The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-24
A HEALING MEDIUM.
Another Curious spiritualistic Performance
ILansinR -RnnrlhlIcan

Mrs. Proctor Of CoIdwater, visited the
Spiritual Liberal camp meeting on Friday.
She is q healing medium, and awaken5 much
curiosity by the very strange manner In
which her remedies are said to be produced.
Having learned the condition Of her patient,
the medium holds out her hand, palm up
ward, and in 81 moment Fl quantity Of medI-
cine or fluid OF some kind will collect in her
palm.
or course there Ia great deal of skeptl-
cism, even among the Spirituaists, in regard
to this phenomenon, and ut the conference
meeting on Friday morning q motion WAS
| made to appoint a committee OF five TO hold q
private seance with Mrs Proctor and test the
entertained the motion, but decided that the
committee should be nominated by the entire
| audience, to be composed Of three SpirttualIsts
and two nO0-DelieverS, honest 8keptics, and
no member OF the committee should be APP
pointed who is connected In any manner with
the management or the meeting Such q
committee WIS appointed and afterWard adj
ded two more to their number.
They reported that they had a seance with
Mrs. Proctor. The lady's hand WAS examined
and wiped thoroughly dry and clean. She
then went Into 81 trance and in q moment
there appeared In her hand between q quarter
and a hall teaspOOnful OF fluid, which was ex-
amined and pronounced by some Of the com,
rnittee to be- oil. Others dissented, and az
they could not agree they 50 reported. 1t WIS
therefore resolved to have another and more
thorough test; and st the general meeting ON
Friday afternoon another committee fwnoSe
names will he found in the regular report of
proceedingsl was appointed by the audience,
with instructions to choose their time and
place for the test, and report before the close
OF the camp-neeting. The second committee
reported that the medium washed and wiped
her hands, sat down in their presence and in
a few moments there appeared in her hand
perSpifation and Il substance reseInb bling lard,
but harder. But small quantity was pro-
duced, not enough for chemical analysis.
by previous arrangement, our reporter had
a sitting with Mr.. Proctor at about II O'Clock.
Sunday afternoon, in the presence Of another
lady. He was introduced to lady rather be-
low the medium height, with o slight but
well rounded form, dark auburn hair and
brown eyes, aud q modest and pleasing adj
dress. She explained that she had been sub
jected to many severe tests since her arrival !;
and being somewhat fatigued the results
might not be perfectly satisfactory. Stepping
hands and presented thea for examinations
They were perfectly dry and cool. She seated
herself. The reporter placed his chair Ia
front, and a little to the left OF the medium,
where he could command full view Of her
and her surroundings. Her lady friends
took similar position at the right hand.
The circle thus formed, the medium
soon became apparently unconscious.
AT no time was any attempt made
by the medium to conceal her hands, and her
manner that her hands could not come in
contact with her body. While In this posi-
ton slight spasfn passed over her Extend
ing her left hand to the reporter, palm up
ward, he observed that 1t was still dry, but
almost instantly it assumed an oily appear
ance, and there was deposited in the centre Of
the palm white substance, having the ap-
pearance Of an ointme nt and strongly scented
with Origanun. About a quarter Of g. tea
spoonful Of this substance was taken from
the hand and placed on Il piece of paper It
creased the paper. The hand was then
wiped clean With dry cloth still remaining
extended, and in a moment the phenomenon
was repeated, but not more than half
the quantity produced that appeared
the first time. This substance has all the
appearance to the eye OF ths origanum oint-
ment made by druggists and was thus named
by the medium. At about o'clock Sunday
afternoon this phenomenon was repeated in
presence Of the reporter and eight other per-
sons, during general conversation A spasm
was extended, and the same substance was
seen to appear. We are informed that many
different medicines appear on her hand
fluid, semi fluid and solid. One popularity is
that while the scent from this ointment re-
manned on the hands Of others for hours, 1t
passed from the hands Of the medium In few
moments, and they became dry and scentless.
How these substances get there is q aues-
ton which others may decide. IT 1t Is eger-
deuain 1t has successfully aefind the scrutiny
Of at least fifty persons who have witnessed 1t
during the past week. The fact that these
substances do appear In the lady'5 hand while
open and exposed to the view Of the sDeeta-
tors Is iadispaiable.