Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-01-13
From the 4laerjcaa Reeie,s for Dsc.
THE FACTS OF III. TALDENs.@'S ClSR.
RT z. A. POE.

discussion. Ii would have been a miraclS
had it not-especatly under The circum
stances. Though the desire Of all PaE,ic:
concerned 10 keep the affair from the pub
lie at least for the present, or nntil we has
further opportunities for insestigation-
through our endeavors 10 eject this-a
garbled or exagtr el aceoun: made its
way into society, and became :he source;
of many unpleasant rnisreprs 5enleiions,
and very naturally, of great deal Of dis
belief.
lis now rendered neccssasg that give
the tscts-as far as | comgsehend them
myself. They, are succlntiy, these:
Ny attention, for the last three years,
had been repeatedly drawn 10 the -ublec
of Mesmer SIN; aud, abou, nine months
ago, it occurred to me. quite slddenly that
in The series Of experiments made hitherto
there had been a very remarkable and mos
unacCouniable omissinn;-no person has
as yet been mesmerized IN arLcato morris
1t remained TO be seen, first, whether, III
such condition, there existed in the
patient any susceptibility 10 the mag
netic Influence; secondly, whether, If any
existed, it was impaired or decreased By
The condition; thirdly. to wha: extent, OF
Cor how long a period, the enehroachments
of Death might be arrested by Ire process
There were Other points 10 hpascestailed
but these most excited my curiosity -;he
last in especial, from the immensely m-
portant character Of its consequences.
In looking around me for saGe OF rct by
whose means might test these particulars
| was brought TO think of my friend, NJ
Valdemar, the welI-known compiler Of the
.Bibloiheca Forensca. and enthor( undeI
the nom dc Plume Of lssachar .lax) Of the
Polish versions Of w allens;ein' and Gar
gantua.' NJ. Valdemar, who has resided
principally a, Harlem, N. Y, since tbs
year 1899, is (or was) particularly notice
able for the extreme spareness Of his per
son-his lower limbs much resembling
those of John Randolph; and, also for The
whiteaess Of his whiskers. in violent con
trast 10 the blackncss Of his hair-the lat
ter. in consequence, being very general,
mistaken for u wig. His Temperament
was markedly nervous, aud rendered hin
a good subject for mesmeric experiment.
On two or three occasions ! bad pat him
TO sleep with little dfiicllty, but was dis
appointed 10 other results which, his pecu
liar constitution had naturally led me tC
anticipate. His Will was at no period pos
lively, or thoroughly, under my control
and in regard TO ctairroyaace, could ac
compIiSh with him nothing TO be relied up
on. | always attributed my failure al
at these points to the disOrdered state o
his health. For some months previous Il
my becoming acquainted wiki him, hi
physician had declaredhim in u confirme,
phlhsics !; was his custom. indeed, t
speak calmly of his approachiag DISSOLUTION
as of matter neither 10 be avoided no
regretted.
When the ideas 10 which have ALLUDED
frs: occurred to me, il was Of course yer,
natural that should think Of N. Vu,demar
knew the steady philosophy of he MAJ
too well 20 apprehend any scruples fron
him; and he had no relatives in Americi
who would be likely TO interfere. spok
to him frankly upon the subject; and, t
my surprise, his interest seemed viVidI.
excited. | say 10 my SURPRISE; for, al
though he had always yielded bis person
freely 10 my experiments be had never be
fore given ne any tokens OF sympath
with what did. His disease was Of Tia
character which would admit of exact cal
cuiation in respect to the epoch Of lis ter
mnaton in death; and i, was finally arran
ged between us thal he would send for M
about twenty -four hours before the pcrlo
announced by his physicians as that OF HI
decease.
Ii is now rather more than seven month
since received from NJ. Nldemar, himse
the subjoined note:
MY DEAR p,
You may as we'll come nor. D
and F. are agreed that cannot hoi
out beyond tomorrow mldnight;and | thin
they bave hi he time very nearly.
'NALDEMAR
received this note with n half an hou
alter it was riuen, and in fifteen mir
ules more was in the dying mans cham
ber had no, seen him for ten days,a
was appalled, by the fearful alteration
which the brief interval had wrought il
him. Ills face wore leaden hue, tn
eyes were utterly lusireless; and The emar
citation was So extreme that the skin ha
been Drokea trough by the cheek-5one
liis expectornton was excessive. IN
pulse was barely percep'ib.e. He retaine
nevertheless, in very remarkable mar
ner, both his mental power and a ceftai
degree of physical strength. He spok
with diStinctness- took some palliative mel
icines without aid and, when eniere
the room, vas occup ed in pencill;ng men
GRAND a in the Focke, book. lie was proI
ped up in The bed by pillows. Dac'oI
D and F. were Ia Attendance.
After pressing Valdemar'S hand to-
these geallemen aside, and Obtained froI
them a minute account Of the patients col
dtion. The Jeff lang nd been for cigh
cen months in the semi oSseols or cartll
g.nous state anu vas OF course, entire
useless Tor all purposes OF Vitality. ii
right in its upper portion, was also par;ia
Is, if no, ihorou -hly, ossiied. while ii
lover region was merely mass Of pur
lent iubercieS, running one into anoihe
1 Several extensive perloraiions exisied,al
at one point, permanen, adhesion 10 tt
ribs had laken place. These appearance
!. in The right lobe were Of comparative
recen: date. The ossi6caiion had procee
:, ed with very unusual rapidly; no ign
II II had been discovered a month before. al
me ,9haSfa, h,s ootx hear shzarvad 4