Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-03-23
DR.. COllyer on Mesmerisili, In Providence.

the papers, have been attended by
crowded audiences. A writer in the
Evening Chronicle Of Monday last,
thus notices the third lecture Of DR.. &.
and the subject of Mcsmerisln generally,
which will doubtless be perusod with
interest by many ofour readers.
The subject considered by Doct. Collycr'
nj Westminster Hall, on Saturday evening.
was the transmission ot the Nervous Force.
lie commenced his lecture by saying that
nothing placed n person ~ such an nnplcas-
ant position. and nj The same time ~ glarinely
displayed his ignorance, as when he under
took I" tsis Of that with which he was wholly
uBoc cqusinied. And how often do we fnc
persons setting mp pretensions 10 knowledge.
and adding all ponposiiy thereto, when they
have only snpcrficially scanned a subject, and
even go so far nv Ia speak carclcssly ond
nnlhnkingy Of those who nre The legitimate
professors of the matter, and have spent years
of careful and dilgcnt investigation in il. It
is thus with Mcsni"iisin many people speak
carclcssly Of this Scicncc, who, when they
are questioned as to what they really know.
in regard To the matter, they IRE forced 4"
answer. nothing. II is necessary therefore.
for ns, before we receive an opinlon, 10 weigh
how much such an opinion ia worth, as re-
eards the matter at issue. The opinion of u
man, in one branch Of science, may be inva-
liable, while in another branch, The opinion oi
the same individual would be worth nothing.
We this see the importance oi well weighing
an opinion. before we condemn n subject on
the hare strength of its advancement,
Mesnerism is II Physiological law. IL
ceases Ia be n phenonlcnon " hen rightly con-
sidcrcd. II is governed by the same code o!
laws iha, govern the Physmlogy OF the h,i-
man system, and tha, the nervous force can
be transmitted from one body To another,
there is not the slightest doubt. The opnion
Of one of The most celebrated Physiolog lists
the world ever produced. Cuvicr, goes clearly
to this poin,--hc says: "That in The contact
Of two animated bodies. wherein one rrma ms
passive. and the other active there are certain
striking results produced it is useless 10 deny"
(This quotation, although not exact in words,
rmbodes the spirit "f n quotation read by
DR.. G.. from work on Physiology compiled
by DR.. EllIo'son Here was tacit ndmis-
sion Of he law OF Mc-merisT.
DR.. EIlotsnn was n firm believer in Mes
mcrIsm, and had been much ridculcd on ac-
connt of it. lie was the first man that dis
covered that the disease of the horse, CLAN
Gc!s, might be taken by man. lie was
laughed at for stating such an opinion, bn,
we all know that such has been clearly prov
ed, that man ~ liable Ia that dreadful dlsor
der. In q letter winch he had received fiom
DIR. E., that gentleman stated that he had
fully come TO the conclusion that the eye
was not at oil necessary for sight ln Paris
he had seen n Young woman IN the mcsmcric
state, who, on being completely blindiodrd,
read the inscriptions of three letters which ~"
had IN his pocket, mud which he was sure that
no one in Paris knew hut himself This
proved that the brain of the patient received
the impress of the Doctors thoughts, md was
capable Of manufacturing new IDEAS without
the aid of vision.
IL Is a fnct in the economy OF the human
system. that the cxeriing of one part, draws
on another, and when the supply does not
meet the demand, exhaustion invariably fol-
lows. In mcsmcrism, the throwing oi ,h"
nervous force from one brain To nnolhc-, from
the operator To the patient, the central portion
of The brain, being the scat of excitement II
robs the surrounding parts, and IN short
iImc, the supply Is exhausted congestion
takes place, aud the patient IS asleep. Habit
Ia produce the result, as in the case al differ.
ent mechanical pursuits person gains n
habit oi using an exact amount of force. 10
accomplish given object. a person unac-
quainicd. would use, perhaps, ten times the
l"rcc, and very soon become rxl'auslcd.-
The nerves nrc the depcndan's Of the will
Thus we make CERTAIN effort OF will To raise
pound weight aud much greater effort 10
- a..
will snilirirn, to rn1c an hundred. in raising
one pound, there Is loss of ninety nine
pounds Of nervous force, and IN n short ,imc,
We should become incapable nf cXcrling tha,
force Power of endurance j. The udmionS
application Of economy IN nsing nervous
! force.
brain. BY It's agency The Impression ir0m 9th.
rr parts ollho body are conveyed Ia the brain.
\ diseased state oi the spinal cord, is followed
bv universal sympathy all over the body, every
part feeling with equal acuieness, as III II dru.
phobia, IN which, the Lighting ola Nv on nm,
part of the body, or even agitulng the air al
the room, throws the patient into the most
dreadful spasmS, all power at directing the ncr
,ous force Is DESTROYED, aud exhaustion follows
Diseases OF the spinal cord, by The acute sym.
pahy described above, often prcrludcs sleep.
~
an affection of thu brain, caused by the death
Of his lavoriin daughter, hc had not lost his
consciousness for four years. Miss Burbank,
Of Salem, was also cited rs u case, of whom u
is stated THAI she had not slept for ten y"ars--
u The spinal card was laid bare aud scratched,
or Irriiatcd the same result would bc produced.
Contrary rasrs are nuincrD'Is, where persons
have slept days, weeks, and even months
Aud mention Is made of people Of one al the
northern countries 10 Asin, who, like bears,
sleep through their long winter, aud ihnw onl
~ the sprIng l,nt MS Mr.. ElIiotson observes,
''n0ne al The species have ever been brought
10 this country" However ridiculous this
may appear inus, IL - not, IN fact, ~ very
strange. Where we have ~ precedent ~ the
nnIgal ocDDDny, ~ ~ the case of The bear, we
should uni consider il rldiculous.
Doctor e.. ihrn noticed SOME experiments
prrinrncd 10y DR.. EIll"rsnn, ~ producing The
Mcsmcric state by reflection, which We have
not roon 10 describe. Dnci e.. STATED that in
accordance with this law Of M.sucriSm, he
had stated that NJ n certain angle, tho thoughts
of the operator might br 80 reflected ina bowl
of molas-rs, or other dark substance, ~ io bc
read by The braun ol The patient. The papers,
~ different paris of the counlry, had poured
out all the rldp ~ their power, upuu The