New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-26
Neurolesx-Con.lderea.

Neurolcxy-Coasidered.
To ne Editor of The Tribune:
One of the reasons 70, which have long been an
udmrer OF your paper, above Some of its cotempo-
raries. has been, the large amount of Scientific in
,elligence which have found in its columns frorl
time 10 time Nor can doub, but that the extern
of patronage bestowed en- by an enlightened com
n,un,ty will amply compensate It's Editors for the
disposition which has been SO apparent in it's col
urnns TO please and benefit the public BY the diff
fusion of that kind of information which the mass
of the people SO much need. And, while you have
evinccd such commendabe willingness to give
an open ring and fair play to difference OF
views in your paper philosophical questions,
may ask for little space, in which TO offer few
remarks on one OF articles which have appeared
in your paper recently, on what has been yciePed
1.-THE Science Of Neurology
Having heard each Of DR.. Buchanan Lectures,
delivered recently in this city, may be supposed
to have some tolerable knowledge of what be hs'
been able to make known of his theory. have
also read book of which he is the author, and
which may be supposed to afford all that intorma-
ton necessary to enable candid inquirer to form
added "a new and extraordinary agent to ou'
:" therapeutic list Indeed, DR.. B. not only as.
sumes the credit of having ADDED a +" neoo agency
to our therapeutic list" but in his book, and
throughout the course of bis Lectures, be labored
with considerable assduity to make it appear that
the agency BY which he operates is totally dis
,nct from any and every thing heretofore known
under the name of Mesmerism. And hence.
writer in The Tribune of Nov. 10, says:
CDR Buchanan has nothing DO with Mesnlerism BE
regards the proceedings OF Mesmcr and MS followers d.
sm!nenty unphlosopmcaL'
Again, he says:
world and enjoys the envabe distinction having brought
forth nep ami wonderful sceace."
And other similar assumptions put forth in
the same article, and, indeed, they arc made IN
similar terms TO those used by DR.. b. both IN his
book and in his public lectures. And many, we
know, attended his recent course in this city, ex-
pectinp 10 see and hear something in support OF
this extraordinary claim; but l scarcely need TO
add, that they were disappointed. His attempts
in support of this claim, proved an utter failure
Dr. B. said nothing, nor did he do any thing,
which had the least conceivable tendency to show
that his assumed "new agent, was any thing
more or less than what has long been known, un-
der the name of Mesmersm. Possibly he may
himself fancy, and ne may make others believe,
that it is different, but we confident that this
belief will LAST no longer than the time when such
persons shall have become fully acquainted with
this subject For instance, who does not know
that from ages past the hand Of the seventh son
has been proverbial for the cure of king evil
and from immemorial time, diseases have been
known to be cured, in certain cases, merely, by
manipulating the head or other parts OF the sys-
tenn And DR.. B. can no more prove that his
''nev system is any thing different from that cx-
er,ed by the seventh son, and by every magneti-
ger, from Mesmer to the present time, than ne
can prove that his respiratory organs are
made of different materials from those of other
people. And as 10 operations on the separate or
gans of the brain, by the mere touch of the hand,
twas done in this city long before the name OF
Dr. Buchanan had been heard of here. For the
truth of this statement, might refer to a score
or more of intelligent physicians and other scien-
tifc gentlemen who were invited to witness Sc
ries of what were called Phreno- Magnetic expert
nents at the New-York Museum in the summer
of Is4l And when DR.. 3. comes here assum-
ing TO have discovered new agency by which ne
does the very same thing, we have some reasons
for wishing to knoS on what foundation his claims
are based. As far as know, a large majority OF
those who heard his lectures are familiar, more
or less, with Mesmerism, and they are united in
tue opnlcn mat Or B. $ claim to the discovery
OF a" new agency" is founded either in ignorance
OF what Mesmerism is, or upon an upiuslihable
desire for taking to himself the credi, of a
discovery he never made. This same agency
was no. only known to Mcsmer and Puyse.ar.
hu, to the Egyptians three thousand years ago, as
any may satisfy himself BY consulting the
Brit. Encyc. and also Or. Ellio,son's grea, work
on Human Physiology. Whatever advances Dr..
B. or any other person may have made in the sci.
ence of physiology by meaps of this agency is an
other question altogether; but that wha, he calls
neuaurs is nothing more nor less than VIVA, has
heretofore, been called Mesmerism, is susceptible
OF the olesrest demonstration; and, in fact, it il
what no one doubts who is at all familiar viii
this subject
Eur- fors, Nov. Is 1872
EARLY WINrEs.-Thc earth is covered WIT
snsw six inches deep, and sleigh bells are lingin
nerriy in our streets. We hear Of like evidence
of winter both East and West. Between Lock
port and Rochester it is said the snow is NOR
than foot deep. This is very remarkable, almos
snpreceden,edto for this region. Buff. ADV, 2sd.