The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-02-15
From the New York Lancet.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

L
which we have hitherto RETAINED from tax
ing up, partly because we did not deem
worthy 10 exclude more valuable matter fror
our space, and partly because We foun
some difficulty in obtaining any pu5licatio
OH the science which we regarded as wor
thy of patient and serious study. We are
however, presented in a late number of tn
Quarterly Summary Of the Transactions o
the College of Physicians of Philadelphia,
with the synopsis Of clever paper by DR.
John X. Mitchell and the discussion thereon
! and this we have thought proper 10 transfer
! to our columns without note or comment,
leaving 10 our readers the work of critica
examinalion.-ED. J..
DR.. HEwsoN, President, in the Chair.
Present, thirty Members.
DR.. Mitchell concluded the reading of his
communication on the subject of Mesmer.
ism. The great length of this paper pre-.
cludes IFS insertion in this summary.
The following are the authors recapitu-
lation and conclusion which embrace his
leading deductions from the various facts
detailed by him in the communication.
REHABILITATION.
1. The inveslig ration iato the claims Of
mesmerism have been hitherto imperfect,
because they have been conducted either by
interested partisans, or prejudiced oppo.
nents.
2. All previous examinations Of this diff
cult subjects have been directed rather TO its
undue pretensions, than TO its less ebtrusive
foundations.
3. The researches Of the committees de-
tailed by learned societies, have been con-
Trajectory and unfruitful, chiefly, because
the trained subjects of the aesmerizers were
examined, instead of those among their own
friends and acquaintance, on whom they
could rely for the unsophisticaied rePresen-
tation of the natural phenomena Of mcsmer-
ism. They invited deception, and either
implicitly con6ded ih it or, having deiec-
ted the attempt to mislead, condemned the
whole system as one of fraud and imposture.
Hence, they were always in those extremes
which border on truth, but are never within
its confines. Astronomy is not tie less true,
because the ignorant believe that the stars
are holes through which the light Of Heav-
en- breaks, or because astrologers pretend
to see the fates of humanity registered in
the conjunction and observance ofthe plon-
cts.
4. Imagination and imitation cannot &C.
count for the uniformity of The phenomena
of the mesmeric state, in persons of all ages
and conditions, who are totally ignorani,not
only of the symptoms to be produced, but Of
the design of the mesmerizer.
5. Neither will they explain the analo
gies found 10 exist between natural and arti-
fetal somnambulism.
6. Nor can we, by any rational view of
their cases, ascribe to any thing but phys
icol influence, the effect Of passes on the
diseased condition of certain patients. some
of whom did not observe the manipulation,
and none of whom understood its import.
7. Admitting that the mesmeric sleep
may be and is produced solely by mental
means, the method as well as the phenome
ma of restoration, both in natural and artifi-
cial somnambulism, forbid US TO believe that
the patients are usually concious either OF
the act or the intention Many Of them
showed plainly their ignorance by their con-
versation al the time,and Others were totally
incapacitated for observation.
8. live admit the awakening without the
aid of the patients mental cooperation, we
can find no reasonable difficulty 10 believ-
ing that the mesmeIic sleep is Producible
without that cooperation.
9. The phenomena of artificial somnam-
1E, -
culation, without corresponding increase
ofthe respiration. I'd. An oblunded sensi-
bility TO causes of pain, and sometimes, tho
rarely, lis total CELEBRATION. 81. The more
or less complete obliviousness Of the
thoughts and events of the mesmeric state,
while awake, although the memory Of the E.
vents of the natural state is strong in the
artificial state. 4th. The retention of To-
comoiion and the facility Of being let into
suggested dreams, are also curious effects
of the mesmeric action. Nothing is too
high for the daring, or too absurd for the
belief Of the dreamer. But oil the mesmer-
lied patients are not susceptible of this in
fluepce. A few subjects resist, even when
asleep, all attempts TO mislead them, although
lney pIeScul IIOst VI tIc OtiicI PcCuhoiiACS
Of somnambulism.
10. To this property Of artificial dream.
ing may be referred the alleged miracles of
intuition, and provision. The
subject dreams that he sees, and the ques-
toner is deceived, by his confidence, his
plau,ibiliiy, and his ordinary character. He
knows him TO be honest. and he does not
perceive that be is himself led asiray by his
uncorrected imagination. There is all the
effect of fraud, without intention to mis-
lead, and without blame.
IL. The mesmeric effect is usually pro-
ducibie within ten minutes, and at the first
sitting, but some persons have yielded only
after long and repeated trials. In general,
unless very marked effects are exhibited
within half an hour. all subsequent attempts
10 mesmsrize are fruitless.
II. The mesmeric sleep may be dissol-
we'd by time alone, the natural duration OF
the paroxysm lasting from thirty minutes 10
nearly FIVE hours. The fear of not escaping
from the spell, in the event of the death-or
absence. or loss of power of the magoeilzer'
is therefore not well founded.