Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-30

shake the strengthen mpressions-nor Of the five
persons whose whole attention concentrated Tor
neary two hours upon every phenomenon was pre-
sented The great law of the community of sensation
was as concluslvely made out, f had witnessed
all The experiments of Townshend (The phenomena
OF VISION are still, certainly the most difficult to he
mate The most subtle in themselves, the most surpris
ing IN The result, and The hardest to be believed The
natural eye IN the before Us shut out from its
ordinary communication with the external world. The
lid was closed if Theoretically senpd-nnd was tho
roughly bandaged On occasion, the girl said, she
could not see because her eyes sore. On being
told to rub hem che applied her hands TO two points
on each side of the chinand subsequently being asked
where her eyes were she applied her hands TO The same
points OF The chin, and apparently directing up the chm
to the object she directed TO We do not mean
to go into the phenomen stated by Townshend-of
young lady = reading letters page-or of young
Dn,chnans naking cut cards with book nerPosed
between them and the eye-nor of one mesmer'zers
asserting that he saw with his forehead We have
enough 10 do in believing what for our
selves--for that is tasking our credullty in sum
Sient degree. Indeed, the phenomenon 10 so startling
in ITSELF that almost impossible TO dvest oursef of
all sort OF scepcism) And what can the reader say
for example, to the phenomena stated by Townshend n
l67, of the NY Edition, printed by Harper Il Brothers.
! about + A.: "Though the power of vision was great
he excited, and not in any way called upon to ex-
hbit, he seemed 10 every side OF him, as II ils
head were one organ of visual perception. This
sieepwhkef is stated to paper cutter, bottle CT
ink, &c, by holding them to the back of his head-
Can this law Of translated sensation be true, as that OF
communicated sensation is:)-The girl sang long and
painlive ditty-and after time dlsenchaned
by the counter passes of NJ. She naturally
would do from profound sleep, and declared,
with of the perfect sincerity, that she had
pT unfth l,Ich
her eating, smelling singing &c.
The boy (Allen) was next mrsmerized entirely, by
Mr.. French, without any contact with him-at Inc ds
of several feet. His different limbs (arms, legs,
and ncck) were made rigid by certain passes-and con
tinued 80, until they successfully Disseminated
The experiments tasting made with The utmost
care and success GA Mr.. F.s taking the snuff, the
boy exhibited no little dsgnst-and scver and anon
as Shakespeare would say, wou!d apply mot the poun
Get box, but his handy 10 his nose-untl he was dis
mesnerzed, and even afterwards, until he left the
house. 1--WE understand, that Mr.. Edmund Ruiiin OF
Petersburg (once Il sceptic, and now conver) was
once making experiments-and sutng the action to
the word gave Mr. French cayenne pepper TO taste
whilst he was in communication with Mr. Pepper
Pc oper ma Tested the violent Gistress-and upon
/ being awakened complained ot MIR. F.s giving nm
pepper to taste, and seemed still to taste It's pePpersh
heat Tor a quarter Of an hourwasIIng his mouth with
water us ny his tooth brush &C. 10 clear hiH mouth OF
the laste0 Allen concluded his exhibition by singing
and dancing humorous ig-and upon being weakened
soon after exhibited the usual appearances OF return
To consciousness-and declared that he had recol.
lection Of dancing, &c, DC.
| The impression made by The whole scene upon the
mind Of every spectator conclusive. None OF US
could doubt for one moment what bud seen. 1t vas
we repeat, one Of the most astonishing phenomena We
had ever wtnessed-yet the mesmerc influence
| (whatever it be, whether it be OF magnetism, gal
yanism, electricity, some new element OF ner-
vous infuence) appears 10 US now TO be as mucn
one OF the established laws of Nature, as the laws
of craviiation or Of light. We will not phloso-
phiza upon what have seen, nor are We pre-
pared TO believe the other phenomena, about which "e
have heard such as Cairr0Yance, such as Phtenoo
| ecal mesnerisn-on the contrary, play the scepc
until we have satIsird on: own mind by the actual
phenomena Thus far only we think 1t sale TO GO
We wi!i neither believe all The other phenomena, winch
have BEEN attributed To mesmer sn, until we have e-
crived better evidence than have obainednor - II
philosophical to ncrpose any new link IN the series oil
phenomena, such magntttsm nor attempt 10 explain
bv theory what there IS not sufficient number Of
unr;cd phenomena 10 establish. tidt, crgo Crcdo, IS
the exlrn, Of philosophy upon this SUBJECT be-
lieye because have seen clearly riH not believe
more until more, in SO new, so strange a
series of phenomena, 90 different from any winch
we had previously witnessed. And believe, 100,
because The mesmerizee taste, smell, feel more,
under simla. circumstances than the most saga
cious person can with all hs faculties awake, ex-
cep. lis eyes being closed up The whole subject ~
of i,se! sufficiently strange and mystic lons-though
well entitled To serious consideration. II seems 10
open upon us new field Of discovery in the theory OF
the senses and III the metaphysics OF the human
mind II seems especially tu call upon the medical Ia
cu,,y 10 study l-as it may be used TO tranqnze Tue
senses and 10 arm the patient against pam, IN the ope
ratons of surperv-witness the case oil persons, VINO
Ina ve had teeth extracted in apparent unconscnusness
and the still more remarkable case, OF the Lady IN
Paris whose cancerous breast cut Oft by the cele-
brated Cloqurt without consciousness or complaint
and who IL said TO have been left in the mesmerc sleep
IL hours after the operation But we Sill repeat win
liaIEet-
There arc more thing, Heaven and Earth lloato,
Than drramt Of III our philosophy
rs-Ye,reray NJ, without any expectation Of accomplish
Inv whit. female of about II years o age No one else present
during operation sie had never heard OF nesnerh nt'oc
seemed 10 lie very and profound Hut VIII not bore our
further " ih This suljeci-The iae Is, a 'e s"
mony supposed. The wonder j. indeed That II was not much
fI"winr az if a,irartcdl those OF the mesmrrizer.
I'VE understand, that Mr.. French is on his way to
the rauquer Springs. We recommend TO its hume
visitors TO see and Judge Tor themselves. we are
sure, they will be much gratifed by his experiments
But we recommend them at the saline time 10 witness
them with the most profound silence, and leave the
cement Of The scene TO small Committee OF lhe
Medical Faculty, in whose judgment they nave Tue
mos, nerfect confidence. We beg them TO make e1-
,,,ents unon the fnrms of bodies Ground sqnareO
through the sense of touch-the ticking OF The watch
SC &c, in order to multiply the phenomena oi Tile
community Ct sensation.
The Feds are fishing for another Veto-and we pre-
ammo thcv will catch it, With audacity hc almost
defes belief, they have smuggled bill through the
Committee of the House of Representatives (no quo
rum presently to suspend the twenty per cent check
on Disfrjsm'ion-in other words, 10 give away Inc
proceeds, let the duty be what it may; let the ne
cess,es Of the public Treasury be great as they may
t The oans suffer as much they may for 'c0nt Of an
adeou.te guarantee either in lie lands, or in an effect
i've Revenue bill They have then forced it through The
House by the gag, after only enc ho1's deSste. MIR
C1;,,enden was for forcing it through the Senate IN
santer, and was absurd enough to appeal to the eo"r
tcsv of Senators. TO enable him TO achieve this tr
umph over justice, principle and common sense
But thanks 10 Mr.. Aliens energy he arrested II one
nrInc oil