Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-09
WHAT Is MEsMERIsM !


Blackwo0d upon communication in the last num-
Der concerning Mssmerism. Ills (says the Alex
andria Gazette) perhaps too much in the &c cathe-
dra tone but that Is the way Of Backwood:
The question in regard TO mesmsrism Is wo-fod first,
how the mesmeric prostson Il to be accounted for and
secondly how 10 lite be disposed Of Il may be accounted
for concese BY the natural tendencies lust ecited
out its being necessary posulse any new or unknown
agency Il may be disposed of by the influence Of public
opinion, which would very put sop to these piabe
exhibitions and very soon exngush the magnezers power
and the patients susceptibility, but to visit the per-
formers with the consmps and rsprobaion they deserve
few words each Of these heads may be out Of place.
qualifying postscript to the foregoing letter. which in
our opinion treats the mssmerc superstition with far too
much indulgence.
"l The exisncs Of any physical force OF fluid in man or in
nature BY which the esmsrc phenomena induced has
been distinctly dspovsd by every carefully expe-
rimen No person ,cGs erer ognetixed 0hen totally u-
suspicious c e operation Of .Ohieh ne oas the subject
This conclusive because physical sgent which never
does, Of itself and unheralded, produce any effect is no
physical agent ALL Then again, let certain persons be
prepared for the magnetic condition. and Of what is
expected Of them and Tho effects are equally produced who
her the pretended nAuencs be sxerted not Ii seems
simply ridiculous TO posulae odye 1--WE should like to be
favored with the derivation of this wor fluid account for
phenomena which show themselves just conspicuously
when no such fluid 10 or can be Ia operation.
% But argued by Of the advocates Of mesmerc
influences that their agent though perhaps physical il
At any rate moral that the will spiritual energy on
the part Of the mesmers the power by which his victims
entanced and rendered obedep 10 his bidding Here
too all the welauthencatcd established totally diff
ferent conclusion. They prove that the will spiritual
power Of the mesmers has of sscendency control
whatsoever over the body OF mind Of his victim Every we'll
guarded series Of experiments has exhibited the mesmest
and his patient purposes with each other the patient
frequently doing those hngs which the mesmerist de-
sroas he should do and doing those things which
the operator desous be should do As for the buoonry
begoen by mesmerism on phrenology, this exhibition
ho
dence comment except among professional artists them
selves- t
Like Ketterfelto with their hair on end
AT their own wonders-wondering for their bread"
The explanation Of mesmerism is to be found as
have said In the weakness or infatuaion Of human ma
ITSELF No other at all necessary account
for the mesmerc pr0straion. There far crazness
both physical and moral in than he usually gives him
self credit for The reservoir Of human folly may be in
great occult but il always full and all that si
ness, whether of body mind, any time to get
its clue. 5t
hese general remarks are Of course more applicable to
individuals than they to Others In soft and weak
natures where the system subject to cataeptc
seizures, mental and bodily prosraon is frequently almost
the normal condition. Such Of readers may have e
quented mesmerc exhibitions must have observed kind of
sei-huDGty visible in the expression and demeanor of
most Of the subjects whom the professional operators carry
about with them These poor creatures all times ready
to bibe the magnetic upefacon, because it is only by
effort that they free from it. There is always at
work within them occult tendency to acknowledgements
unntentional procviy to alteration, imtaon and de-
ce which only requires signal to precptae its morbid de-
postes This constitutional n6mity Of body and Of mind
furnishes 10 the mesme basis for bis operations and the
source Of all the wonders which he works.
I is only in the Of individuals whc without being
auous lowering the verge Of faulty, that the mag
netc phenomena and tho mesmerc prosraon be admit
ted to be in any considerable degree real Real to certain
extent they may be-; marvellous they certainly I'm
beciy Of the nervous system, ready abandonment Of the
fnrsIsf
makes human these integble causes, eked by
vanity and cunning which always inherent natures of
inferior type, quite sufficient to account for the effects
Of the mesmec manipulaons on subjects Of peculiar soft
and piancy.
Sin those persons Of better organized structure who
yield themselves the mesmec degradation the physical
are lss operative, but the moral causes still
in the subjects Of whom have spoken it is mainly induced
by physical deprav, although aies concur TO bring
about the condition In persons Of superior type the
don is mainly due to moral causes although physical inn
becily has some share in facilitating the result These
people have much vanity, much curiosity, and much cedu-
lity, together with weak imagination that is to say On
imagination which il easily excited by circumstances which
would produce no effect upon people Of stronger imaginative
powers Their vanity shows n the desire to astonish Others
and themselves talked about They think rather credit
able to be susceptible subjecs It is point in their favor
Their creduy and curiosity sks the form Of powerful wish
to be cstonshed Memsees Why should they be excluded
from land Of wonders which others permitted to enter
The first step taken They ready for the sacrifice
which various motives to render agreeable. They
resign themselves passvely mind and body the hands
Of the manpuator and by his passes and grmaces they
cowed peasursb bullied delightfully."- into 50 much Of
the condition which their nclnaons bent upon attaining
uses them, they think, in laying claim the ohoie
condition, without bringing them under the mputaon Of
being downright imposors Downright mpostors they un-
questionaby not We believe that their condition is
frequently, though very limited extent real We must
also consider that in matter Of this kind which 50 deeply
imbued with the Iidcuous mesmeric patient may, and
able deviation from the truth on the ground Of waggery or
hoaxing Why should audience which has the patience
to put up with such specaces not be fooled the top of
its bent
So How then, 10 this miserable be disposed
Of can only Be put stop by the force Of public opinion
guided Of BY and truth. Let il be announced
from all authoritative quarters that the magnetic senbiy is
only another for unsound condition Of the mental
and bodily functions it may be always accepted as an
inb index Of the position which individual occupies
in the scale Of humanity it, manifestation (when really
invariably betokens physqUe and morale greatly below
the average and character which respect can be at.
tached Let this announcement which is the undoubted
truth, be made BY al respectable organs Of public opinion
knowledge in the instruction Of the rising generation and
the magnetic superstition will rapidly decline Let this the
and scientific explanation Of the phenomena be under
stood and considered carefully BY all young people Of both
sexes and the mesmec ranks will be speedily thnned Of
their recruits. Our young friends who may have been en-
trapped into this nauaon BY of due consideration will
be wiser for the future they allow themselves to be er
permented upon they will any take care not to dis
grace themselves BY yielding to the oes which they may
be solicited both from within and without; and much
mistaken i, when they know what the penalty is, they will