Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-12-26

1t Is singular that he should stigma
tize the Doctors science as humbuS
while using his facts and theories 50 free
ly.
l must confess that l am ashamed o
having undertaken the task Of this re
view, for the most of his positions are st
weak. that my remarks appear TOO mucl
in the light of second edition Of "Mucl
Ado about Nothing
Relative to MesmeriSm, he said but lit
tie. He admitted NE Phenomena, bu
said that it could never be reduced 10 {
science. To which l reply. Mesmersn
being founded in the nature of things, is
Natural Science, and always was.
In his second lecture, he dwelt a
some length upon the report of the French
Commute, of which Franklinwas mem
Der; that il was all the work of imagina
lion.
In that age, the philosophy OF mind
and its connections, was vague and inde
finite In France. Mental Galvanism
Psychology, in fact everything in the
line o. mental phsnoment, was classed
under ihe geueri heal OF Masmvrism
Fer msuy centuries, science had tended
more aud more 10 mairri.di>;ic demon
s,ra.iouS; and the cause OF all ri'gm5me-
IA hat lay beyond :he reach of ar dis
seeing knife. anI winch hal tra"rly
been attributed 40 imagination of special
Providence, was nog >.; i.-1 upon Mes
merism. But since his day, the bound
aries of this science have been more pro-
perly obtained.
The speaker cited the instance of the
Mesmerized tree, and It's results; which
was not Mesmerism, but mental galvan-
ism, producing simple shock, though
sufficient in some cases, to rouse the ner-
vous system to healthy action.
Had Mr.. Miller's research on those
points, been equal to that of the Fowlers,
Dods, Buchanans, Cadwells, Eliotsons,
and others who have made it their study
for years, he would never have insulted
an intelligent audience by such an utter
disregard for all scientific classification.
Mesmerism is that great law of sympathy
through which the active attracts and
possesses and passive, and could no me-
chanical experiments demonstrate it to
the eyes of an audience, it would illus
irate itself by lis natural operations IN
the daily experience Of all thinking men.
Who does not know that children become
feeble by sleeping with the aged. while
the feeble gain strength and vitality by
contact with the strong? Who has not
heard OF the serpent's power to fascinate
his victim? Why does the defiant eye
of the hunter keep the tiger at bay?-
Who has not shrank f,om the glance of
the mighty; or felt conscious of his pow
er over others?
1 have, while sleeping with delicately
persons, causedthem to dream
as L wiiled, upon different occasions, as
u test. l have caught, from and given
to others, trains of thought, though not
a word was spoken between US. This,
at least to my mind, is proof that it is not
imaginary; and were it so, the dissect-
ing knife would detect the fallacy. DR..
Esdale, British Surgeon in India, has
practiced it successfully for 70 years, per-
forming every variety of amputations
and other difficult operations. without
pain. SO have hundreds of others, both
in Europe and America.
But inasmuch as the speaker admitted
The phenomena, and advanced no theory
comprehensive to cover the
facts of the science, l will dismiss this
portion of his lectures.
ClairUoyance.--A series of experiments
were introduced, to show that ciairvoy-
ance might be counterfeited. Those al
Dhabets of numbers, DC, are school boy
rieks, and applied only to the peculiar
class of experiments performed by him.
Take them all together, they we're bun
Cling, and had he not avowed them TO be
A humbug, could not have escaped de-
ection.
Now a word relative to Martha Loom
s. He asserted that as a committee
nan, he had detected her in the same
deception. 1t will be seen that his ex
Deriments account for sympathetic vision
BY having clairvOyant instructed. Now
f l mistake not, this lady's vision is not
confined to the sphere OF her mothers
but that she reads sealed
packages. III am rightly Informed, che
lid, while in this town, read a package
AIKEN from among number of County
papers, of the contents of which the bear
sr himself was ignorant.
And here let me remark, hat mas
much as Mr.. Miller is a stranger in ma
" of the places where he lectures, a
written or printed statement by his bro
her committee men, would prove han
ly reference, and that from the nature
If the circumstances. equally strong doe
lments will not be smiss relative to ma