Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-30
\ .Ntw Chapter in HE Voiumc Of Nan
MEsMEnIsM- ErrnfhI. Il ufrimknfs

\ Nt,o CHAPTER in tie Voiumc Of Nan
MESMERISM-.Nr. Erspeh's Experiments.
Let us turn for one moment from the busiie OF po'
ltics, the struggle of pares and the business OF man.
10 of the distinct and strange conditions ~ when
he may be placed, not by the wnnd of the magician,
but by the hand of the mesmerzer. The SUBJECTS as
new u.s. as il has been TO the citizens OF Richmond,
generally.
We have taken no part in the discussions which
have taken place in other cities, respecting the mes
merc influence exerted by one person over another.
We have heard of of the experiments when
were made in Philadelphia. and read some OF the ac'
counts which have hfpn published in The newspapers,
of the PHI that haze been rec ntly e3h'oi e.
by Buchanan in the West, and by other mesmrrzers
to the North. We have seen some extracts made OF
the experiments made in Paris in the year 1854 by Inc
French Academy, with whom was associated our own
illustrious Franklin, when Mesmer had appeared 10
Paris and excited the attention ct the scentihc world
Their report attributed all the effects to the influence
of the Imagination. But having seen no experiments
ourselves and being increduous OF such as we haa
heard Of we expressed positive opinion, for we naa
formed none and confined ourselves to are'puoii-
cation of few experiments that had oeen mace !"
other oaces Mr. Ffench's visit 10 Riclimond, now
ever has enabled US TO see some OF The experiments
and TO form an opinion for ourselves We do mol lie
state to saw that the subject pres hts some ol Inc most
extraordinary phenomena, winch we nave ever WIZ
messed
Evered few lectures in Petersburg, (where he re-
sides and in Nori,k AS We stated, in our last pa
per. he had arrived in Richmond, and proposed to
Give lecture at the Exchange Hotel on Friday night
On Friday at ~ o'clock, witnessed some expert
ms,is !, his own room at the Exchange-in the pre-
sence of Drs Carmichael. Haxall, Patterson and
Dove. and Of Messrs Jas L. Heath, Richard Adams
and of Willinm Crump. The experiments were mace
ON little black rrl from Southampton and negro BOY
from 16 to Il of age The g'rl vas THROWN nln
the mesmeric sleep by Mr.. French within about 20
feet from her She exhibited the appearance "f the
Somnambullst She appeared 10 be attrnc'ea 10 M
French eagerly sciz'ng hls hand, when, II any "'ae,
pe rsou touched her. she started BACK win a"u
ain uular species of repulsion Dr. Carmichael oein5
placed in connection with her Zen rapport, rs The
French saw she seemed TO swallow as he swallowed
water or wine-dis,inguishin the first very readily,
and pronounced the other 10 be bounce a pm was
stuck through her ear without the slightest apparent
sensation She seemed perfectly insensible 10 any
noise or voice. any other than that OF Mr. french or
Dr. C-The boy (Alen) thea partIaiiy mfsmer
'zed by few passes being communicates u uo''
his arms which assumed more than the fisIuity VI
death Indeed his arms and his fingers uppearec 10 te
almost as stiff as ron-and they continued III 'he h"r
zantal pos,ion until they dsen' hanted, as IL
were hy few counter motions on the part OF the Mes
merizer But on the " hole had not received That
decided mpres sion about the whole phenomenon winch
mi h, have been felt by less increduous sctrtic.
The Lecture on Friday night in the Bail room OIL Tue
Exchange was happily delivered 10 very respectable,
and even brilliant audience OF ladies' ana gth'ieh'eh
II was attended by many OF the Faculty Inc eti ana
the boy were again eIhbi,ed-and one or Two new put
INCOMPLETE experiments were made upon lhe g"-
That OF the stiff made upon lie BOY Hir
Pepper also a young gentleman OF about - years OF
age, resident of Petersbnrg was brought upon the
nl.,.orm-n ard mesmerised by Mr. French. But owing
20 pre- vous atigue, incomplete Sleep OF so"e o'e'
circumstance he unable 10 tell the tine upon The
watch by feeling the hands-as we understood from
very intelligent gentleman oi the lar o. .N"fi'!a, hs
had been allie to do at the exhibition at that pIoce
though the lands of the watch had been changeo rom
the true time. Upon The WHOLE the experiments were
verv curious, but they were not very decisive III iac
here was too much noise AID confusion 10 bring out the
full force oi the phenomena
On Saturday, Mr. French polite enough to visit
us at our own house. and brought with HIM the boy and
the GIRL We had pared ourselves Tor the experiment
and we were determined to subject the great and GU
rous awof community ri sensation to the severest anay
SIS We had dipped INTO very few pages oil - own
shends Facts" which, until within the last three
davs had silent on our table, for limos! ten mon'hs
unread and almost unopened. We had not even,
on Saturday. conc "a far as his experiments on
this .sCnnmuniy Of Sensation, as he calls 1t
The experiments NC made were conducted w''h
every advanlaGe--In perfect quret-snd IN the pre-
sence of our own family alone. nlr French hnseii
was more Of spectator than actor. lie requested,
tina, one of the young ladies should attempt 10 mes
merze the girl. Having seen the experiments mace
four years ago, Phadt phin, by the nqusi'se ana
enlightened Dr. Mitchell, III the presence OF BISHOP
Moore she was somewhat familiar with The process,
although she had never practlsed H. The Hlte
mesmerizee was amused BY the attempt bit very qu'-
etly submitted 10 the operation In lew minutes The
rirl Welded to the influence which was exered over
her by the rubbing and The passes o the rather mex
merit opsrator-Her eyes closed rs If "iouched by
Mercury wand o siumbrons nntoriry her hands rue
bed by those of The OPERATOR tw'ichrd IN SINGULAR mar
ner and followed the lifting hands o! the female mesine-
r,zer like bit of per attracted BY the rubbed sealing
wax Zone of Townsend's comparisons) After about
10 minutes, she proposed 10 the girl 10 wa'6-aha se
readily arose following the operator into another room
When she obtained possession OF Ms hand she would
not rel,nqu9h t-and repealed every other hand even
Mr. French except that of the younger sister OF "
when put into communication by NJ at the music
stool The experiment thus left under the
control of the young y-and il resulted, IN esta
bshnr beyond the possibility of doubt, the great law
of a community Of sensation. For instance:
The sense Of Tasfe-The eyes were closed, and then
closely bandaged by a handkerchief Different suo
stances were presented NJ carefully, That II was
imposs BILE for the mesmerzre to them or present
them To the cognizance Of any Of her senses. Then
ms NJ drank, and swallowed, so did the g'ri-dsiiH
gushing water frcm wine. N. chewed and swallowed
cake-Aa the girl beng asked by NJ, what sac ('he
rrD was eating, promptly replied cake. Grapes were
then put into Ms mouth-and the girl hfst saIo She
was eating apple-but upon her attention being again
awakened by NJ, Immediately replied, she believed II
was grapes repetition of the experiment, lhe
Claret poured into Nj mouth so rapoiy ina,
in swallowing she felt the sensation oil slraneng' anu
coughed. The girl Immediately inflated all these mus,
cular MISUNDERSTANDING and then coughing, as II
under the influence Of the most intense sympathy, and
as it were identity of feelings and motions
SmcL.-M. had snuff applied TO the nose The mus
Giles of the girls Immediately contracted as she
were smelling-und upon being asked, what she was
smelling, at replied with some little disgust,
"snuti" So also with tie smell Of flowers One OF
these, the ambrosa, she said was sweet-Anotner Inc
African Margold he largest species of the tower'!
she pronounced To be cIFagreeab!c.
Uaring.-She seemed to hear nothing, except
through the mesrnerizer Her voice alone was aces
siblc 10 her scnso,ium The sound Of the piano was
lost upon her, except when the mesmctizer put hrr
hand upon he rhouid,. Of the performer-or when NJ
became tho musician herseifand then she recognised
the tune that was played On being requested by NJ,
she struck up song herself; and this fact was no.
,iced that as she sang, the mesmezer put flower 10