The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-30


Ne,c Harni.
xsaEs GoRDox BESNErT, ESQ.
DEAR SIR,-
The subject of Animal Magnetism having been
particu iarly commended to the attention Of the
ctiz Of This city by the dstn yuishe ed mesmer-
lists, Houghton aud De Bonneville, it may not be
very uninteresting to your readers to learn the
opinions of some few VINO have paid no slight at
tcntion to their r,ondcrful experiments For the
purpose Of gratifying the curious, avail myself OF
your valuable columns. Had the papers here pos.
sessee your fearless candor, my communication
would have seen the light under diff rent auspices.
But my purpose will be equally we'll answered, by
selecting the present medium, as your paper is eX.
tensively known and read by our good people.
1t must be recollected, that their fame preceded
them. The report oftheir success in Other places,
and especially in Hartford, in exciting and control
ing the magnetic fluid. so as to shut up all the natu
raj avenues to the hum an soul, and give it free
passport to any part of the terraqueous globe, the
world ofspirits OF the starry spheres hadbut every
thing in our quiet and delightful city into consid-
cradle ferment. AS a very natural consequence,
the citiz ms were prepared to give Them candid
hearing and an overflow ng house on the evening Of
their uctory lecture The lee .ure was highly
creditable to Mr.. II but the evidence of the mes
eric sleep far from salts act0ry The excitability
of the audience was evidently great. hut the appt
rent candor and sincerity of the gentlemen pre-
vented all unpleasant expression Ct feeling, and the
house was willing to give fair test to their pre-
tensions; they, therefore, intrusted the whole sub
ject the hands Of an able committee, whose report
is anxiously expected by those not already sfied
with the evidences Of their senses
And wbat are the claims Of me smersm, as under
A.~l rlorn aA tIas,
onsideration. II certainly comes befars us with
higher pretensions than any other science within
the range Of human knowledge II afrms power,
existing to greater or less extent in every person.
Of closing in utter sill nee the senses, and con'r rel
irg al pleasure the movements Of the mind and body
BY an earnest gaze and certain manipulatiops of q
very few minutes, the person becomes insensible
to all objecls save the M gnetiser and the in
mesmerIc connection. And now wonder after
wonder bursts on cur a tonishcd spirits. The un.
fettered soul is free-it may range wherever will
lover this earth, at my bidding, il wings it's gentle
or rapid way, taking cognizance of all objec 8, and
bringing back to me an accurate account-it en-
tiers the body diseased, and describes the maady
and prcscribes the remedy-it goes to the planets,
and thus the lab,rlouS cations of the
astronomer-it enters the spirit-land but here it
shrinks back terror smittrn, sending !remor
through the ST. oper's muscles, and making the
lachryma glands pour forth their crystal floods to
the astonishment Of all neophytes Such is the ter.
ror and agitation Of h. mesaeric sleeper that even
we dwecrs on terra fima must, forsooth, in mercy
cry out to the rigd questioner, for6ear, forbear
And thu. by the simplest process in the world
make finite b. ling assume the omniscience and
omnipresence Of Deity. While seated quietly in
my study, am deriving, through my mysterious
agent, Information upon all subjects-am l in
poetic mood ? He talks in Shak spear an numbers
would music charm away my evil geniHs He
pours ravishing melody into my soul. Would lis
ten TO the strains of eloquenee? He at ones becomes
the orator Would come acquainted with the
of onoa NnEn He dI.rI nSR
them with the skill of a nguist. Would llearn any
thing respecting the appearances o! places! He
gratifss me by the accuracy OF his Gescriptt ns.-
All the objects of public interest pass SANITY in
review before me. Now am with him among the
ruins Of Rome, or the wonders OF Venice and Ma
pies in short, my will makes subj CT TO me the
whole universe can pass by the aid Of my little
omniprcsent wrapped in sense'ess clay, through
walls and silks; Cby the bye, this women should
remember as they have certain fair proportions
ever executing mans busy curiosity and over noun
tans and And these not half the won
ders Of erism; but they all certainly belong
to it as taught and believed by the distinguished
youths, Houghton and De- Bonneville.
And row to the re .ns Of their experimenfs.-
These, as every candid mind think will decide,
were failures This will seem, | know, to some
few too swcepins an assertion. But am equally
confident TO only few, and these from various mo-
tives ovorpursuaded to relieve them from their un
pleasant situation. In no instance, unless before
the committee, has the realty Of the mesmeric
sleep even been attempted TO be proved The gem
tlemen had too delicate regard for the boys ply
rical nature; too great reverence Tor their pro-
mise to return him safe and sound to his parents
in Boston, to allow any t. SITS 20 be applied; corse.
queutIy he went nn.catl ed to the depth Of hair.
We were 100 generous here to persist in acting
counter TO their expressed wishes, and the result
thus far proved all that could be desired, by even
the gentlemen them elves. The field now be-
comes clear. The mesmr rised sleeper awaits the
examination He Is put in magnetic connection
with some worthy parsonage and the farce begins
For it was certainly nothing more. as must have
been very evident to every candid spectator. He
il taken to different places, near and remote, in q
way that scarcely any lad would have failed 10
have been more accurate in his answers ! am
strictly within the bounds of truth when say, on
an average not one question IN ten was answered
with correctness Bat VIII. n the boy made lscky
hit the wonder seekers were perfectly wrapped in
admiration of his remarkable knowledge. As
specimen Of his accuracy take the following: A
gentleman, in private cycle, held in his hand an
eyes "examine it closely-what is h?" "Aknife!
And 10 this he rigidly adhe red Mr.. p, a
very promising and worthy young artist took him
TO his stsdio he was fairly introduced; he under
took 10 describe the room and he did not ment on
a single thing accurately il was filed with very
fine paintings, bat the boy substituted hts usual far
niture-tables and chairs, placing some books, for
ornament, suppose, between the windows, when
there was only one IN the room. Another person,
on a different occasion, took him to his livery
stable but he saw ne horses there, though plenty
OF chairs apd tables, besides some beds. A student
asked him to describe his room he faiisd;-"wiiat
Is By the stove Z" chair; "whar do you see III"
Something black ;'"what was it kel'a fiddle; be
had, however, put there 4 pair OF boots. In some
instances he was M re correct yet there we're NO
answers given which were not either implied in
the question, inferred from the profession OF th
estioner, or the result OF tolerabfy good CUES
sing. Beautiful specimens III. sc Ci Animal Mag
neiism "a practised by certain Individuals Shea.d
not our communities vase their time and money in
lain adj ~ thp thDr
should not the growing bcncvolence ofihe age vote
a tablet to their me mory! Oh humbusgery, san'st
thou b!ush No, thy face is brass
In this art, Gle have not intended TO express my
opinion Of Mesmerism, as understood BY The more
scientific men Of this age How far the evidence
goes to support its claims, do not pretend TO de-
terminc what are to be its future dcvt lopments
I do not venture TO predict. There IL, indeed.
strong evidence hat 1t has a tolerably firm basis
on which 20 rest However, what the most learn
ed men in Europe have pronounced farce, can.
not receive as truth, without more eertsin and
striking evidence lhan has yet been presented =