The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-11-03

neJlSm OF MeSSmeF. w also per
ceive that there have been, subse
quently, numerous persons claiming
clairVoyant powers, but it appears
that no one Of them was ever so sue
cessfuf as the original promulgators;
for Messmer lived to old age and ac-
quired a Large fortune by his exhi-
bitions and medical practice, while
the career of some noted individuals
apparently possessed of great clair
voyant qualities, has been sadlydiff-
erent. They have generally short
ened or disgraced their lives by the
practice. Passing over these, we
meet the case of George Goble, an
English lawyers clerk who profess
ed to be able to discern objects not
perceptible to the senses, as well as
other astonishing performances.
Many people were IN a high fermen-
tation over his claims and achieve
ments; his most important claim
was that he could see with his fng-
ers, and most remarkable achieve
ment was to do it, ifhe did. Wheth-
er he did or not, was a simple tues
ton of fact. As he professed him-
self willing to be tested, three intel
ligent gentlemen, Professor Graham,
DR.. Sharpey, and Sir John Forbes,
determined to ascertain whether he
actually possessed the power to see
an object without the ordinary or
gans of vision. They engaged in a
series of experiments constituting of
placing printed words in a sealed box
and after surrounding 1t to his mani
pulations regarding him to state
what were the words. After many
egregious failures upon different
days, we are not amazed to see
George, upon being detected in some
violent muscular efforts to open the
box, fall upon the floor and, to his
final disgrace, confess that he had
been practicing deception through
out.
We are attracted TO the examina-
tion Of the case of a celebrated
clairvOyant named Alexis. We find
that he was subjected to an inYesti-
cation, and much to the diseredit OF
Alexis, it is stated in the report of
the inquest by the same Sir John
Forbes mentioned above, 'that there
was not single unequivocal in
stance of what is called clairvOyance
in all his proceedings"
We will devote no further study to
particular instances, but will direct
our thoughts to the general opinions
of learned men, and to the facts
which we discover in the scientific
records. We learn that in France,
on account of the extensive claims
of the mysterious art in medicinal
matters, the Royal society of medi-
cine appointed a board of Commits
sioners to examine the character and
merits of the magnetic system. The
Commissioners conducted a thor.
ough inquisition into the practice
and reported the following facts as
to the persons the mesmeric specta
tors conld affect.
l. Such persons as are influenced
by magnetic operations are, from
constitution or disease, exceedingI,
sensitive.
| 2. The commissions do not occu
until some time has elapsed.
3. Women are more susceptible,
than men, and rich ones than poo
ones. Moreover the Commission
ers are satisfied that the effects ant
influence observed are most due t,
magnetism, but to the handling o
friction, imagination, and instine
tive imitation.
AS to the merits of the practic
there were two reports. One wa
an open report to the society ant
referred to three cIassed of patients
First, those who had known diseas
es; and these were not helped by tn,
treatment. Secondly, those who
had indefinitely and unknown dis
eases; but there was no other evi
dence of it. Thirdly, melancholic'
or hypocondriacs; and their evi
dence was thought worthless.
The other report upon the merits
was a secret report to the king and
related to the dangers Of the prac
tice, which we're stated to be of two
kinds; to the health, and to the NOR.
ais. We can not learn positively
what were the dangers designated in
the report and they remain material
for conjecture; and although we IN
doubtedly have the right to think
freely upon all questions, yet in ou1
endeavor to decide upon the impor-
tant matter Of the validity of spirit
ualism we choose to give no rein to
conjecture alone.
At tabout this time clairvoyance, as
well as other affairs, was wrecked in
France by the Revolution, but We
see that it has been practiced exten
sively in England; and in this coun
try, before the adoption of the name
Spiritualism, it passed among tn
learned under tile title of Electro
Biology. But upon its propagation
here it must have a name suited t
the common understanding, anC
Spiritualism seems a very porpe
one. We have now considered tn
nature and evidence of clairvoyOne,
and medium manifestations until W
can deduce the following PROPOSE
tions:
! l. The lower phenomena or mani
festations of clairYOyant mediums
such as sleep, increase loss of sen
sibility, loss of voluntary motor
muscular rigidity, ETC., can be pre-
duced by persons acting on them
selves by fixed staring at a shinin
ball or other bright or prominent OF
jects. -
2. Ihe higher phenomena of Clail
voyanee, consisting of provision, il
PROVISION, and retrovision, do no
rest upon satisfactory evidence.
3. There is no record worthy o
credit of the transference of the sen
ses from one to another.
4. The phenomena of the diferen
theories known by the allied term
Ihypnotism, odyle, somnambulism
etc, can be explained upon recog
nized physiological principles.
In the light of these facts we ar
constrained to say that human be
, ings are but human, and while in
vested in the body they can reeeiv
communications ofintelligenee onl
+brOuOb their wonderful nervOu