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

Mitchel'3 communication read nj lac las,
stated and adjourned meetings, being in or.
der.--
Dr.. B. Fl. Coates remarked, that as no
one appeared disposed Immediately 10 open
tho discussion Of The important question
submitted Cor the consideration Of the Eel.
lows OF the College; and although he had
himself seen few experiments, and had not
particularly s'uiied the subject of mcsmer.
ism, be- would take the liberty to Introduce
the deb4ie. by asking question of DR..
Mitchell. He had been, certainly, much
interested 10 the able and lucid paper read
by tho latter, but was no. ready TO go over
il in delail, and had made no preparation Tor
this by taking uotes.
If he understood u.. Mitchell correctly,
Ire latter explained many of the phenomena
Of mcsmerism nv dreaming aud perhaps
correctly so. Now does not this also ex-
plain a fact which DIR. Mitchell has ciled as
evidence of rerrous induction, or the iltiu-
euce Of the nervous activity Of one person on
ano,her1 He alluded 10 the production Of
cutalepsy or palsy, by certain mesmeric
Droce:scs. If so, he considered this is as
eouvalen; 10 referring ii 10 the imagIna.
lion for is 10, dreaming m act OF the i'm.
agina.ion.
Is il not truc. that the condition called
resmeric claiIvoy anee and somnamballsm,
ws;cr nr. Mitchell explains By dreaming.
and which he ms may be guided and led
by slight sounds, and other ~" grounding CIR
cu,nsiance. acting upon the sharpeneu SEN
ses, is not unfrcquently accompanied by
historical symptoms, often including tempo
rary cstalepsv, palsy, Sci And are no!
these as likely 10 be guided and led on by
ordinary dreaming and the sharpened SEN
scs, rs are The visions of clairvoyancc 7 10
Illustration Of this view Of the subject. DR..
Coates related the case Of a Young woman
whe had been under his care 10 the Penn
syIvania Hospital, who had five temporary
attacks Of entire paralysis of one arm, from
hysteria. produced by moral Cause.
DR.. Mitchell replied, that ii was his be.
liof, that the influence exer!ed by the opera-
tor, Upon the mesrorized person, was pure
" physical. So much so. that he has known
! the phea cinema OF the mesmeric stale, pro-
f! duced BY passes made by an individual who
was himself ignorant of their effects. He
believed also that The same result has often
followed il cases where the mesmcrzed per-
sons were entirely ignorant o..he inteb :ions
Of the npnrator.
II was possible, however, in the highly
excited and susceptible state Of the nervous
system induced by this condition-if the l.
dca Of catalepsy or commissions were 10
possess or be induced liz the mind Of the pa.
tent, for these actually 10 Occur-but he did
not suppose they could take place, il the pa.
'ieht were ignorant Of their phenomena.
DR.. Mitchell here stated three cases which
occurred in one family. illustrating The Of
feet Of mental impressions.
One of the greatest difficulties il. exam.
lining the subject Of mesmefism is. that the
physical aud mental impressions of lis sub.
iec,s are so mixed up, that it is exceedingly
difficult 10 separate therI To understand
the phenomena thoroughly, We mus. divest
them, If possible, of mental CO operation.
DR.. Mitchell was asked by one Of the Eel
lows, 10 state some of the main arguments
in favor of the theory Of nervous induction.
DR.. Mitchell replied. tina, those which &C.
Cured 10 him al the moment were, Isl. The
necessity OF the proximity Of the operator
10 produce the mesmeric sleep. and The al
most immediate awaking Of the patient. in
many cases, if he retired from him for a few
yards. The duration and intensity OF the
mesmeric sleep being, as a general rule, in
proportion to the proximity 9TH operator
10 his patient. whll', Icing the mesmeric
state. I'd. The comparatively short time
requTeH 10 throw patient into The mesmer.
ic sUmber, whilst sitting or in The cree,
posture. Sd. The necessity which there
exists for tho mind Of the operator TO be in
teu,ly fixed upon the object which he desires
TO accomplish: this, it is true, is not neccs-
sary in The case Of individuals who have
been repeatedly mesmerized, as the patient
soon acquires The faculty Of assuming VOL
unfairly the mesmeric stale, or aiding by hrs
voiiiion. very ef.eclually, the Efforts Of the
magnelizer. 4th. The effect produced on
the limbs of an individual by passes made
from the centre toward The periphery. and
the change which is wrought in the condi'
lion Of tho limb ~ passes in the contrary
direction. 9th. The method BY which iha
patient is awokc and the fact that the time
required for this purpose, is altered accor
ding to the greater or less distance Of The
operator from his subject.
DR.. Mitchell considered that the doctrine
of the transmission Of fluid either from oil
TO the magnctizer or his subject, is dispro
we'd By the fact, that number of inGivldu
ais may be put TO sleep, one after the oihlr
by the same person. and awoke by another
without either being in the slightest degree
sensible tina, he had parted with or received
any Thing from the patients operated upon
DR.. Wood remarked. that he presumed
few persons Tow doubted the occurrence o
the physical phenomena produced BY The
process described by DR. Mitchell. The
: only question in his mind wns-Are ihes'
induced Ly the operation of the individual
own mind. or are they 10 be entirely ascri
bed to the influence eserted upon him by a
noherl The only way 10 lest this. would
be 70 operate on person wholly uncouciou
NJ