Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-27

Mr EDITORIALS Animsl Magnetism !, =, ,bi.
,he 'Ie aUensrossIns topic not only in the scienri
nc anu literary circles, but among Al elass.s a. ~
community including the learned Faculty. and svsn
ven t'.e P'mieaE editors. | propose, with yout
PERMISSION, 10 submit for the consSerati,n or -,
| re'ders, brIei synopsis Of is history in -.
the great theatre Of It's boosted operations snc r,
'han hali century, together with the oninio,s -,
country. S" al 'h''
That mankind are more easily ard .,...s.r..,,..
de!uded, and are more pertnacious ~ beljsr -
those 'hinss mat are incomprs hensble il nro1o-
lion universally admitted TO b. true. ard - ;1SI
ohy an additional Illustration of The truth Of ,be
"a wa. IS The offspring OF ignorance
ana superstition That public exhibitiors Of n,s
TENDED experiments, connected with tb. nnary.fo,,
pre'ensons oil Mesmersn. are likely TO nl,rac, IT,
admiration and assent OF those vhoss cr.5,i;.S
Iuees mem 10 believe every thing seemingly won.
'haI 'hey see, oil dispassonate observers are
prepared 10 e%pee,-and consequently many az orr
ingenious and dex'erols countrymen hay. -
OouOUess VIII avail themselves o. this susrr nil ,
! 20 pfaeuce upon the Em,z ug eulGbIIty ~ - -,
Auef"ah pnoic' Effects" says a distinguished
"lItr, our knowledge does not nccoun, fo- are
resarGed as mysterious and marvellous WLo,v..
asserts boldly will find believers arnonSs, he -
anu snoFan'; and, even the iudicious and in,eiIi-
gent viii be OF en- staggered IN their o,iniors -,
not toT'hed by kno-lejge-by daring ass.vers.
But to proceed to the synopsis; in I7s4 ,b...
pearod IN France a Maenetizer by The 80 "a
Dss,ol, VINO engaged 10 prove "Is, Tn 1890,
OF Ao'mai Magnetism: %. To communir,,s -.
hnowiedse OF this discovery. 81. To provs ;,'
uV.ly W ,he cure OF diseases" Such WIS the ro-
very OF NE pretended discoveries of the .farns,i
That the hns named four physciins. toes,5s,
I'VE members OF "the Royal Academy OF Sciences ;,
among whom was tho celebrated Llyoisi.r II -
vsstsate the new doctrine. After the not -.
Iu.y conducted and extensive experiments mon
Y NrH in
as chlldren;hesc commissioners IN, n;o,o,,,i,
ca lhat me Imagination did every tLios nnd - -,
magnetism was no.hing-;hat the MAGNETS a.;
docs not exist. Animal Magnetism is no,biny fa',I
ana tne means employed TO put them in execution
Shortly afterwards, in the sane yea. o,b.. 49,
lIgh1enec commissioners were chosen Nv m, F,.,.h
Go'eInmen', from "he Royal So-'ety Of Ma
c'ne,' who presented a report upon the s,n,s snL
lsoG Inc MasneiiIer was the same-ths subjects
paueh's sgnehng from various real or imasin,tv
diseases They concluded chat the theory OF Az
maj Magnetism IS system enti-e'v d,v9ii .,
P'o's-that me means employed 10 m. Il IN r.t,-r
msn' become dangefous-nnd that the frsatn,, n,
.hese proceedings, nigh; give rise to very seIous
sp1smodDc and convusive acrdents.u
AMER :he thorough and extensive exar,ics,;,,,
thus gwen TO II 10y the Royal Commissioner az
suetcI OF Animal Magnetism was not IN,
onS petod OF time, revived. I'm eon,coYsr.c
however, OF the communication OF some sin-.,i
la',s connected with Magnetism, by ~. Oujef. a
1,sune n'shed member Ct The Royal Academy If
Medicine, IN Paris, at one Of tho meetinss of H.
Academy N August, 1887, a committee ronsis,;s.
o. nine OF the best informed members OF thai l.,.-
ed oody tamong whom was VI. Oudel vas onr,;,,-
90 70 investigate the whole subject anew. ri,
.uln'.''ce' alie' the mes, labofous minnie and er
icnslye inves'g1tCn-a, the house OF the r,,-rs,,
ler, NJ Bcfna, who challenged the seyer.,. 60;
nv unanimousy report "lhat from al the f,e,s AMI
81 me inc dents Of which We have been ,vi,rs.s.,
no SPECIAL proof was given ms of the exi-.cr-, "a -
particular state called that Of VI gnouc Somn,r,b,.
lsn-tha' II was only ty assertion. and no, by a.
monsfaiion, That The magnetism proceeded In ,ti.
mlWcr'-and hat nll the facts which he rr-,,;,.I
ara atempied (emtraci1g the inscrsbi'i,v Of spb
lecis the restoration either partially or fot,ly %
scnsioiiily 10 the commandments pretended ali oG
Won ana res Hutton OF motion -transpo,i ion OF the
sight, oLaiEvorANcg, &c } "ate anv'bin, b,t .,,.
sm"s '''''"' "1"s'e''
Toe limits necessarily prescribed 10 this CORN,
neaUon preclude any notice OF tho opinions oil I'LL,
distinguished medical men OF this country. f,rtb,,
'hah INC genera results OF Tho observations OF scve
raj eminent members Of the Faculty OF Pbii,sei.
phil, all eoncurrne substantially with tLo eor.'-,-
SONS OF the Royal Academy Of Medicine IN pr.
as stated above. '''
Pio'css'r Dunelson Of Phiadelp'i,. ;b,n wb.,,.
p cher medcel authority in this or snv otb-r CON,
ny could not he addueej used The ioi owing 'anrn,rc
Ia reisren,o 10 this subject. which !, apps,r, 10 s
approximnios nearer TO Tho truth Than any ,x,,s,
ton have seen, IN the November number cf ntb.
Are lcan Medical lntsliieenccr for the ve,r ts,7
VI iho lealhy, says he, Of certain Of the stTee,s
lsouoed 70 me man'puaticns Of the Animal Ma
neilser We entertain no doubt. The whole b;,.o,,,
o. The Ahr exhibits that highly impressiblo ,nI,y,
iuals msy have irregularities Of nervous dis,r,ba.
lion induced through the medium Of the sen.es -.
pecaly those Of vision, and tho tou,h-anItb,ta
1nd Of hys'otic sleep and other phcnomens rtisra
be ereendeIed, but that there is anyihIn, like a |
VIDE repou on Animal Magnetism mai, fo "a. Raj |
Y pubois % Amlsns) W. '' 49, w. - !