Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-02-29

= it directs and moves the noble snbvs;c,
| machine within, which it iahabits. We Sc
i 1t command, and the hand is appraised. tn
Il Lid closed, the foot advanced-;he actio,
> of obedience being simultaneous with tn
command OF the will. We discover all this
: wonder at it, but withhold our investigation
: OF the media power by which these wonder
fui phenomena are effected. We see tina
we TsH TO move d finger, and that il i
done. But as we nre accustomed to lool
upon this as e natural effect of the opera
, ton OF the will, or wish Of the mind. ",
barely admit it, and then cease further in
: quiry.
There are men, however, fortunately for
science, who arc not satisfied with natural
effects; who. instead Of narrowly regarding
them with the mass only in the light OF
"the CO mmon Places of nature, are uccus.
toned to look upon every action and mo-
ton in the physical universe, from the
trembling Of a leaf in the breeze to the
majestic motion Of the eagle, as he sails
IL,
tonishing phenomena. Such men look with
wonder and awe upon the pages of the erea:
volume of nature and read marvel in eve.
y line. Newton was such q man. Calico
was such man Every century produces
such men. They are the pillars of science,
and the intellectual links that connect ma.
tcrial humanity with the unincarnat ed
mind. Such men behold in the falling and
uplifting Of the eye-ld, a wonder and a
/ phenomenon that calls for scientific re-
search into the cause that produces such an
effect: an effect, simple only because iami.
liar. Nevertheless, this little motion holds
in balance the great secret, for the key to
which, metaphysical philosophers in all
ages have been in search, viz the mode by
which mind acts upon matter.
Now let us take up this invest igation and
look into it as men of such philosophical
minds would do; for the service before US,
mesmerism depends upon the results of such
researches for its proof and for it's truth; lei
us look into i. fairly, impartially and plain.
~. like honest philosophers, and if there
hA frnth lu;n~ In Al L-..---
we shall be able to draw it out, and holding
il to the light Of science. sec whether it be
pebble or gem. AS the first object OF
this research into ourselves, let us examine
into the movements of our cye-!ids.
We aoill to close them and they fall
We will to open and they obey. After re.
peatng the experiment several times with
careful, rejecting thought, we satisfied
that the motion is produced by the will Of
the mind. But how We we'll know, for
the science of anatomy teaches il, that the
lids rise and fall through the instrumental
ity of certain nerves and muscles cunning
ly constructed, and ingeniously arranged
for the purpose; but no where have anato.
mists shown us that these muscles are car.
ried to, and attached to the will, or mind
that moves them. No anatomist has ever
yet discovered the invisible poDer which
controls these sensitive wires; vet he has
discovered their terminus to be in the brain
the scat and throne of the mind. The ire
slstble inference then is, that il is the bra in
which sets in motion the nerves and mus.
cles. But reaaon rejects this conclusion,
for we know that the body is governed by |
the mind, which is spirit, and the mind
alone and to admit that the brain gives |
impetus and motion to all the nerves tcrmi-
mating and proceeding from it, would be 10
coticede that man is merely an animal, his
brain possessing vitality only through the
circulation Of the blood, and that, when
this stopped, the brain perishes and man
ceases to be. This conclusion none but a
fool or materialst would admit. The in
ference then is, that these nerves are set in
motion by the invisible or intangible mind,
which has its seat within the brain although
they show no uisible attachment to it. We
thus conclude that there exists an invisible
media between the nerves and the will-for
no effect can be produce without contact
or motion. Here is no contact; there must
therefore be motion. This motion must ex-
ist in fluid which the will controls. In
,chat aoay our spirit is incorporate we cannot
tell: but that its being is in fiuid, invisible
and intangible, is probable. The existence
of most subtle fluid permeating all sub
stances, science has proven. The fluid en-
anating from magnet is SO rare and sub
lille, that it will pass through plate glass
without any resistance or diminution Of its
force. and lose so little Of its power as to
turn magnetic needle beyond the glass!
The existence of the subtlest fluids is es-
tablished. and that of electricity is SO gener-
lilly admitted that not even the vulgar
doubt, though they cannot see it. From
The grosser fluids, atmospheric air, ether,
md fame to electricity, and the magnetic
,metaD effiuvia or fluid. there is progress
i've series Of steps regulated with beautiful
order Vision and hearing are discovered
10 be the effects of grial vibrations not Of
The atmospheric air, but Of subtler fluid