The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
MISS TANCHER'S CONDITION.
.,r orEER CASE IN BROOKLYN CON-
stDyRED 4NTIIROPOLOG

Of
pr,f + r. buchanan. who occupies the
cI.lr ,i Physiology and Anthropology in tho
ysi,,ti, Medical College. was called upon by q
.nr.,rter ior THr SUS TO ascertain his viows oil
hs sfonous Molo fanchcr case. The science
n ,uthropology is said by Dr. Buchanan and
~, f,ilovers TO be- sufficiently profound and
somnrehonsyo to illustrate all tho abnormal
...,si as normal phenomena Of human life.
IN, Doctor has given attention for forty years
= ne nervous systcm and has nado many
..,r,,llous experiments. such rs those which In
,siqc,eitcd interest in this city and obtained
A., .orIial endorsement OF q committee OF |
,heh the late VIM. Cullen Bryant was tho
Chairman.
NJ Buchanan gavo the reporter concise
,t,,,h Of his labors in establishing the science
n anthropoogy. aud explained the theory and
,,,sice Of psychometry-the art by which gifted |
Individuals are enabled to takc piece OF manu-
,.rlpt and without even seeing 1t. tell from a |
,,rain subtle impression the entire character |
md condition of the writer as well as II he had |
h,en intimately known for many years. At this |
vage oftho conversation woman ofgeniol and |
pral Yss .sinS couutcnancc. whose name Ia
tnovu 90 the renders OF THE sun IA that Of an
Independent thinker. dropped into the Doctors
,Nec. and WAS introduced IA a member OF the
Ssw York P-ychometric Society. composed OK
su.,e.y Of ladies who possess this marvel
lous power Of psychomotry. and hold their
pri,a'e .pirces tor lie exercise MS means OF in
pc'tual and moral culture.
Tho reporter Immediately suggested that she
vyra specimen II her powers. by pronouncing
A. opinion upon a piece Of manuscript In his
possession To- which she chcerfully assentod. A
efnotefrom personal friend was then placed
nh.rtight hand and without looking at ii she
prlfss-el 10 feel its influence. and proceeded TO
sreak Oi the writer as freely and judiciousy as
mough she had personally known him. The
bref and apprcciative description thus aco-
denially pro,urcd was spoken OF by DIR. Bu-
chanau as commonplace incident that any
hly oi the Psychometric Society could have
done
This incident illustrates so we'll tho marvel
l1us powers which DR.. Buchanan says re-
eide in ihe human constitution. that 1t serves
As an appropriate introduction to his views OF
tho Mouie Fancher case. which are pre-
ssnlad IA an abridged form In the following
synopsis:
Dr. Buchanan-I have not given much atten-
ton o. the case Of Miss Fancher for the reason
that see very little in 1t that appears to me
either new or wondrous. Medical annals con-
tain many authentic cases Of abstinence from
iood some even for longer periods than in tho
Fancher case. but Of these things the profession
generally is profoundly ignorant. Tor MEDICAL
schools and medical authors have their intalli-
BE dogmas. and everything contrary 70 these
dOgmas Is tercey assailed by the whole pha.
hnI. discrcdited in every possible way. right
or wrong, and scrupulously enpurgated from
medical literature Upon all things beyond the
dead level OF stupid mechanical materiallsin
The medical profession Is the most ignorant
par Of society. In the most iashionable med
icAl schools Ignorance Is cultivated as n fine
art, and stupidity is elaboratoly condensed into
Gil lmpenetrablo shell. The ease ana energy
sl,h which a trained professor rcpels un.
limited amounts OF testimony facts. and eNon
he most authentic statistics. can los compared
only To- the energy that We find in the heels oi
nietauhor for "A coarse illustration il necessary
Tor a coarse subject. Common courtesy, anu
common sense are equally disregarded by
medical skeuticism which is simply educated
ignorance combined with natural stohdlty.
My language may seem strong Out II Is not 30
A Iib"raliy edncnted physician should know
that Miss Fancher's case is one OF large num-
Dor OF cases Of most unqucstionablo Authen-
licity in which the deeply interesting correa-
lions Of the soul and body are established by a
disturbance Of their usual relations. In the
AyorAge man soul and body are 30 closely
united that the spirit Is completely masked Dy
The flesh. and every psychic process can De
traced In the transformation of matter. and re;
corded in some form of excretlOn. The animal
Is stronger than the spiritual nature anu tue
nm has no distinct idea either 81 his brain or
OF hi- soul This il the ideal man OF the medi-
cal schools. They tolerate no other rpnceltlon
Of man thnn that Of mere animal. They re-
fuse t0 recognize the soul o. an entity, or oven
an object of scientific investigation. They know
o. moro Of the psychic universe than the nolc
d1r, Of astronomy To ask one of thcs" skep-
tics who considers mind secretion OF the
brain "a BILE is q secretion ot the iyer. his
opinion Of Miss Fanchcr's case. would be as
pfoiuble as to ask a description 81 the climate
81 Cuba from one OF the learned monks IN the
lays Of Columbus. who denied the exlstcnre OF
h' western hemisphere. But the meiic pro
tss-ion l. not entirely composed Of old iogles;
There are some thousands WHO have adopted
modern IDEAS and WHO understand That man IL
moro than n physical machine. They know
that wncn the close connection of soul aud body
T. kdisturbed, their powers may be separate,
principle which il spir tual, acts lndeprnd, ,ntly
O "ooly, rs II must when the body has been
R.p.ucr- Do noi eoscs often oceur?,
Dr. Buchalan-Ihey are very familiar. We
See n. M ln truncC--such as the famous case
9fih' K'v. Vim. Teunqnt, ana that Of Capt;
Riley ihc African traveller, which was related
Tmoy h,s Soa That famous SoG ,Sis divine eoSd Mr..
Sion oi soul and body. He lay three days IN
spptr'nt q iih, and would have been buried
bu' ior the friendly zeal Of his physician who
ume his soul realized the post ortem life, and
enjoyed -uah knowirdge of the spirit world or
hoaYou that hls previous fears and doubts were
ghnr'y disp"llrl But during these three
layi Il death the brain underwent such n dis
edge WINS lost. and he had 10 begin. like q child,
Sith study Of the alphabet. But as tho tex
iQie ~ bis brain WAS gradually restored, his
IDENTITY WIS renewed and his mind was able
- use mo uruiu as heiOre. with the additional
au lNWlgn which u hdd gained when acting
yayoni tho Limits OF the body. This i- single
llus'iuuou Of what has been witnessed In a
th-u-tnd 'as u trance except that generally
ne soul returns before the brain has become
dlslrsGn.zed. ~ any injury has been done To-
ho vital forces. might al tho eutiro sunday
oDN ".th such narratives. which medical liter
allF. carefully supprcsAes; but we do not de-
penn % the morbid trance for Illustration
sln,e w' have .somothpg hctteI In the way of
ssxpermrnis IN tho psycho physiological sci;
ssh'-' winch enable Us 10 produce a partial
lfHli1u q soul and body when we please
h'p1ri"r- DO y0u mean that soul and body
h ssh ns separated 10y any process known 10
e'i'hlei- without injury 10 health
Dt liu"hanan-l DO Almost every case oil
hNHfil SImunuiDulism Is an illustration. The
spWhl. oquru.r of the mesmcric trance can GER
AMY bi produced on ono in twenty In some
ltlth9 lhr-e-iOurths OF the cntirc pOpulntlon
Th ne thus cn'7auc'd. ! am very sure. from
DI' tslallo's surgical experience in lndin. that
more ihnn One-half Of the population Of that
empire can be- somnolizod into partial sepn,
ta.1n 2t soul aud body, and probably at lensl
one hllllon Of them could display the ecstntic
TWN'yanll nnd prevOyaut phenomcnn OF Mise
iAheler Tho medical colleges do their utmost
,4pprehs thr knowledge OF these phenomenc
SAl prevent their Investigation. PrOf Agassi
Ha7 "a uh, uesmerl' subject when IN SWlt~'r'
hn ana might have riyaed Miss Fancher II
- ,Wrrs hNd been cultivated in that direc
s3l uui lie had not tho truth seekers courage
IL nd