Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-07
THE MYSTERY OF MEsNEuIsM AND
soMNAMBULIsM EXPLAINED

ANIMAL MAGsErIsA has for some year, ann..d
aho oe"IdeTed the lovers OF the marvellous Rid,-
1ueo as mere aIusion or dsusion IL has neveIthe-
less PefpieIed the scientific; effects are TOO NIL
800 20 &c Iehied; but any rational solution OF the
cause or eauses Ia which they have originated has
ni.her'o eluded detection. The horof OF unyeilinr
enis mystery was reserved for MIR James Braid. an
EN- neni surgeon in Manchester, who. havin, Wit
hesseo tne recent experiments by Monsieur L1fon-
tame, m the Athena m Of that town. determined II
posslole, 10 bring The 81 SEN to the test of nhvxo
logical and anatomical principles. This eentlem,n
having satisfied his mind that he could n,odnr.
.he phenomenon without personal contact, and even
lnduee sleep when in different room from Inc ner
sun 10 oe lhrown INTO n state OF somnoe ncy an
nouneed public lecture on the subject which m.
oeiivered at the Manchester Athenrum nm S,,,,-
day last, Lefote 700 persons.
Mr. BRAID hrst placed on the table common
Sa.k wine bottle, ia the mouth OF which was a cork
having plated ,oa. The individual on whom IN.
experiment was TO be performed WAS seated on
enai'' and directed to gsze Intenty al the cork with
out ~lnking or averting the eyes. The cork was
soo1' ieei from the person operated upon, whose
need was inclined backwards, forming with the OBJ
Jeet az angle Of - degrees. In this position he re
NAMED Tor about i've minutes. when ID ofound seep
was produced.
The teeond experiment was completed in the same
lime In the Third case bandage was placed round
me mead Tor the purpose of retaining in an inmoya
o'e posiIion common bottle o0tk little above the
tooi OF the nose, the object be gazed St: and
IN ABOUT minutes complete state Of somnolency
ensued In THIS case was proved by iGa bily of the
PAueh' 70 open the ,yel'd, although consciousness
"eS 10 no respect suspended, as he was Die TO re-
ply csunely TO any question. The fourth experi.
nent iaeJ, either through The noise that prevailed
o, owing to the person not fixing his gazog contnu-
ally on the object
The nth was success, fol; add although the par,y
made desperate effort TO open his eyes, so much
as 70 agnate bis who's Frame they remained as tho
hermeucally sealed; when Mr. Braid took from his
pocket woocen ruler and drew the end OF il gently
Ose' inc upper eyeds Of both eyes, when the spell
was broken, and the senFe of sight restored with
perfect ease. These experiments fully demonstrates
'ha' me phenomena was perfectly ndepe udent OF
animal magnetism, IS in one instance was there
tte eas' approach TO personal contact or any mani
pu'aiion.
Having thus convinced the audience thst sleep
could be produced without pressure OF the thumbs
or waving Of the hands, as employed by Monsie ur
LaIo,aine, MIR Bad proceeded to explain the ra-
uons'e OF his discovery.
The artificial mode of producing sleep is TO fatigue
the rectus and levator muscle OF the eve when Is
euee'ed oy continuously strairel and intent gezs
d. an ooJect viewed under acute angle. Under
sueh circumstances the irriiability Of those muscles
becomes exhausted as well the irrabiliiy Of the
OPc tef'e, gi5dIness causes mis-, 10 rise up before
the eye, and sleep ensues. Congestion is induced in
me eyes and carried from them TO the optic and mus
Gu or nerves OF the eye; and owing their proximi
10 tue origin Of the nerves OF respiration and CIR
S1'aiion AFFECT Them through sympathy, end enfte
oie the action OF the heart and lungs. The heart
mus acting feebly, is unable to prope the blood
with sufficient force 10 the ex,remities, and hence
their coldness
The blood consequently is accumulated in the re-
s'on OF the heart, and it is thus stimuated and in
Greer TO remove the iuordnaie load is com PEELED
TO increase the frequency Of its con,ractons, in or.
der TO compensate for the feebeness of lis efforts
Inc brain, head and face now become coneesied
Ia consequence, and varied phenomena tesoltino
from irfegulary in u ercu alton Of that mpor,an
organ tie brain, follow. TIE nA biIny 10 raise the
upper eyelld Mr. Brad accounts for on the prineipe
OF temporary paralysis OF theIevator musce., ow-
ING 10 excessive and long-eontinued exerton at the
I " - tErVsTpO0T CHrUnie4r.J