The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-08-27

~"' mas Il iohS paper under The title Of lVhdl
IS McsmeriSm in which the question is dis
cusSed with ineenniiy, apparent candor, and
occasional eloquehce The editor, however
does rot altogether agree with his conrbu,
tor and adds 10 the article the following
postscript;
WHAT !. HrsMERIsM
1t must Ice admitted lhat our excellent
co''e>rordcn: lis g., fcrh the claims of
Adollle aln ALEXIS and similar in,er.
es'ing abstsacloas, 10 the powers of omn>
presence nni .a4niscience, with great candor
and becoming aviry. We are sorry that
we cannot fallow what many of our readers
may consider 50 excellent an example We
have no faith in those dear creatures with
out surnames; we have 10 faith in animal
magnetism, either in its lesser or in its larpe
rretsnsionsi but we have an unbounded
faith in the imbeciliIy. infaluation, vanity.
crcdulity and knavery of which human ma
'ure is capable. And we arc of opinion that
'bcrc is not single we'll. authenticated mes,
merle phenomenon which is not fully ex-
plcahle by the operation of one or more of
these causes, or of the whole of them taken
in conjunction.
The question in regard to mesmerism is
fwo-fold; FIRST, how is the mesmerc prostra>
ton 10 be accounted for ? and secondly. how
is it be disposed of? 1t may be accounted
for, we conceive, by the natural tendencies
just rccitcd, without lis being necessary to
postulate any new or unknown agency; it
may be disposed of by the influence Of pub
lie opinion, which would very soon put a
stop 10 these pitiable exhibitions, and very
soon cxiinguish the magnctizer's power and
the patients susceptibility, if it were but to
visit the performers with the contempt and
reprobaiion they deserve. A few words on
each of these heads may not be out of place,
as qualifying postscrip. 20 the foregoing
letter, which, iu our opinion, treats the mes
merle superstition with far too much indul
gence.
- 49, N-N'9'NhS VI hh, HhNSlthl lpINc VI
fluid in man or in nature, by which the mes
merle phenomena are induced, has been dis
tincty disrroved by every careful conducted
experiment. No person ,cas erer magn eti=ed
phen totally unsuspicious qf The operation Of
'chich he was the subject. This is conclusive !;
because physical agent, which never does,
Of itself and unheralded, produce any effect
is no physical agent at all. Then, again,
let certain persons be prepared for the mag
ncic condition, and aware of what is expect
ed Of them, and the effects are equally pro.
duced, whether the intended influence be
exerted or not. 1t seems simply ridiculous
to postulate an odylic 1--WE should like to be
favored with the derivation OF this word)
fluid to accoux for phenomena which show
themselves just a, eonspicuously when no
such fluid is or can be in operation.
But it is argued by some of the advocates
Of mcsmerc influence, that their agent,
though perhaps not physical, is at any rate
moral-lhat tue will. or some spiritual en-
ergy on tue part Of the mesmerist, is the
power hy which his victims arc en,rauced
and rendered obedent to his bidding Here
too, all the Northumberland cases estab.
lish a totally different conclusion. They
prove that the will OF spiritual power Of the
mcsmerist has Of itself no ascendency or con.
troll whatsoever over the body or mind of
his victim, Every well guarded series of
experiments has exhibited the mesmerist
and his patient at cross,purpcses with each
othor-the patient frequently doing those
things which the mesmerist was desirous he
should not do, and not doing those things
which the operator was desirous he should
do. AS for the bunoonery begotten by
mesmerlsm on phrenology, this exhibition
can scarcely be expected to provoke much
as'onishment or credencc, or comment, ex-
cept among protest. nal artists themselves
Like Kauerieito with heir hair on end
At their oar wonders, wondering for their bread
The true explanation oil mesmerism is to
be found, as W, have said, in the weakness
or intaiualon oi human nature itself. No
other causes age at all necessary 10 account
FOR the mesn'eric prosration. There is far
more craziness, both physical and moral, in
man than he usually gives himself credit for
The reservoir Of human folly NAV be in II
great measure occult but it is ALWAYS full :;
and all that Stiffness, whether of body or
mind, at any time wants, is 10 get It's cue,
These general remarks are of course more
applicable 10 some individuals than they are
to Others. In soft and weak natures, where
the nervous system is subject to cataleplic
seizures, mental and bodily prostIaton is
frequently almost the normal condition.
Such of our readers as may have frequented
mesmeric exhibitions must have observed
kind Of semi-humaniiy visible in the express
sion and demeanor of most of the subjects
whom the professional operators carry about
with them. These poor creatures are at all
times ready TO imbibe the magnetic stupe.
faction, because il il only by at effort that
they are ever free from it, There is always
at work within them an occult tendency to
lf-abandonment-an unintentional proc
livity to alteration, imitation, and deceit,
which only requires signal TO preciptAie
its morbid deposits. This constitutional in
flmily Of body and of mind furnishes to the
mesmerist basis for his operations, and is
the source of all the wonders which he
works.
IL is only in the case of individuals who,