The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1842-09-08
ANIMAL MAGNETISM.


ANIMAL MAGNETISM.
Our warshy io~nsmsa. Mr. French.
has recsnIly been recurring ard exhibit
ing rxrerimsn on Animai Magnetism 20
HOUSES IN Norfolk. His er- /
perimen,s here have been wonderfully
successful. and have made many converts
10 this astonishing and mysleTious sci.
ence, Or art. Even The most skepiiesl
have been e"mprlled 10 yield their doubts.
Hear what lhs Norfolk papers say Of
HIM: PEI. Mfd. 1
From the Norfaik Beacon.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM MR.. FRENcH's
LECTURES.
We believe that The exhibitions Of
rharlsians. Who have resoned 20 misers-
bic tricks and ariifices 10 ilch recunisry
gain from Ignorance and credulity. have
materially contributed. in various src-
iions u lhe country. 10 throw ridicnle aud
even obloqny on science. which il too
much in is infancy 10 enable US 10 form
eauect nrinion a. 10 the extent Of in
Huenre and usefulness TO which II may
hereafter stain.
There j.. in our judgment. nothing Of
the miraculous about Animal Magnetism.
II i induced BY force Of will. vivid desire
and conviction OF success. Magnetic re-
suit. are produced BY The nervous system,
and the nervous agency is produced by The
will. Can the arm or any limb be NOV.
ed unless The brain will. il! Aud Is il not
maintained that the will itself 10 a great
nervous agen! Magnetism then 10 only
q PARTICULAR slate OF the nervous system.
The brain 10 an organ whose principal
function 10 to receive and transmit per-
cepiion and acts nf the will. When we
will the mellon Of limb The brain sends
10 The muscle charged with The execution
OF the movement. q csrtain quantity Of
The nervous sgent which determines The
muscular csnlrsclion. Muscular conusc
lion il bu, The resnl, Of electrical excite
meni, and the circulation of fluid analO-
gous to electricity proceeding from The
masnetlser, comes 10 contact with the
passive nervous atmosphere Of the sub
ipc,, who loses oil The faculties Of exler-
nal sensation. add the internal imptes
sious. together with those communicated
by the msgneiiser. are conveyed To the
brain by some other means. This we
believe is the theory Of celebrated
Frnch philosopher, and il is certainly
the most plausible one that we have seen.
But The phenomena are contrary 10 our
preyious experience. Were not Gal
vsnlsm. end The powers Of extracting
lightning from the heavens aud giving II
safe conduct to The earth. equally 50 un'
al the experiments Of Gslyani and ol
franklin! The astonishing velocity oI
light. 10000 miles per second, is a:
surprising as il is true. The genius o.
| Newton developed The laws Of grsvita,ion
which teach us that planets snd ihei'
satellites are alike maintained in thei
orbits by one unvaryipg force; while thu
telescope Of Herschel informs Ne Of tn,
immense distance to which light extends
aud a, which il 10 perceived. And whit
can solve the quesuon as 10 the material
i,y or immaleriali,y Of light! We know
that the laws OF nanimate nature bav
been discovered, and Why msy no, ihos
OF animate nature alsa!
{ The Influences of Animal Magnetism
as therapeutic agent. will be looked I
with much interes, By the benevolent an
the humane. The great influence Of III
brain on the health 10 we'll known. an
; Whatever produces changes in the anims
economy must necessarily affect tn
3 health. In cases Of debility, arising iron
; shattered nerves. mesmeric influence
: have been found more beneficial Than IN
Z appliances OF the most skillul medlcs
= practitioners. So slso in mysteries. by
, pochondria, epilepsy and nervous disease
r generally.
: Mr.. French repeated his experiment
: on Friday evening with entire success l
. The presence Of eminent medical mer
!. and an inteliigfn, audience. Mr.. Pepper
e a healthy far compile xioned young ma
Il shou. "a years Of age, was put in mac
e ne,ic sleep in few minutes. and III
e eyes were then closely bandaged by
4 by.tander with two handkerchief. an
: every precsuion taken 10 ascertain ,h'
S it was utterly impossible for him TO Sc
$ with his eyes. A watch previously a
l. tered 10 an hour, VIII CHI Mr.. French hIu
. self did no, know, was put into his hsnd
II aud afler several minutes he tuld the hou
i a, The first attempt, within two minutes
. The three gentlemen, who we're acting
!. an examining committee, were perfect
a satisfied that he sscertained the hour b
" some inscTuiable means, and that 1t W;
a. impossible that there could be coIl"sie
al or ulckery 10 il. Mr.. French, accomp
= MED by two gentlemen, wen, into sno.
a. err par, Of the house and from that d'slan'
o. put lit,le negro girl asleep. A ma
of servant Of the house was magne'ized. at
e then made 10 dance with his arms stan
Is ing gu, like the arms Of a sign post. al
k, seven when he awoke the arms remsln
II; perfectly rigid until they were relaxed
the nagnetizeL