New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-21
From the Philadelphia iDqrirc;.
Experiments in PhrenS- " q gnciisim.- An
Extraordinary Gnsc.

No, long since soRe curious experiments were
,,,,c,,u,ed bv Dr. buchanan OF Louis ,l!c, thtpreh
the agency Of wha, is called Phreno- Mu:netsm,
n, ,le apnlics,i,n OF Mcsmerism To the different
,,oans 81 ,h5 btayn, Is Developed on the cfdnium
according to chronological principles. Inc &c
counts of these experiments, winch aPPcai"" III
the Louisville papers, were COPIED INTO val 'ouS
losrpela throughout tie country were fioicuieu d
lriycslYes in uine cases o oi ten, although l''e.
did not escape the notice OF all believers IN Amman
Magnetism and Phrenology. The respcc'aoin'!
Of Dr. Buchanan nevertheless vouched ioi,
and in one or two cases Witnesses were adduced
70 prose TIE authenticity Of tie details he pup
liz mind. moreover was somewhat excited nj me
time in relation To Mesmersm, and thus lew OF
our citizens, among them OF two ply sicians,
were induced 10 notice the prominent points more
rsrtIcuary and to make observations in the course
Of their experience calculated to explode Tie err
rms O, 10 scrify tire truth of the statements. One
Of these. a gentleman of the highest standing, pro-
fe,ssnal and private, in this community, had his
attention drawn in an especial manner to the case
of the boy who was unwel who was liable to the
Mesmeric sleep, so.called and when in this sleep
developed moral emotions and ply steal sgns, WHEN
the finger of the operator applied to the phre-
mi deyelopements on his crasium and with an ac-
curacy truly wonderful The result startled the
physician himself He had but little faith III
plrenology at the time, although Inc had seen nu
merous instances OF sleep produced through the IN
huence Of animal magnetism. The case OF the boy
however, impaired additional interest TO the sub
iect-he noticed il to an intelligent friend, and III
connection with that friend, commenced series
OF experiments The results here, were still more
astounding. Indeed, so much incredibly had been
expressed by medical and scientific men with re-
gard to mcsmersm, Its professors were ridIcuIed
and laughed at generally, that IN the case uhde
consideration, even those who had practscd the
experiments or witnessed them, spoke upon 'ie
subject with cautisn, conscious from the ~N'ao''
binary Developments. that nnety-ninc persons Out
of every hundred would either suppose the oPc'
rstors deceived themselves, or worse were "i'A'
ious to deceive others $500,
Under these circumstances, number OF mSh!
r,spectsblc citizens. among them majority "i the
editors of Philadelphia assembled at the dwelling
of the nhvsician above noticed. on Tuesday eve
ming last. for ,ke purpose of being Afforded ocuat
proof There were probably thirty gentlemen IN
attendance besides the physician who operated
sud the individual, a friend OF ours, OF unblc"i,
ished integrity superior intelligence and unsuihe"
character, who cons sncd to be the subject Tor the
evening. and who had famillarized himself WIN
the whole scene BY former experiments. IL 'sno'
necessary for US in this article, to express on opi
ion as to the truth or talsity either oil Mesmerism
or Ph,enoIogv We merely stare facts az the!
passed under our observation, and as they VIII o'
corroborated by similar accounts from other gentle
men who were present ~.
Ths company being seated. the operator aud ms
subject also took seats Immediately opposite, whch
the history OF the matter was given IN Anew ""i"'
by the physician, and in substance "a We nave IT,
corded il above. Ho then placed the right hahd
on the forehead, and with his left grasped hand
Of the patient In the course OF about two minutes
the latter fell into Mesmcrc sleep, when the
physician 40 pronounced him. con'ersed freely IN
explanation OF the various points ct the case, and
proceeded to apply the Phrcno magnetic tests lie
then exhibited cast with Uranium narSea out
according to the doctrines OF phrenolog!' ana aP
Piled his finger 10 the various developments On '"S
Uranium OF his patient The effect astoh'sh'"e'e'
~ one present. All knew the character Vi '"o SUI
lec,, and therefore knew there couid pe no 'o'"
sion, no trick, no deception whatever p"' J'''
,he ,hy.cian touched with ms hnger inc sew y.
specific indications on the head oil the suolc0'' ""
that subject deycopc in the strongest ana AoS' VI
e4nvocal manner, the various feelings 'aS'c' "'''
emotions which psychologists contend Al" 'h''O"
ted by protuberances Thus music, language
w.
ness, frmness. time space, destructiveness, envy
elfesteem, hatred and desPar-were successNei!
made as well by the coun,cnance and the features
as by thu movements Of tbs limbs and by oral eA'
Ncssions The fidelity of the various delineations
wa, wonderful. We never saw them surpassed on
the stage. ana are satisfied that the subject could
no, give them with such accuracy, IN his usual
CONDITION of mind When under tho influence oi
envy. for example the subject alluded TO some
deal character, pointed to Il scsae that was very
pleasant TO the eve. that presented green and
tempting aspect, but quietly remarked and in a
covert spirit of exulration, that there was d,'e"
10 the distance, into which the object referred To
would sooner OF later plunge or be en'raPp'd'
Again, he observed that going was very pleas
snt-all very tine--but that the higher his antaSo-
nist ascended. the farther hc would have TO iaiI.
The expression and the manner. however, were
still more striking than the language when ide'
L..+ l,sc ,hNd In yaSf