Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-09-05
From De Riei,n.qa Eaqgrar. .iaoa61.


MESMfRlSAl--Me. ttENcn's EArrastgErs
Mr. J. A. French alas.ulrI ol lhe bar laz delivered
Tow lectures tn priotsnr tWhere he fsaes and IT,
Norfolk. Aswu stated N cur last paper he had arrived
IN Richmond and proposed to CIV, lecture at the tx
change Hotel, on Friday night
Ga Friday, at IL o'clotk, witnessed sano eNpcd
monis In hrs roam n ti fNrhngo-in thr presence
efDrs Carmichael. llsSs'l Patterson aud Dove and Of
Ah'ssrs. tns. r. Heath Richard Adams. and William
trump. The experiments were made hitle black
girl from Southampton. and 4 uoEro lpy. from 10 =
years Of aye. Ihcpjrl thrown into the me smcrs
sleep by Mr.. French within HlHnt "a feet from her
Ste exhibited the appearance oi Tho Somnambuls
She appearcd to be aiUetedby Nh French, eagetlyse
zg his hand when ii any other person touched her she
started back with sudden aid suauar species Of epu
sion. Br. Ca7felael btiHg placed IN connection with
her alrappoH, rs the French say she seemed to
sw allow, as he swallowed water OF Wino--disneush
ng the FIRST very readily, aud pronounced hr other 10
b. bounce. pin stack through aer ear. without
The slightest apparent sensation. She seemed perfectly
lssnslAle tUany nolse voice. any other than that ri
Mr.. French and Dr. C.--Ihe boy Allcnl was then
partly mesmcr2ed-hy few masses being c9mmnuca
Ted 70 both Of his arms which assumed than the
igidity Of death Indeed, his aud his fingers ap
reared to be amost as still renaud they continued
IN The horizontal position until they diseuclanie1
il We're, BIZ few counter motions IN the part of the
Meancfizef, But on the whole. Ne had moi received
that decided impression about the whole phrndmenan
tie
The Lecture on Friday night in the Ball room Of The
Exchange was happily delivered 10 very respectable
and even brilliant aadIeneo Of ladies and gentlemen II
was attended by many OF the Faculty The girl and
the boy were again eNhibed--aud one two new hui
incomplete experiments made upon the girl
That OF the still arm made nnon the boy Mr..
Pepper also, young gen eman Of about IS years Of
aye, resident Of Petersburg brought upon to plat
torm--and mcsmerized by Mr. French. But owing To
previous fatigue, or incomplete sleep some other cir
cumsianee, he was unable To tell the time upon the
watch BY feeling tho hands-as we understood FROM
very intelligent gentleman VI the bar of Norfolk he had
been able TO dc at The exhibition thai place. though
the hands of the watch had been changed from the true
Time. Upan The whole the experiments were very Gu
Ious, but they not very decisive Ia fact there
was too much noise and conluslun bring out the hll
force Of the phenomena.
On Saturday. Mr.. French was polite enough to visit
SIS At our own house, and brought with him the boy and
'he girl bad prepared ourselves for the experiment
and VIC were determined 10 subject the great aud cur
Gus law of eomuaity oseasaiion to the s,vore analy
SIS. LIE experiments Ne made were conducted
win every advantage-ln perfect dniet--and in the
prescnce Of cur own family alone. Mr. French himself
wastnore of spectator than an actor. lie requested
ihatone Of the young ladies' should attempt to mesmer
lze The girl. Having the experiments made four
years ago, in Philadelphia. by the inausye and
enlightened Dr. Mitchell, in the presence Of Blsl-
op Moore, she was somewhat familiar with the pro.
cess. although she had never practised it, The Ii
lie mesmerizee was amused by the attempt; but very
quietly Submitted 10 the operation. Ia a few minutes
the girl yielded To the influence which was exerled D
yer herby the rubbing and passes OF the rather mex
pert opefatoi.-iler eyes closed f.'toure Ay
Mercary's wand Of sun,berous wiichery;" her hands
rubbed by those " the operator witched in singular
manner, and followed the lifted hand Of the female mes
nerzeI, like abit Of paper attracted by the rubbed seal
ing wax. After about l0minues she proposed Ia the
gir to walk-and she readily arose. following the opera
or INTO another room, When she obtained possession Of
Ms hand, she whonla moi repqush t--and repealed
every Other hand even MIR. Freac'sexeept that Of
,ae younger sister OF Nj. when put into communication by
~, al lie ausc stool. The experiment thus left
hiuer the control ot the young adyanl il resulted in
establishing, beyund the possibility of doubt the areat
law OF community oi sensation. For nsanoe
The sense Of Iaste.-Ihe ewes were closed and then
closely bandaged by ahandkerchicf Different snbsan-
ces were presented TO NJ 81 carefully that il was i'm
possible Tor the meslnerzee 10 see them present them
10 the cagBizance Of any of her senses Then rs M
drank aud swallowed, 50 did the gr-,stinpnishiu,,
water from wine Nj. chewed, aud swallowed cake
And the girl being asked by NJ what she (the pr) was
eating, promptly replied cale Grapes were then put
INTO NJ. mouth--and the girl first said She was catnr
anappie-hut upon her attention being againawaenedby
NJ, Immediately replied she believed ii was grapes
Tn repetition Of the experiment. the Clare vine was
poured INTO M 8 mouth 50 rapidly, that in swallowing
she fei the sensation OF strangling and conghed III.
gigi Immediately initiated all these muscular mo
ilo,'sswaliowing and then coughing if under the
lanence o. the m9st intense sympathy, and il Were
identity Of feelings and motions.
SsneK.--M. had snuff applied to the nose. The mus
sIes Of the girls immediately contracted ,as il s
were sneihng--and upon being asked. what she was
Hapliing, at once replied, with some little disgust
'snuH 30 also with the smell Of flowers. One o
these, 80 anorHsa she sald was sweet-Ano,her H.,
African Marignld, (fie largest specs Of the fswer.
she pronounced % fieaorapable