The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-02-15

.A,.x ,.,., ;I,. disturbance Of tina nervous
system. Whit. is Produced by mesneris.'''
,;,:., r:..i -es occur ~ certain stages Oh "'1'
,.,.,. a..; i. 10. uD?rcqnenily present 10 ne'-
,,s ELECTIONS where we have mol hiiHer'o
x,.nre:e! i'< coincidence.
al. M.smersm may, for The above reas-
,.,s be- EMPLOYED 10 relieve, temporarily
affections Of nervous character. when ihe
nx,,al means fill but i, should be used al
way. with caution, md only wtiea 'ne iaii'
rrs OF al, ordinary measures renders US 'p-
pl,ca;ipn mater Of necessity.
81. The cla:ms TO peculiar nsedtcdl IN
ia lion. SET W by magnetic d persons, o.
r,fir exhibitors, is dtsii;u'e OF Foundation
Tho pathology is usualy absurd, HE pre-
ssI,p:iors ae Inefficient, dangrro"s, or III
c,cnloa,, eni after sixty Eight years, mes.
mcsi.,n has no; detected Re~ theory oil
disease, or Suggested one useful remedy.
ia cuncnsion-I may be, Perhsps justly,
charged with giving 10 the subject of mes
.nersm an undue importance, and bestow-
iaz on il, disproporiionstc share OF time
az, attention. This results. beiug chiefly
n"ea,iya, add almost nothing 10 our stock
-rt,os l:dgc, ard The preisnsons now de.
.eons'rat;reiy ovcrihrown, being discarded
already - common sense, and Inc an'ece-
lien: i,bo-s Of others, scarcely observe, III
tie opini ~ of the weird, passing notice
BI, think am justified in nv laborious
justification. by The interest still fell IN the
subject. over large par: Of the civilized
rofli. by the want Of digesled aud compre-
i;easiye f,c's, snJ BY the bearing of the pho
uomeaa on The practice Of medicine, and on
tho physiology cf the nervous system. Per-
haps, toy. i, MAJ rot be- unimportant TO the
su,riians CT public and private morals. the
administrators of insicr. and the conserya-
ers OF { fa ~ aad EDUCATIONAL discipline, 10
learn, viva; uusispcctcd physical agents are
al work on lie human frame, al al times,
and ia 81 riaces They may thus bo ena-
i4ri ID, oulr 10 guard against abuses, bu,
10 make inIu'scnt and charitable estimates
of the chir.ft ter end extent Of crime aud en-
-ror.
Doubtless, the n1asmerists viii say that
.i,ay too little etteniion 10 the testimony OF
.o.hsrs on macy o. the points in which Diff
fer f.om laea,, and others may alege that
Tor all that part Of the subject which l admit
I'd DC U'ff, give lOc NSlpit AZ NY
unsus'aincd personal Iators ard o5seva-
.sh.s. To 10Th. may with ,rnh, and with
~: undue pre,cnsion renlv, that did no!
expect 10 settle any question dsfnitire!y BY
these researches. They were made Care
fully ard hoIcsll7, and the results set down
@iihou, eyaggeraIioa or cxtcnuaiion, for the
purpose OF nlakIng as close an approxima-
lion 10 IN obscure truth, as The time and OPP
por!uuily would permit. Others. following
in the same exact patti. may enforce or wea-
ken ~ conclusions but sure am, that i,
i, oaiy ;a.is The: we shall finally settle these
vsxci qaas'ions, aud lot by opinions foun-
.ici On 0urecoried obseryaiioCs, or vague
ccn~rRIi;;es derived from loosely kept rec
orls. While 6pd volumes of conclusions,
! discover no tables 10 which can refer fer
snpnnr' or refutation. l-see many edifices,
hu; DISCOVER no foundations 70: them, AMI
na:urciy infer that as they rest on no solid
bases, they are without weight, and nadc Of
in Igii,s,ion.
Az o the CHARGE Of refusing the tcs.imo-
~ uC others, answer. thu their evidence
is 81 c.m.f c'irg rs 10 destroy itself. The
yirna,, substantial proof, tina; Of distinguished
mc-:iira ,n,r, is usually on my side. and if |
nve M! awaited myself of that, how can
!,-, complain xho give opinion on The OH
-cr sle : Few aoe competent TO observe,
III Question involving medical knowledge.
md scicrli6c attainment. lIo who would
,-uiy understand such phenomena, must
know al Il, is known OF inc nervous sys-
tenn. md mnch thai is taught as physical
sciencu. He must have studied a.so the
human mind in I.eal'h and disease, and have
Examined the kindred complaints of SOM
nambusm and cataiepsy. Now. ii is not a
little remarkable that the authors who have
written III favor of the higher claims Of mes
inrtis", have 10; been thus prepared. while
i,r more ACCOMPLISHED observers have de-
ctcd ,g;,;n=I those ciuins. Let me Illus
ira:e iaiS fGrtsar. Phenomena are obser.
~v.h IN &c hraseDs-among the stars. Ev-
nrr secs tben-hui la whom DO We look
{ r i.;c explanation bv which these phenom
ia nr. fashioned into fac'sl For how
.tnanv Thousand years did the constellation
s,l,Gn Hcrcss the zenith, in nightly brillian,
~. ..l's~r,ed hv millions Of eyes, before tht
,,.I....d,i phcrorncra assumed 10 the human
'r,'.rsi.i ding the shape of fact Unii
-..vp'.in.,i by Copernicus. j, was bright IL
'<;on--fhs rsry opposite Of that 'hieh
.rrmr4. ifihiS ilusiralion does not lesser
81. c,,uf;ifncc oficGoran; observers IN thei
rt,~crs nf Discrimination. am Al loss TO
,infrrs 20 ieaci, ti.cm humii,iy. which car
;.!'ne give mach value 10 the observation
% any one, however otherwise prepared 10
Investigation. The Size ers often describe
s"li distant places and events, is true bu
a .es i, i;,l;0w that they obtain the know ledge
TX ssirilual inspection :? Or are they III
'''bied 10 ulher and moro Ineligible means
~ d;scrimina,ion2 II is NOT less true, tina
;t"rr is sometimes the manifestation o
''rais personal sympathy between mesmer
q = aud subject, but are tere not unexum
;.i.r! s,asees of error in the ,nosl obsiou.
.y?an;ion ofihis phenomenon Tho Dis
1T. is Inss e. 20 tho appearances. than u