INTO the somnambuc state in about three MI
nutes after manipulation commenced. When the or
gan of music was excited, The subject capped both
hnnos 10 his lIps, and after tie fashion OF blowing
trumpet, held forth in laundering sound. When the
organ OF pho progenItivrness moved, moii-I and
language Of The !ondest and most ckid. cadfarnG char
acter We're expressed. When the organ ofamatveness
was excited, there such demonstrations of love
that, cut of regard for the bfcs notety and bach
elorship, will not notice would not have it under
stood That there anything in The slightest paticn
lar nGecae my of his movements. While the tx.
ptrimen,s were thorough in their conviction Of The
rluat scrpticui, they also greatly amusing, and
kept The spectators IN continued roar of laughter =
he character OF the parties such as II put all idea
OF d'ssmulaion out Of the question. There were a
great many experiments performed, and almost all with
results similar 10 those noticed aJ"ve."
From the pll,ielphia Irgnirer.l
LTpcTtmeRtS IN Phrcno .hdyhet.Sm-.in Extraordinary
tasf.
Not long since some cur,uus experiments were per-
formed by DR.. Buchanan of Louisville, through the
agency Of wha; called Phrcno Magnetism, The ap.
pcaon o! McsmerIsm, 10 the different organs of the
brain, Jeveoprd on the cranium according TO phre
biological principles Tie accounts of these expert
ments " hcb appeared i'll the Louisville papers, were
copied into various journals throughout the country,
we're dicued imposures in nine out of ten, al
though they did escape the notice of all believers in
Animal Magnetism and Phrenol,gy. The responsibility
Of Doctor Buchanan was, nevertheless, vouched for,
and In or two cases witnesses were uGduced to
prove the authenticity of the details The public mind,
moreover, somewhat excited at the time IN relation
to alesmerism, and thus a few of our citizens, among
them two physicians induced to notice the
,rtct rlu tn nEp
vaons in the of their Experience calculated 10
explode the or 10 verify the truth of the state
mcnls One of these, gentleman OF the highest stand
ing, professional and private, this community, had his
attention dawn especial manner TO The OF the
boy who was unwell, who liable to the Mesmeric
sleep, called, and when in this sleep, developed mo-
raj emotions and physical signs when the finger OF the
operator was applied to the Phrena developments on his
cranIum aud with an accuracy truly wonderful The
result startled the physician himself. lie had but 1t
tie faith in phrenology al the time although he had
seen numerous instances, Of sleep produced through
the Influence OF animal magnetism The case Of the
boy, however, impaired additional interest to the sub
jecthe noticed 1t TO intelligent friend and in con-
necion with that friend, commenced series of expe-
rimrnts. The results here, still more astounding
INDEED, much incredibly had been expressed BY
medical and scientific men with regard TO mesmerisn,
rls professors rdicued and laughed at 50 gene
rally, that in The under consideration, even those
whI had practsed the experiments or witnessed them,
sose upon The subject with caution conscious from the
the extraordinary Developments that ninety mine per-
sons out of every hundred would either suppose the
operators deceived themselves, worse, were anxious
TO deceive others.
Under these circumstances, number of highly re-
Specialize citizens, among them majority of the edl'
tors Of Philadelphia assembled ut the dwelling OF the
physician above noticed on Tuesday evening last for
the purpose of being afforded ocular proof TheFe
were probably thirty gentlemen in attendance besides
the physician Tho operated, and the individual friend
Of Ours of uubemished integrity, superior intelligence
and unsued character, who consented to be the sub
rct for the evening, and who had lmillarzed himself
with the whole by former experiments. 1t is not
necessary for in this article 10 express oPinion,
az to the truth or insity either of MesmerIsm Phre
nology. We merely state facts as they passed under
our observation, and they will be corroborated By
similar accounts from other gentlemen who were pre-
sent.
The company being seated, the operator and his sub
ect also took seats Immediately opposite when the
history of the matter was given IN few words by the
phy sican, and in substance have recorded il
above. He then placed the right hand on The fore
head and with his left grasped hand of the patient
In the course Of about two minutes the latter fell into
a Mesmeric sleep, when the physician SO pronounced
him. convrrsed freely in explanation Of the various
points Of the case, al! proceeded 10 apply the phreno.
magnetic lie then exhibited cast with
MUM marked out according 10 the doctrines of phreno
lory and applied his fager TO the various develop
ments on the Uranium of his patient. The effect
astonshad every present. All knew the character
of the subject, and therefore knew there could be- no
collision, no trick, no deception Whatever. But Just
ms the physician touched with his finger the several
specific indications the head of the subject, did
that subject develope in the strongest and most unequi-
vocal manner The various feelings tastes and emotions
which prenologiss contend, indicated by proube-
RANGES Thus music, language, mrih, ldeany, mum
her yeneration almen.vencss, frmness, time, space,
envy, selfesteem, hatred and despair
and the features, as BY the movements OF the limbs
and By oral expressions The fidelity Of The various
JeIincaons was wonderful. We never saw them sur
sscd the stage, and are satisfied that the subject
could no, give them with such accuracy, in his usual
condition Of mind When under the influence Of envy,
for example, the subject alluded 10 ideal charnc
ter pointed to a sccre that was very pleasant to the
eve that presented green and tempting aspect, but
quietly remarked, and IN covert spirit oil exultaon,
ihat there was ditch in the distance into which the
object referred 10 would later plunge or be
en,rauped Aga.n he obsc rived that ''going up
vers peasant-al very fne-hut that the higher his
an,aponst ascendrd the further lie would have To fall
The express on and the manner however, were still
more striking than the language. When 'deaity was
developed, lie first described vast plain, upon which
large body of military were moving, and then, the
operatnr having moved his finger he threw his head
back ard scraps and airy figures floating above him.
and aoan the finger of the operator more removed
he stepped forward and leant over yawning abyss
On beng questioned he said il was very deep, that he
was afraid 10 approach any closer, and that ms eye
could not penetrate INFO ts shades. The organ of vene
ration was touched, and his aspect Of alteration became
at once solemn and beautiful. With appraised hands,
he turned his eyes towards some fanced object and
whispered what seemed 10 be the ouiponrrngs ct a
praycrful heart The organ Of mirh was then touched
in CONJUNCTION with the organ Of seneralon, when the
subject went through Mawwcrm part, in which
sit was sngular!y blended with religious advice Some
local illusions were made, which, their association
and the grave manner in which they were uttered,
were not lille ludicrous The organs of combatve-
ness and desrIcveness produced terrific effects, and
organ caused 50 fearful parovysm Of despair Ina,
the subject drew knife from his pocket and would
have used it, had il been taken instantly from him
Acqnstveness and the lore of children produced drol
eitcs-in The former, the subject evidently taking
and conceaIing imaginary obecs-nnd in tho latter
nursing and caresslng imaginary children, dlndl'ng
item on his knee, and hushng them 10 sleep IN The
real nursery mad style. These distinct effects con-
tnue about three four minutes inter The finger ot
.,.,d f,o.,