New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-06-25
NEW LIN RENEW WEDNESDAY, JUNE IS, 1878.
= this spiritulalis1a4
Written for TIE. Review By .P. ch.mplin.s

= this spiritualisn4
Written for the Review by 3. r. Champlin.
There lies before me q little book
by DR.. VIM. a. Hammond on the
Physics and physiology Of Spiritual
ism containing statements which
may be Of interest to many who read
this paper.
Many Of the events happening all
about us we are unable to account for
from: our knowledge and the tendency
of our mind is to refer them to super
natural causes.
Doubtless supernatural agencies
do work positive and marvellous results
in the domain of nature; but many
things are ascribed to spiritual forces
which arise from causes strictly ma
tural. Weare inclined to think this
to be true of much that passes spirit
phenomena; and many so called spirit.
ualistic manifestations are not the
work of the spirits at all, but Of the
nervous system in its various cOndi.
lions. This, DR.. Hammond's little
book illustrates with well authentic::t-
ed facts some Of which we propose to
give for the benefit of those who have
not his work, but are Interested in
the subject. ...
/. standardization. This is that
condition of the nervous system in
which an individual during sleep per-
forms acts appropriate to the waking
state. Take the following case. A
young lady of great personal attract
ions showed symptoms Of chorea. The
muscles of her face were in almost
constant action, and it was difficult for
her to control them. From talking in
her sleep she began to walk, and one
night was found by her father endeav-
oring to. open the street door. Her
nightly attempts to go out finally in.
duced her father to call DR.. H. to wit
ness her somnambulic acts. One night
he repaired to her fathers residence
for the purpose. On that occasion
she arose about twelve o'clock. AS
she walked in the hall slowly and de-
liberately, her head was elevated, her
eyes open. and her hands hung loosely
by her side. From the upper hall she
descended to the parlor. There she
rubbed a match which she had taken
from her own room until it caught
fire, when, turning on the gas she lit it.
Seating herself she looked fixedly at 4
portrait of her mother which hung
over the mantel-piece. She was very
pale; her wide open eyes did not wink
when the hand was brought suddenly
near to them; the muscles of her face
were now perfectly still; her pulse
was regular in shythm and force and
beat eighty-two per minute respiration
was uniform and slow. A book held
between her eyes and the picture did
not affect her gaze. Motions to strike
her in the face she seemed to be oh.
livious to; and even 4 touch of the COR
ner of each eye with q lead-pencil did
not make her close her eyelids. 1t
was evident she did not see with her
eyes. Sulphurous acid gas was allowed
to escape under her nose but she gave
no feeling of irritation. Perfumes and
smelling salts failed also to make i'm
preston on her olfactory nerves.
Bread soaked in lemon-juice and satu-
rated with a solution of quinine was
put into her partially opened mouth
but she gave no evidence of taste. AS
she paced the floor back and forth in
agitation wringing her hands and sob.
bling violently loud vOlses were made
close to her ears; but they failedto in
teirupt her. When DR.. III. took her
by the hand and led her back to her
chair she made no resistance but sat
quietly down and became perfectly
calm. She seemed to DO void of SEN
sation; pulling her hair, pinching her
face, scratching the back of her hand,
tickling her feet did not excite her.
When her feet were tickled she
would draw them up and that was all.
After being in this condition for TWEEN
ty minutes the attempt was made to
awake her by shaking her by the
shoulders; but as this was without
success DR.. III. took her head in his
hands and shook it and in little while
she aWoke. She had no recollection
of anything that had passed or of hav.
ing dream of any kind.
The above is Il good example of ma
tural somnambulism; but it may be
artificially produced and then it is
called mesmeric sleep. Those persons
who are the best subjects of this in
tiuence make the best mediums. The
young lady whose case described above
would undoubtly make a first rate me.
dunn as the following in regard to her
will evince. She had been cured of
her malady by suitable medical treat
ment; but it had returned, owing to
excessive mental exertion in the study
of philosophy. Not only had tho pa
roxysms of natural somnambulism, but
she had the power of inducing the
hypnotic state at will. Her process
was to take up work she was study
ing, select 4 paragraph which re-
quired intense thought, or excited
powerful emotion, read it, close the
book, fix her eyes steadily, but not di.
recting the foci SO us to see any par
ticlllar object, and then reflect deeply
upon what she had read. From the
revery thus occasiOned she gradually
passed into the sOmnambulic condi-
ton. In this condition she would
answer questions correctly, read books
held bel,ing her, describe some passing
in distant places, and communicate
messages from the dead. She possessed
in every essential respect the qualifica-
tions of a spiritualistic medium.
OF some of her experiences while in
this state we will speak in the next
article.
Albin Cores p0ndence,
While our Golden Cate friends llip