The North-Carolina standard., 1848-02-09
For the North Caroline Standard
sruIs is THE PATENT AGE OF NEW INyENrIoNs.'' =

1
chimerical specuations were engaged In, as now.
When Egypt became the proud nursery of science,
and Tebes, with its hundred gates battled In arts
1 and arms with the whole world around, men seemed
in every successive advance but more prone to lend
willing imagination credulons ear to vague and
pteposterous idealisms. Alchemy, sublime In con-
ceptien and daring in contemplation, taught OF an
Universal Solvent, through whose agency the very
bowels of the Earth could be made to dissolve and
melt away; and pointed with omlnous finger to a
stone of magic virtue that convert everything
! it touched into gold-yellow, shining gold Delu-
sive the mythic shower that fell into Dana lap,
its nfatuatons have been calmed by the sober voice
of reality. Horace inveighs against the Internal
orgies of the hag Canidia who by phllters and IN
carnations could unve many hidden secrets. Musty
tones inform us how one Frar Bacon constructed
brazen head that uttered porentous words OF dref9
import, and then crumbled on its quaklng pedestal.
In more modern times, in the days of the Protecto
rate, we read in the adventures OF that pulssant
knight Hudibras, of cunning man, hight SIdrophc,
who could perform predlges' ana even
e Fire mine in China here,
With sympathetic gunpowder."
So we 20 but it is reserved for own immediate
age to give paternity discovery that as far exceeds
the pgmy theories of former times, as the lnconeelv-
able velocity of that unruy steed, Morses Telegraph
does the veriest denkey's pace Let mute and deaf,
sore and afflicted, paralytie and dropsical ame halt
and blind cry out 10 trtumphc! Human Magnetism
now indeed are Eoer all the ills of life victo-
rious." Let sing peans of eternal praise to the
Plato and his Academies never dreamt of, nor New
ton, nor Bacon, Locke conceived. Its accolade
lis High Priest of marvels At once 1t proclans the
triumph of philosophy-the progress of mind. Be-
hold here one of that vast progressive series IN hu
man invention whose last term is lnhnlty. Cease
your undue extravaganzas my friends-nil ad'mfrart
is most salutary maxim Restrain your lmaeglna-
tons, for when fancy face with creduly folly
steps in and wins the goal.
Joking aside, if this new doctrine be true, 1t Is
highly important that it should be fully investigated
and analyzed. If its principles be correct, 1t is
phianthropc duty devolvng on every man to endeaV-
or to prove them so-for it processes to be i'm
portant therepuetcal agent, especially invaluable in
cases of a paralytic description, much good may be
wrought for the human family thereby. Not only
so-if it be not basclcss assumption. ,.let men OF
science hereafter regulate their opinions by It's ortho-
doxy. Let the Of that subtle fluid in the hu-
man body, whose operation r:s the nucleus of this
new system, be carefully studied that it may hence
forth be properly regulated and iudiciousy tempered
The doctrine Of I&man Magnetism contends that the
magnetic influence is accomplished by efectlng
control over the Electricity resident In the body.
Unless there is equilibrium in the eements-that
is, unless is rcst-we the furious storm
and raging tempest The principle is extended; un-
less there is constant equlpOSe In the Electricity OF
the human system disease ultimately attacks the frame
and paIsies the nerve. Nature always seeks state
of rest she loves quiet and harmony-so with the
Electricity of the body. However, disturb the ac-
ton of this ncomprehensible fluid, abstract any guam
tity from the particular body experiment, and You
make It's every movement at once subServlent to the
behests of your yolition. Thus speaks the would
be theory. In witnessing the experiments, have
been forcibly struck with glarng inconsistency
in the professed nature of the fluid that direct
Iy contutatlon OF the whole concern. Every man,,
says the lecturer, is living Gavanic Battery ~
thus the Electricity of the body is identified with that
excited by the ordinary apparatus employed for the
purpose. He undertakes to give galvanic shocks.
Now in imparting shocks from Galvanic Battery,
circle must be formed with extremes in connection
with it. the force is completely broken-no shock
IS there. Here there Is no connection. Where then
the shock? If it exist at ALL it must be felt only In
the disordered Imagination of the magnetized.
have lately had the pleasure of hearing highly
scientific gentleman express his views upon the SUBJ
ect and wish that they could be generally known.
Perhaps can give synopsis of his argument. In
dependenty of the fact that principle comparable
to this in its alleged energy has hitherto been discov
cred in any age, not even where human philosophy
has scared highest, the argument is rested several
combining issues. 1t is not denied that influence
eXerted, but that this influence owing any of
the assigned. 1t may be eXerted by anybody
and everybody-it results merely from the condition
of the imagination the effect of the human voice and
the all-powerful human eye. Take subect-order |
him to nix steady gaze upon silver coin that has
been dppad In some chemical preparation, as he sup
poses, OF magic vlrtue-utter in solemn and ominous
emphasis the words of direction that seem like ncan
tatons OF sorcery-consider that he is every moment
expecting some mysterious influence to steal upon
nlh ana say Is IL not enough 10 beWllder any man
brain and impress him with notion of inability to
resist limitation (for the magnetism invariably
makes the motion HIMSELF he directs the subiect)
of every acon If so, partial insanity is effected
"a very slight modification of it. it is true; but any,
thing which tends in the smallest degree to unsettle
the Just balance OF the brain, generates corresponding
insanity, according to Physilogy. The question then
is, Is not such powerful combination of causes ade-
luate to the production of slight an effect? That
decided, DIR. Rush and other celebrated Physicians
who have published learned treatises upon the manage
ment of the insane, have laid down several rules
which may readily be brought bear upon this SUBJ
agent Tor controlling their movements-only once fix
4 steady and determined gaze upon them, and their
1eilrous rawlings quelled, they become subdued as
little children. The power too of the human voice,
when toned to peculiar pitch of irmness, is of eX
ceedIng force In checking their wild actions An in
sane person also frequently feels an inseparable pro-
penslty to initiate and ape the movements of other
PERSONS numerous instances of this feature in the
Of insanity can be cited If then the
positions here assumed correct, what becomes of
Lhe hypothetical cause of these wonders-Eectricty!
Viewing these suppositons on both sides, first, in
The hight OF plauslbllity, which more natural
lewing them by the great lights of experience and
reason, does not the Inadequate to explain
phenomena, which the other satisfactorily unravels
IL Is almost unnecessary to speak In this connection of
the effects produced by undue heat of imagination
tor If the position of insanity be conceded those eff
tccts inferred by necessary implication under the
very definition of mania. The peculiar idiosynocra-
sy OF mind under such condition of things is SAYS
Abercrombe, that impressions arise which are sup
posed to be real and present exstences and this be-
lief IS not corrected, by comparing the conception
with the actual state of things. Such impression
created upon the person, thus moderately insane by