Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-06-14
From the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Experiments in PhrenO-MagnetiSm---An Ex-
traOrdiHary Case.

trd0rulHafy UdSc.
Not long since some curious expert
ments were performed by DR.. Buchanan,
Of Louisville, through the agency of what
is called Phreno-M Magnetism, or the appi-
cation Of Mesmerism to the different organs
OF the brain, as developed on the Uranium,
according to chronological principles. The
accounts of these experiments, which APP
peared in the Louisville papers, were CO.
pied into various journals throughout the
country, we're rldicLIed as impostures in
nine cases out Of ten, although they did
DOT escape the notice OF all believers in
Animal Magnetism and PhrcnoIogy. The
responsibility Of DR.. Buchanan was never
thcless vouched for, and in one or two
cases witnesses were adIuccd to prove the
authenticity Of the details. The public
mind. moreover, was somewhat excited at
the time in relation TO Mcsmcrism, and
thus few of our citizens, among them
one or two physicians, were induced to no.
tice the prominent points more particularly,
and to make observations in the course of
their experience, calculated TO explode the
errors or verify the truth of the state
mcntS. One OF these, Il gentleman OF the
highest standing, professional and private,
in ths community, had his attention drawn
in an especial manner to the case Of the
boy who was unwcII, who was liable to the
Mcsmcric sleep, so-caIcd, and when in his
sleep, developed moral emotions and ply
steal signs, when the finger of the opera
tor was applied 10 the phrenal developer
mcnts on his Uranium, and with an accu-
racv truly wonderful. The result startled
the physician himself. He had but little
ftth in phrenology at the time, although
hc h vi seen numerous Instances Of sleep
proIuccd through the influence of animal
ma snetism. The case Of the boy, however,
i,n,,rtcd additional interest to the subject
I'll. noticed it to an intelligent friend, and
in connection with that friend, commenced
a series Of experiments. The results here
were still more astounding. Indeed, SO
much incredibly had been expressed by
medical men with regard to mcsmerism,
its professors were ridiculed and laughed
at so generally, that in the case under con-
sidcraton, even those who had practjccd
the experiments or witnessed them, spoke
upon the subject with caution, conscious
from the extraordinary developments,
that ninetv-ninc persons out of every hun
drcd, would either suppose the operators
deceived themselves, or worse, were anX-
ious to deceive others.
Under these circumstances, number of
highly respectable citizens, among them Il
majority Of the editors of Philadelphia, as
scmbcd at the dwelling Of the physician
above noticed, on Tuesday evening last,
for the purpose Of being afforded ocular
proof There were probably thirty gentle
men in attendance besides the physicians |
who perated, and the individual, friend |.
Of ours. Of unbcmishcd integrity, superior
intelligence and unsulied character, who |
consented to be the subject for the evening,
and who had famiIiarizcd himself with the !
whole scene by former experiments. 1t is |
not necessary for us in this article, to ex-
press an opinion. as TO the truth or falsify |
Of either Mesmerism or Phrcnology. We !
merely state facts as they passed under our
observation, and as they will be corrobo
rated 10y similar accounts from other gen.
tlcmcn who were present
The company being seated, the operator
and his subject also took seats Immediately
opposite, when the history Of the matter
was gwen in few words by the physician,
aud in substance rs we have recorded it
above. He then placed the right hand on
the forehead and with his left grasped a
hand of the patient. In the course of a
bout two minutes the latter fell into Mes"
meric sleep, when the physician so pro-
nounccd him, converSed freely in eXplana- |
ton of the various points OF the case, and |
proceeded to apply the phreno-magnctlc |
tests He then exhibited cast with a era |
mum marked out according to the doctrines !
Of phrcnology, and applied his finger TO
the various Developments on the Uranium
Of his patient. The effect astoniShed every |
one present All knew the character OF |
the subject. and therefore knew there could |
be no collision, no trick, no deception
whatever But just as the physician
touched with his finger the several specific
indications on the head Of the subject, did
that subject deycope in the strongest and
most uneQuyocal manner, the various feel
lngS, trStes and emotions which phrenolo-
gists contend, are indicated by protuberan-
ges. Thus music, language, mlrth, ideal
ity, number, veneration, aIImentlveness,
hrmness, time, space, destructiveneSs, en-
Wy. Self-esteem, hatred rnd despair-were
successfully made, as well by the countc
nance and the features, as bv the move
ment OF the limbs and by oral expressions.
The fidelity of the various delineations was
wonderful. We never saw them surpassed