The New York herald., 1879-01-05
MISS FANCHER'S POWERS.

NOT SO MUCH A MYSTERY AFTER ALL--M.
HIS FINAL ARGUMENTS
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD
In your editorial comments on the controversy
which has grown out of the "Fancher Wonder you
expressed doubts to the origin of the theory of
transposed sensation. II was declared TO be "a fine
piece Of professional imagination" which implied
that people might sometimes with their elbows.
To this replied in brief that 'transposion of the
senses was old expression in medical literature.
that it applied to certain phenomenal symptoms
of cataepsy. and that disclamed all pretenson of
originating either the expression the doctrine.
This disclaimer elected another editorial in which
was insisted must be in error, rs it seemed to be
absurd misuse of terms. which, in literal sense,
veyed no rational meaning.
These editorial structures supplemented each
time with letters from correspondents who
represent orthodox medicine. They also declared
that no such doctrine had been advocated rccos-
nizsi. One of these. whose letter was headed "A
Reply to NJ. H. considered the idea "silly"
that it implied ignorance. insane delusion. &c.
Another. who especially profuse in dscourteous
ephets had the amazing effrontery to say that it
disgrace to the profession of medicine to
attribute to its teachings any such absurdity.
propose with your permission, to these
points of issue collectively and finally. hope to
make it appear conclusvely that Miss Fanchers
is not novel one.
Now. the disputed fact. that OF transposed
ton, is an old and well recognized doctrine in med
ico-physicoogical science. II is hypothesis that
brings many. if not ALL of those alleged phenomenal
features of Miss Fanchers within the domain of
known physical laws. 1t is hardly proper. therefore,
that it should be so summarily dismissed from
sderation il were willing to pass by in silence
the unjust imputaaticns and impertnenccs of the
HERALD's correspondents.
Two extreme views have been ventilated in regard
to the In one it is announced as an mposture
of the grossest kind, because the powers which
claimed TO be exercised by the invalid lady mani
fest impossbilites. being beyond "the immutable
limits OF natural law" as one Of these experts
presses it, and because they in contravention of
all well established principles Of phreno neurologi
cal" science This the materiastic view taken by
the school OF dogmatic experts-thcse self-satsfed
people who measure all possibilities by their own
attanments or by their own powers OF comprehen-
sion. Drs. Hammond and Beard are its prominent
representatives in this particular case.
The second extreme view is that which has for its
able exponent Epes Sargent who represents the
school Of modern mysticism. The latter readily
cepts all Of the socaed miraculous features of the
case as verties Some of the subtle powers
which have been attributed to Miss Fancher he
siers to be but the exercise Of high phase Of me-
diumship and that her physical deprivations and
suerngs have brought her into visual contact with
spiritual ntelligeces who minister to and manifest
through her.
reaftrm being most probably the correct
The stated. is no such wonder as the HERALD
declares 1t 10 be. 1t is not imposturc or con-
trary to medico sociological facts. Drs. Ham,
mond and Beard assert 1t to be; and it is not of
ccssity, which would require the interpo-
stion control agency OF spirits for the display of
the patients alleged endowments, az Epes Sargent
explains it to be-.
with all forms of religious belief than the
radical assumptions of the scientists who declare
that such communion with a spirit world, that
such superscnuous power knowledge is claimed
for the lady is absolutely impossible of attainment.
They say that natural law is immutable IT, there
fore natural laws arc really what they 80 oracuary
expound them to be, and il Interchangeable, then such
powers as Mr.. Sargent ascribes to the lady never
could have been exercised in the past any than
at the present. What. then. are we to do with the
Bible ,? With Moses and the prophets With the
apostles and disciples? With all the saints in the
calendar? In fact, with any and all forms Of religion?
All orthodox Christians believe in spirit visations.
| When they to the pure in heart they are be-
licved to be angelic. When they come to sinners they
| are condemned as Of evil origin
vasty deep. Is recognized but is forhddSh az sinful
Verify extremes meet. The good Christian and the
rational sprituast will soon get together while the
logic of these experts will land themselves and their
| so-cnlled scientific truths in the slough Of atheism
If this is digression it is. perhaps, pardonable
having general reference to the matters at ISSUE
As l have said, the probabilities are that neither
view is correct. They are probably wrangling over
simple case of catalcpsy. of which there hun
| drcds on record which have been attended by the
same msdircctions and superexctatons of sensorial
and nervous power The same lucdity visual trans
| position and scope of disccrnment have been de-
scribcd again and again as attending these exceptional
| cases. No of caalepsy ever happened without
being attended by of the seemingly incredible
| features which have awakened much interest in
| Miss Fancher. The wonder" is really not so much
in the case il tx in the fact that oracular
pers should have the audacity to denonnce it as an
imposturo 80
that transposed sensation has been discussed aud
pre-emnently recognized for the last century. They
will at least prove that it Is not M HIS theory
One of them was almost identical with Miss Fanchers
in all its features in point of its duration in
time-thirteen years.
l. Dr. Petcttin. an eminent physician CT Lyons in
treatise cataepsy which was published in 1857,
relates the particulars OF one OF his cases. III
| which he accidentally discovered that his
patient. though otherwise inscnsble and un-
conscious could hear at the pit Of her stomach
He tried again and again to make her hear
with her ears-even speaking though tube She
heard nothing. The slightest whisper to the scnsi
tive spot heard and answered. But the patient
thought she heard ordinarflyher sensations were
tho same. In the progress OF the she became
able direct her vision inward. She described with
awe, and correctly the physiological wonders which
revealed in the action of her own internal
gans. In little while the power OF provision was
developed Her predictions were always verified;
This was followed by still more wonderful
display of visual power-as In Miss Fancher She
could tell what transpiring in every part Of the
house. She a>tonishea the doctor one day by asking
him why he wore letter next his heart; and aston
shed him still more by reading its contents without
it's being disturbed from its resting place. She fire.
ouently gave inventories Of the contents OF the
pockets of persons present. This lady finally re-
covered from her seizures under treatment sug-
gested by herself and with them ceased these abnor
NAL powers. Petettin relates two other cases of n
similar character.
=. DR.. Prost. author of work on pathological
anatomy relates of of his cataeptic patients
that ''she no longer or heard as in the ordinary
Manner but that everything seemed to be trans
parent around her. and that her observation
tended to incaculable distance.
3. DIR. Dclpits related by Mayo, was SINH
lar to Miss Fanchcr's in many respects. ''She
neither ate nor drank; there was secretion; her
features and complexion nevertheless, remained
changed" One day the patient became bnd the
next could see, but could not hear another day
she lost her speech When her eyes became useless,
she read printed pages with the tips Of her fingers
well in profound darkness AZ in the light.
g. Herbert Mayo, the distinguished author. lee
turer and surgeon relates where his patient
ssaw alternately with her fingers and her elbows"
Another OF his girl patients read print and dis
covered the minutcst objects with her knuckcs in
darkness light but she lost this transposcd vision
| when ink SCOT rubbed on her knuckles."