Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-10-20
VOL. X.-NO. 8.
MESMERISM.


.currences are said to have taken place, and
where the persons named are well known:
About two weeks ago we were in Salem on
business, and being informed Of remarka-
bic case IN the family Of our respected friend
Enoch Fuller, we called at the house and
obtained the statement from him and his
wife. A son Of theirs, ten years old, had
been Tor about hive years, often subject to
seizures OF pain in the bowels, which would
cause him to draw himself down till his head
would come nigh his knees, and then to fall
upon the floor, and roll and writhe in agony.
Eminent physicians were at different times
consulted, and prescriptions were tried, but
to no good effect For the last year or
more these paroxysms were as often as once.
and more generally twice week and he
had become emaciated, and his system was
so fast failing, that he would not probably
have lived the year out.
About the first of May, Mr.. Fuller was in
a neighbours house, who had a little girl that
he sometimes pathetised. Having no conf
dence in the science, he laughingly request
ed his Eeighbor, the next time he should
pathetise his daughter, to send in for his lit
tie boy, and have him examined.
The next day the said neighbor remarked
to Mr.. +. that in the evening, after he left,
he put his daughter into the somnpathetic
state, and requested her to look over into his
house, and examine said boy. She said the
boy was unwell, and there was something
so dsagreeable she did not like to stay there.
She described the two singulary small
phials from which the father was administer
ing medicine, the color Of the medicine.
and the unusually small portions given, ali
accurately, Of which she had no previous
knowledge. But she would not describe
the disease, and insisted on coming away.
During that day the girl was introduced into
MIR. Fs house, pathetised, and directed to
examine the boy. She began at the head
found all well as she traced down, ill she
came to the liver, and remarked that there
was small red spot upon it, but nothing TO
do harm. Looking down into the entrails,
she said that there was living creature there
about two inches long, with a fat head, and
OF greenish brown color,-in a cavity
which it seemed to have formed in the side
of the entrail
Then Mr.. Snow and his wife were called
in, all that had passed being kept secret.
Mr.. S. put his wife into the somnipathetic
state, and requested her to examine the boy,
beginning at the head. She described the
same red spot on the liver; and looking
lower down, was suddenly seized with
spasms of terror, crying out, "a snake a
snake take me awayW 1t seems that the
first glance at the undulating living creature
gave simultaneously fright, and the idea Of
snake, and she could not preserve calm
ness to examine infinitely. The husband
70 ,r,,, G
at once awoke her.
All this being kept secret, Mr. Henry
futile was next called in, with lad by the
name of VIM. Saunders, whom he pathetis-
ed and put upon the examination. He
spoke OF the same spot upon the liver, and
then of the creature in the bowels, giving
precisely the same description of its length.
head, and color, as was given by the little
girl.
Then the father took his boy to Rev. Mr..
Burrus, methodist clergyman, now resident
IN Danvers, OF whom he had heard that he
had student who was a good subject for
examining diseases. Mr. Burrus pathetised
the young gentleman, an utter stranger to
MIR. Fuller, and to all the circumstances
lie examined the afflicted boy, noticed the
same little spot on the liver, and declared
that there was living creature in him, de-
scribing its location and appearance precise
J ly as the other two had DONE He also pre-
scribed an application which he said would
kill the animal, aud bring it away in a fort
night. The direction was followed, and
from the time the first dose was administered.
the boy had no attack of pain One Of
those subjects was soon called in to examine
and uao
or nearly so, slmed over.
In fortnight and two days, by giving a
gentle cathartic advised by one of the sub
jects, the animal was brought away. II was
in discharge by itself, but so far under the
action of decay, that its kind was not easily
determined. 1t Twas probably leech, drank
by the child with water. When dried il
crumbled TO pieces, but the parts which we
examined, appear as described by the follow
ing certificate of DIR. Nichols:
Dancers, May 22d, 1913.
j Dear Sir,-I congratulate you on the
probable cure of your long afflicted son.
The matter you sent me appears, when mag
ni6ed, like the membraneous parts of a
homeless animal in state of decay--but SO
decayed as to afford no positive proof of
what it has been. return it to you, pre-
suming you may wish to show it to others.
! Yours, &C. A. Nichols.
We can only add, that it was just two
: weeks from the time the animal was dis
charged that we were at Mr. Fuller's house.
We saw the boy. He had been perfectly
well during the two weeks, and was straight
ened up and gaining in flesh. We have
/, IL. n IL. l.