Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-02-10
FOR THE PHGNIx.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

II may not be improper OF uninterestino II
marvellous, 10 give as a premise, a brief hIstorv :" ~
the way and manner, some have been conyincedd " "
Animal Magnetism, and its wonder WORKING CIV
tons. II is well known TO all PHI drireys 1ibepr ~ q
a disease, the diagnosis Of which is Cafaiepsv 49,. u
il is well known that when a person is ,nio, NJ
influence Of this disease, the muscular system sou "
times is completely prostrated-at other times i.
state of rigidity, and the person is deprived of H.
power of voluntary motion during the paro,.."
Il is a fact familiar TO all Potecary Doctors. ina; ;tmu,
are unable TO exercise the slightest influence orsy
the nerves of v%olition, the mind roams. and 80
apparently disembodied. There is a small uaI
the title of which is, IA World Of Wonders " VIII,
gives a beautiful illustration of the phenomenon ~
e~at-l1psy (animal magnetism) | will moi ra.a u
verbatim, but will state il briefly in subs,ahso
is stated that a Mrs. Fox was miraculously nm, int
a mesmeric sleep, (eat-tdpsy,) by the foDow;Iyy
strange but amusing way. While resting hprsef
in an accidental but easy posture in a rocking ebsi,
in the evening, a favorite pet cat which Law pOo,
the paflor rug, sprang into her Ian and soon ~.
mcnced licking Mrs. Fox's neck over that pro,ra"
rance known in Anatomy as the pomum ledo~;
adams Apple) As the sensation was som,vb.,
agreeable, the cat was not interrupted, and NJ.
Fox soon became completely beren Of the powe, a.
%volition, aud TO the surprise of those around bs,
was completely embraced IN the arms of MornLsn'i
totally unable to move a limb, being actually IN /,
Cat-a-lap-tic 6t, (Mesmeric sleepy Aner remain
ing in this state nearly an hour, she showed som.
signs of uneasiness, and her daughters intims,aS
that their mother might be suffering from nioh,.
mare, and they suddenly aroused her from her S.
porihc condition. She then gave a brief history Of
her strange vision. II was then declared il wa.
nothing more nor less than animal magnetism.
Now the bump of curiosity became excited. end
their anxieties could not be easily quoted until Inc
experiment was again tried. The affair being IAN.
ed over Mrs. Fox seated herself aeain in The chn,
and the old cat was brought forward, who looked
rarp Uafaa HEn III
Peatedly put in contact with the surface which va,
FIRST stimulated, but she manifested no disposninn
Ia lick. The idea was suggested of basiing Mr..
Fox's neck with butter. The bait took we'll Old
puss availiEg herself of the rich coating began 10
lick, which soon threw Mrs. Fox into a Cai-a-Iap.
TIC (Nlesmeric) state again, and this led them TO a
thorough investigation Of the matter. They found
her clairyoyant powers requisite for any e~xpedient
whatever; they however soon became convinced
that they had the same cat-a-lap-tic powers, by mes
Ineric nanipulatioRs, over Mrs. gox, as the cat had.
by licking her neck. Their curiosity became more
excited, and availing themselves OF so favorable an
opportunity they continued their experiments.
These miraculous Developments was soon com.
municated 10 others, which became interested in
the matter, and this led 10 a further prosecution Of
Mrs. Foxs clairvoyant powers. She was again put
INTO the mesmeric sleep. (cat-a-lap-sy) by a person
who was skilled in mesmeric manipulations, and
alter her powers of vision had explored the whole
and subterranean globe, she then reveal.
Il - II -
ed 10 them the wonderful discoveries she had made.
Still that ~insatiate desire, curiosity, was not fully
satisfied. They prevailed upon her TO take a jauni
The Sun and Moon, and she having the bump Of
Denevolence fully developed, which is characteristics
Of the female sex, consented to take the Journey.
she wss again mesmerised, when her spiri, soon
LOOK lis Hight, and waited itself u the port OF those
Celestial bodies. ! will not attempt to portray on.
y one or two of her thousand surprises on reaching
he scene of new wonders.
The moon is inhabited bv n motley Lo., or 20,
lures which are neither men nor beasts. but n son
mongrel. They have no resemblance of apy
hing that mortal eve has ever beheld. Most all Of
he Lunar beings of an inferior order are covered
with green feathers. Their mode Of travelling IS
Iuiy novel and amusing. Serpents of monstrous
dimensions are called the Lunar locomotive, and
hese nondescript inhabitants of the moon mount
stride oil these serpents, whose relative velocity
that of our rail roads as much as our rail
Dads exceed the velocity of the snail.
A very different description is given of the Sun.
very thing grows spontaneous in the Sun fruits
all hues, a plant likewise peculiar TO the Sun.
ields an immense crop of QnadrUpeds resembling
lie pig, and after il has reached is full period Of
maturity, is roasted on the stem, and if not plucked
ais TO the ground, and are succeeded by another
rop, which passes through the same singular chan.
es. With the exception of these vegeto-animated
no animals exist in the Sun intelI-
ent beings are the exclusive possessors of that d. /
Inc region. These are only one of the thousand
and miraculous discoveries that Mn.
OK made Now there are hundreds of impudent.
raging ~nlncompoops who 60 about the country lee
lrlng and exhibiting some TOM fool hireline. who
iake themselves more ridiculous by playing the
art OF the monkey, in retailing similar disc listing
Genes, for the sake of replenishing an empty purse.
And II is a lamentable fact, that some of our most
and honest citizens are hood -winked
ma seduced into this %guiLlrap, by these idle loaiers
no ought to be in better business. There isa por-
on OF the community who regard it as being more
'asioie on account of IFS being bolstered up BY those
no nave a smattering of divinity, as though such
ind zeaiots have drank deep at The fountain ofin.
'irailon, and whatever they believe and assert
be unconirovertibl evidence. But il is a fact
ell known, that every subject or theory which
irry upon the face of it mystery, ambiguity and
ownright absurdity, has for its leaders a band Of
TmaPhrodfes, who set themselves up as teachers,
nd profound Philosophers,-bnt, as the poet says
"Wise men suffer, good men grieve,
knaves invent, and fools believe"
There are some, when they are driven to theer
entity for arguments in favor Of Animal Magne-
sun, viii quote some great men rs believers, such
Lord Brougham, Charles Dickens, alias Boa,
ave the mark as though such arguments could
be successfully contradicted. But it is well
nown to all those who read the public journals,
Iat animal magnetism was lately freely discussed
me meeting OF the Royal Medical and Chirurg..
Society in London, and most of the members Of
society, among whom Sir Benz. Brodie, Dr.
Iarshail Hall, MIR. Liston, and MIR. Bransley Coop
y expressed themselves as disbelievers in animal
So much for the opinion of greatmen.
gam they whimple and whine like a cur dog be,
use Their opponents call them hard names and
'rSh epithets, but | will console such by referring
EN- to poor Tray in the fable.
Animal Magnetism, like other epidemics, will
we ls run, although this monstrosity is very e''
gasPing its last--that everlasting disease
assumption, has already fastened his grasp upon
ana Il now exhibits a mere hideous carricatuFe.
"a skeleton, and when it is put into the furnace oil
II wiii not stand the ordeal of strict i~nyestga'
IN, but will explode, and "a only 10 be givenIS
us aud bats!
l nope and trust this will be a lesson to the Wis,
adopt the HiPpocratic method of observing ma
ana avoiding The fruits of that Philosophy
men rs founded on the ruins of n~ature-leavIpg