Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-29
mind Reading LegerdemaIn.

certain subjective" phenomena.
This quality, doubtless, contributes TO
the belief in spiritualistic impostures,
animal magnetism, psychic force"
mesmerism and other ''ismsN too
numerous to catalogue in a brief dis
eussion. One OF the most entertaining
of these quasi.scienti6c tricks is that
called Thought Reading" The
eleVerest opponents Of its mysteries,
Professor" Brown appeared some
years ago in this city and nightly drew
large audiences Of highly intelligent
people, comprising lawyers, physicians
eleIgymen, college professors, mer-
chants, editors, etc., many of whom
declared that his discoveries could
not be explained by any ofthe known
laws Of nature, and that he undoubt
eddy possesses \ peculiar power which
enabled him to discern the workings
of the human mind and to reveal the
Utmost thoughts Of an unbiased per-
son.
An ingenious theory was advanced
to account for these strange develop
ments which seemed quite plausible;
and, as the subject seems TO be again
attracting public attention, a BRET
description of this theory, as well as a
simple explanation of the real modus
o%perandi, may prove interesting at this
time to the readers of the Ledger,
many of whom, no doubt, remember
the exhibition alluded to. Professor
Browns usual method Of operation
was to request the audience to appoint
a committee of well known gentlemen
to direct the experiments, he would
then be conducted out of the room,
and while lie was absent some one
would be asked to hide an article in
the hall; or 10 imagine a pain in some
portion of his own or some one else:
body; or to think Of a route to BE-
walked over along the %aisles, corridors
and rooms Of the building, etc. etc
Mr.. Brown would then be escorted
into the room blindfolded, and, re.
questing the subject" to think in.
tently of his experiment he Drown.
would grasp the subjects hand, hole
it for a moment to his own forehead
then, starting off with great rapidity
be would usually find tn,
hidden object, locate the pail
or travel over the route imag
ined by the subject in les
time than was required to arrange th,
Teliminaries. OF course, the expert
ments were susceptible of an in6nit
variation, according to the ~ingenuit
of the investigators. The theor
which was advanced to account 70
these singular proceedings was as fol
lows: Psychologists maintain thai
just as light, heat, sound and cleo
tricity have been resolved into mer
modes of motion" so thought is du
to an intensely rapid molecular vibra
ton Of the tissues Of the brain; it
well known that if two synchronou
tuning forks ii. G. forks tuned to Civ
the same number Of vibrations pc
second) are placed in a room at a dis
lance from each other and one is struc
with a hammer, the other, which
Quiescent, Immediately begins to sin
in sympathy, the pulsations bein
communicated through the alr;if, how
ever, they are not in strict accord II
such effect takes place. The sam
phenomenon is observed If pure not
is sung in a room containing a piano
the string which synchronizes wit
the note will respond audibly. !
was maintained that the min
reader possessed the rare ability 1
render his own. brain quiescent {
%passive-i.e e.. be could literally think
nothing; then, when he phi c,d the han
of the subject whose mind was activ
on his forehead, the Thought vibr;
tions' were telegraphed along Il
nerves which radiate from the brai
to all parts Of the body Gas is illustr,
! ted by the fact that when the extern
tiles are pricked by a pin the nerv,
instantly convey the intelligence
pain to the brain), so the passive min
Of the reader" became stimulated
that of the subject" 1t was
course necessary that both should
en- rapport, and any occasional failul
: was cleverly attributed to the inabilii
: Of the unfortunate subject to su
iciently concentrate his thought
Ingenious as this theory was, it vi
doomed like many other sophistries, 4
be overthrow. A host Of doubte
arose who succeeded in reproducing Il
revelations of the mind reader, "
E we'll as performing others OF even
more complex character, proving
the same time that they were due eI
{ tirely to the unconscious movement
Of the subject himself, therel
5 giving the clue to the mind reader
Brown performance were reproduce
in the editorial rooms of the Ledg,
Office by many persons, among who
> were several attaches of the Ledg
staff and the then messenger boy. A
that is necessary to a successful pc
formance Of these seemingly astonisI
ing feats is a delicate sense of touC
D and a quick apprehension of the sligl
: "ideo motor movements" Of the sui
! ject both Of which may be readily q,
quiTed by a little practice. The
, who desire TO become practiced
this really scientific ledgerdemain wi
!, find an expose of the method in tv
communications which appeared
the Popular Science Monthly in Jul
! 1871, and January, 1873, espectivel
Investigations of this nature possess
merit beyond the mere trivial one
; amusement, in that they tend to sho
that even apparently inexplieable pL.
nomena T susceptible of simple Q,
, PLANTATION and demonstration. III
matter was closely investigated by OF
of our Philadelphia scientists, and h
was able 20 do some things whic
Professor" Brown pronounced in
possible, and which seemed TO
inconsistent with the explanation
muscular action. The subject
capable Of very curious scientific d,
velOpment.
=
e Two Friends Golden Wedding
e Charleaton News.
I On ths 9Th of November Mr.. Jol
I M. Greer and Mr.. Fleetwood La
neau, ST., celebrated the golden ann
I versary Of their weddings. III
former was for many years ia the boo
o business at the corner Of King al
Beaulain streets, and the latter in q