The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-11-13
MIND-READING.
An Explanation by Famous New YOrl


An Explanation by a Famous New York
Physician.
Many curious experiments have been
made in regard to the influence of the
mind over the body, and the question
whether the mind of one person can in
terpret the thoughts of another, under
certain circumstances, has been much
discussed, recently, by physicians in
New York city. J. r. Brown, who calls
himself mind-reader, and who claims
to be able to determine the train of
thought in another, when brought espe-
clally In contact, performed some exper.
ments in that city, and his methods
were Investigated by many distinguished
physicians and scientists. Mr.. Brown
afterward went to New Haven, and ex-
hibited his powers there before large
audience. The committee, who there
Investigated Mr.. Browns methods, re-
ported that they "were not ready to as
sert that the claim of mind-reading had
been clearly maintained"
DIR. VIM. A. Hammond and several
other scientists attended several of Mr..
Browns seances, as he called them,
while he was in New York. Mr.. Brown
said that he could not operate through
DR.. Hammond, but could not give any
T0dSOu 1OT SUCH d SbdG0u10QGs WIN
other gentlemen Mr.. Brown performed
various experiments. One of the gen.
tlemen hid his door key un1er mat in
the hall. Mr.. Bro Wn, blindfolded, took
one of the gentleman's hands in his,
and touched the other, which was held
against his forehead. Mr.. Brown then
charged the gentleman to think of moth
ing but the place where the object was
hidden. Mr.. Brown then led the gen.
tleman about the room and out into the
hall. When they reached the mat Mr..
Brown stopped and said "Here it is."
Mr.. Brown had also string of large
letters of the alphabet, hung across the
room, and upon this he spelled out
word thought of by some gentleman.
This was often done correctly, though
Mr.. Brown was securely blindfolded all
the time.
DIR. Hammond explains the process by
upon, thinking intensely upon the sub
ject, gives some sign, involuntary, per-
haps, when the place is reached, or the
object attained that is being sought.
Mr.. Brown, by long practice, probably
might not notice. DIR. Hammond said
able to perform some of Mr.. Browns
experiments with complete success. In
one experiment., DIR. Hammond wrote
down list of names, and told a person
to think of one of them. Then placed
his fingers upon the PERSONS wrist and
said, CHOW, will tell you the name of
the person you are thinking of. Read
over the list, and when you reach the
right name shall know by your pulse
which it is" The person then began
and read down the list, and each time
when the name thought of was reached,
by some means it would be plainly in
dlcated, to the great establishment of
the person experimental upon. "The
whole is explained to me-" added DR..
Hammond, "by the influence of the
mind over the body. The majority of
persons thinking steadily upon one sub
iect do not fail to give evidence when
the subject is reached which that per
son has been expecting. The reason why
Mr.. Brown could not operate upon me
was, would not allow myself to give
tn slightest indication that would ena-
BILE him to oetect my thoughts. found
this very difficult thing to do; and,
after I had tried it, I did not wonder
that many were unable to exercise this
control. I think that when this Theory
of external indication of a thought is
followed up further, it will explain the
whole of Mr.. Browns mind-reading."
-NeaU York Tribune.
1t is stated that the Lutheran
church is the largest Protestant body in
the world, having membership of A.
10000, distributed among all languages
and nationalities. In this country the
church numbers 900, 900 communicates.