Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-09
/ THE MAGNETIC WoRLD-THE MYSTERIES OF
SCIENCE.
FROM rur pHILAprIrIIrA "sOnrn AMrnIcAs.


ders Of Animal Magnetism have had the effect in sober
rational communities like our own, of causing the feelings
wonder excited upon the first Introduction of the subject
give place. in the minds Very many, utter unbeef But
of late counterevouon has been progress-not forced
into life by popular Tpulse but begoen in the philosopher
study and shaped in the hemss aboraorythe orgnatos
of which promise to establish the belief in influence
property Of matter which shall explain many of the pheno
mena Of mesmersm and other unaccounabe opprobria Of
science.
We have been looking into the curious " Researches
Magnetism and certain allied subjects" of Baron REICH
ESHAcn, Of Vienna edited by Professor GnEGonr, OF Edn-
bugh, and have found them remarkable that
to offer to scientific and other intelligent readers abb
sact of the contents believing that the subject will
be both novel and interesting most Of them but promising
that doing by mans involves the necessity OF
| giving sanction to any of tbs authors conclusions.
II must be recoleced th Rechenbach charatan,
enthusiast but Who has grown gray in the cause
Of science, and to whom logical mind accuracy in research
and important discoveries in organic chemistry have given
worldwide celebrity. He is particularly known chemists
for his aboous researches upon wood and coal tar and for
his discovery of creosote parane cupone and other remark
able bodies and perhaps could scarcely have been
lcced capable of conducting investigations like thoss
here treated Of from his eknown pobty and habits of
analysis The editor, also of note, being distinguish
ed lecturer in Edinburgh and author Of popular book Of
chemistry, no. only processes his been Rechenbachs views
but asserts that he has confirmed them by actual experiment
while the great Bezelus understood have conceded with
him. and to have been engaged in preparing paper conma
tory of Rechenbachs doctrines time before his untmey
death
The agency which the author wishes to place upon
the list of mpondcrable capable of being made evident
to ALL nor of having its power measured by instrument
like the elecomeer but its presence is anno,ced through
the of certain impossible persons-generaly 1evous
and sensitive females though sometimes healthy and even ro-
bust In making the investigations the geate,t care
necessary guard against the of deception aid i'm
agnaton and the author selected for his agneoseters
persons Of veracy and intelligence, among whom
of the first SaoanS of Vienna and exposed them severity
of examination, gdly cautious and impartial, such
often employed in physical researches He believes hat
force resides in many bodies which is distinct from and vet
part of magnetism proper This force much atenuaed
to be appecabe by all but certain systems are SO
finely strung either from disposition disease, receive
impressions from it. which consist of the perceptions of light
ame-of aura, feeling upon the surface of the body
like that produced by cool or warm breath Of air and
lastly, Of the production of insensibly and commissions
These conclusions all apparently confirmed by unanswerab
experiments which checked by frequent repetons be-
fore reliable witnesses may be made evident by being
taken up in the following order
Flames differently coored and Of varying intensity are
by the sensitive the two poles OF magnet
in dark room. Ii the magnet placed before concave
mrrorthe person not being OF It's poson-he
reflection described upon that part of the wall upon
which the true focus will be found and the flames arc said TO
flicker and move when blown upon the position Of the mag
nets and the operator being all the time concealed The uuroa
6oreahs may be supposed TO lie a similar light emanang from
the concentrated magnetism at the northern magnetic POLE
aud visible TO all Magnets drawn along the surface the
body give rise to the aura cod the different poles
used The hand is cby attracted 10 one OF the poles
and large number OF persons when examined were found
sensible 10 the action Of magnets passed along their bodies
and bad their hands eeby drawn towards them. The inu-
capable of for many feet along wires and
other conductors and of being by objects exposed for
moment TO contact with lis Thus water in which
magnets had been dipped did actually, Mesmer asserted
become magnersed and gave yungent taste, well an
and attracted the hand; attempt deceive
ects preventing them from recognising this from that
which magnetsed.
?. Crystals particularly hoe which are large isolated and
OF regular shape, give The aura and mpart their proper
ties the way other bodies and light is seen to
emsna,e from cnrtan points upon hem which, upon exani
naon prove be the ends of the longer axes the crystal
The author often speaks Of his power the crystalline
force, and believes that magnets differ in reference it,
from crystals only in having supersdded the power Of
ing iron in other words, that the power is magnetism
proper but exists in magnets combined with another impon-
derable. One Of the patienis caaleptc girl often lay
awake at night looking at the halo radang from the pole
Of large ROCK crystal placed upon a stove.
g. The relation OF that great magnet the earth. the d.
ection Of the body found have remarkable influence
in producing and relieving dsdgreeabe sensations Iappear-
cd that many OF the patients had felt intentionally church.
and when lying in particular Upon examination
wadscovered that their position upon all these occasions had
been the magnetic meridian, and that when-in the
latter casesthey removed without knowing the reason
Of the change, beds in which they lay with their heads 10
the north, they longer suffered.
surgeon Of Vienna had contracted the habit of changing
his position after his first Sleep and in doing for an hour OF
in the morning with his head towards the foot Of the bed
which directed TO the north. When he did not indulge
in this strange fancy he felt i'll and unrerehed all day. Upon
turning his bedhead TO the moth, he awoke, after,
freshed, without needing any change of position.
This relation Of the direction Of the body may account for
the diverse effects observed by various expermen,eis in sn
NAL magnetism and the conclusion come to that all per-
operated upon should be placed with their heads To the
north POLE II proved 10 be correct the idea may oh.
vouy, become Of importance in the treatment Of nervous
affections.
4. The suns light contains the influence hence conir-
nation Of the knowledge Of lis importance animal life.
The patients all Ieasuraby affected in it, and other
persons and various bodies exposed the rays ounl
absorb the influence just the magnets and crys-
tails and to give out light and the after being withdrawn
from the exposure. The light directed upon copper
other pae distance Of thirty feet more from the pa.
ent and the power being conducted and directed upon
the body, produced cool agreeable In exsmring the
different coors Of the spectrum found that the yellow
rays produced pleasant and cool effect The one,
and the violet in above which is the true Of the che
mcal power of light, gave rise uncomfortable sensa-
tons. These experiments confirm in striking degree the
views of distinguished countrvnan professov