The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-26

|
ed by these spurious issues laid before the direct
ors oice in each loeek, and always accessible 10
them; that this statement exhibited the amount OF
bills discounted, of notes in circulation, OF debts to
deposItOrs, all The lab of the bank all lis means
and the sources Of those and that his own in
divdual account was the books of The bank, and
1t be there still and "has not been cut out or de-
stroyrd." will subsiantiate all tn Sc statements.
Ii Lewis prove all these fac 8, what beautiful
system that of fnancierng! And what honest fel-
lows its managers! We advise certain gentle
man, with some peculiarly about ono OF his feet To
engage the whole of them for recruiting seTgeanis.
EXPERIMENTS IN PHREN O-MAGNETISM
| AN EXTRAORDINARY CAsE.-Not long since some
curious experiments were performed by Dr. Blu
chanan, Of Louisville, through the agency OF
what is called Phreno-Magnetlsm, or the applioA-
ton of Mesmerism to the different organs of the brain,
developed on the Uranium, according to phrenolo-
gcaI principles. The accounts Of these experiments,
which appeared in the Louisville papers, were copied
into various journals throughout the country, were
ridiculed impostures in nine out of ten, al
though they did not escape the notice of all believers
in Animal Magnetism and Phrenology. The res
probability Of DR.. Buchanan was nevertheless vouch-
! ed for and in one or two cases witnesses were ad-
duced to prove the authenticity of the details The
public mind, moreover was somewhat excited at the
time in relation to Mesmerism, and thus few Of our
citizens among them one or two physicians, were IN
duced to notice the prominent points particu-
arly and to make observations in the of their
experience calculated either to explode the
to verify the truth of the statements One of these
genemaa of the highest standing, professional and
private, in this community, had his attention drawn in
an especial manner TO the of boy who was
liable to the Mesmeric sleep, called, and when in
this sleep, developed moral emotions and physical
signs, when the finger of The operator was applied to
the phrenal developments on his cranium and with
an accuracy truly wonderful. The result startled
the physician himself. He had but little faith in
phr, nology at the time, although he had numer
instances of sleep produced through the influence
of animal magnetism. The case of the boy, how
ever, impaired additional interest to the subect-he
noticed it to an intelligent friend, ard in connection
with that friend, commenced series Of experiments.
The results here still more astounding Indeed,
SO much incredulity had heen expressed by medical
and scientific with regard to mesmerism, its pro-
fessors rdicued and laughed at generally,
that in the under consideration hose who
had practised the experiments witnessed them
spoke upon the subject with caution conscious from
the extraordinary developments, that ninety-nine
persons out of every hundred, would either suppose
the operators deceived themselves, or worse, were
anxious to deceive others.
j Under these circumstances, number of highly re-
spectacle citizens, and among them majority OF the
editors Of Philadelphia, assembled the dwelling of
the physician above noticed, Tuesday evening
last for the purpose of being afforded ocular proof
There were probably thirty gentlemen in attendance
besides the hyscian who operated, and the ndividu
al, friend of ours, of unbemshcd integrity, supe-
rior intelligence and unsuIlied character who con-
scented be the subject for The evening and Tho had
fmiliarsed himself with the whole scene by former
experiments. 1t is not necessary for us in this arti-
cle to express opinion to the truth falsty
either of Mesmersm Phrenoogy We merely
facts they passed under observation,
and they will be corroboraed by similar accounts
from other gentlemen who were present.
The company being seated, the operator and his
subject also took seats Immediately opposite, when
the history Of the matter ven in few words by
tho ,,co hny0 rlnI
it above concluding with some observations to the
following effect
"The phenomena will not yet call them facts, to
be presented tonight of novel and curious cha
racter vi their existence you VIII yourselves be We
ry eye-witnesses Indeed the phenomena of
Mesmerism are not themselves questionable; nor
hare they been questioned even by Franklin and the
dis nguished Committee # the French Royal Aca-
DENY, OF which he was leading membrr. The d.
versty of sentiment has been confined chiefly to the
mode of explaining them: far they exclude,
what are easily proved be false, Ciarpoyunce and
Precision. Setting these aside, for tn are in their
nature impossible, and have been by my own laboll-
Gus inquiries demonstrate to be allacies, the pheno
mena now to be exhibited may he explained in vari-
Gus modes The believer in Mesmerism and Pine
nology having difficulties to overcome, easily re-
iers them to of two sources-lst to the mesmerc
stimulation of the cerebral organs or I'd to the 1oW
of the prator affecting, under these new relations,
| the mind of the subject Of the experiments. Those
who are Psychologists, but not Mesmersis, may con-
tend with DR.. Buchanan that the effects are the pro-
duet of gairanism exer ed on the organs, through
which the mind IN tins sublunary bondage, Is conf
PEELED to act.
" Those who admit the existence OF that nervous
ercitement called Mesmerism, but who deny tie tru'h
of Phrenology have but one admissible explanation,
and accordingly believe that the subject of the expert
ment, having as almost all Of US have, some know
ledge of the external chronological map, Is uncon-
scousv led by association of IDEAS to the expression
of a men al state conormable to the supposed infu
ence of the organ touched.
"Finaly, those and they ye: the million, who
dony both Phrenoogy and Mesmerism, resort, as did
the Franklin committee, to the explanation OF admit
ted phenomena, by supposine them the effect of ina
snation and limitations while sone sturdy scePiics
| refer the whole scene to a joke or lrick
Being myself only an inquirer, and making 1t
rule to keep strictly on NEUTRAL GROUND while sub
iect is being examined" as friend Chandler would
saw have not reached any settled CONVECTION and
NAV not for wears come Each of you VIII select a
theory for himself; and the gentleman who is to
he the subject of experiment. is the acquaintance of
all, and the intimate friend of most OF you, you can
Give to his eminent talent and worth, better appeca
Ton than even can do; and thus rid yourselves OF
one difficulty to which the exhibition of unknown
| aud unaccreJed individuals must ever give rise"
After these explanations, the experimener then
placed his right hand on the forehead, and with his
len grasped hand of the patient In he course OF
about two minutes the latter fell into Mesmeric
sleep when the physician pronounced him, con-
versed freely explanation OF the various poihts IN
the case and proceeded to apply the phreno-nagnett
tests He then exhibited cast with Uranium marx
eli ont according to the doctrine of phrenology, and
applied his finger the various Developments IN inc
cranum of his patient. The effect ts'onished ever
one present All knew the character OF the su"Jrct'
and therefore knew there could De no couson, ~
til no deceu;,n whatever. But Just as the physi-
clan ouched with his finger the several SPECIFIC ind'-
=, ions on the read Of the SUBJECT did that subject de
v.I,be in he strongest and most unequv'c' II man
ner the various feelings, tastes and emotions wn'ch
intend are indlca ed by protnberancos.
'ihus music, language, mrih, deaity, number vens
ration alimentivcness, frmness TIME space, destruc