The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-11
MESH ER!SM.

"That is merely sham Sleep" whis-
pered well known Seventh street ply
stefan to the reporter, while seated near
the stage one night witnessing the feats
in mcsmerism, which have since become
the talk of the town.
The professor had touched his first
subjects eye-lids, making him sink into
an apparent deep sleep.
"Mercly sham sleep" continued the
physician. "Mesmerism is all a snare
and fraud. When Mesmer made his
first exhibitions in Paris, in 177S Ben
jamin Franklin gave the subject serious
attention, and after long and careful cX-
aminations he declared that Mesmer and
mesmerism were humbugs. The medical
fraternity has no reason to-day to believe
otherwise"
''What was Franklin doing in Paris
at that time2 thought he was an Ameri-
can citizen"
- So he was. He was the American
minister to Paris, and was one of nine
commissioners appointed by the king of
France to investigate Mesmer."
"Havc you ever before been present at
an exhibition of this kind? Did you see
Carpenter at Mclodcon hall last year,"
" No, to both questions; but common
sense tells me that Ben Franklin was
right, and | am positive that | will 90
out of here tonight with mistaken faith
in him"
Two victims in apparent mesmeric
sleep were now seated side by side upon
the stage. The eyes of one were shut
tight. while the the eyc-lids Of the
other, but partly closed over the eye
balls, quivered constantly.
We will now show you what queer
appetites these gentlemen possess BE
gan the professor on the stage, handing
an ordinary wax candle to each of the
sleepers. who Immediately crunched the
tit-bits with every appearance of delight.
When the candles were half eaten and
every particle Of wax sucked from the
bare ends of the wicks, the physician
found his voice again.
"They do seem to be under some
strange influence" he said, "but be sure
they are merely playing part, and I'M
derstand what they are doing Just rs we'll
as you or |, The candles are no doubt
made to order, of some palatable compo-
sition, and are not 50 disagreeable in
taste as they look. Let me tell YOU
about one of the experiments which con-
WINGED the French commission that Mes
mer was humbug.'
The audience was so thoroughly occu-
pied in laughing at the antics of the
sleeping candle-eaters that the doctors
chatter did not disturb any one in the
least.
Fire away"
Well sir, they called woman who
had been one of Mcsmer's favorite sub
jects into room apart from the place
where the experiments were usually con
Quoted and after bandaging her eyes
one of the number opened and closed
the outer door sharply, at the same
time saying aloud, so that she might
near All, DR.. Mesmer, you are Just in
time. We are perfectly ready for the
manipulation. Then another pretended
to speak to the mesmerizer and requested
him to begin. Nothing was. done. The
commissioners sat quiet, watching the
woman. In three minutes she began a
nervous shivering. Then she put hel
hands to her head, as though il
panied her; she complained Of a
prickly feeling in her hands and arms
She became rigid. struck her hands
lOSttncl, SOt up sum lIoHl i4'l stat anu
stamped on the floor: seemed not to hcal
when spoken to, nor to feel pain when
pricked with pin. In word, she wa:
completely mesmcrizcd-by nothing"
"Who was Mesmer, and what was hi,
idea of the phenomenon
Z" He was an English physician, anC
made his first public exhibition of what
he claimed was a discovery that would
revolutionize the practice of medicine il
1878. He claimed that his power was il
a volatile fluid which passed from thu
mesmerizer into the body of the subject
and surrounded himself on the stage
with lot Of cumbrous machinery calcu
lated to excite suspicion. The patien
was compelled TO seat himself in "A chat
raised above the Stage upon four irol
rods, and his motions and grimaccs wer
of the most grotesque nature. Thes
gentlemen make use of no mummery 0
that kind, see, and in that respect ar
far ahead OF the old professors.
The candles were almost wholly eaten
now, and the professor gently rubbed tn
eyelids of one of the eaters. lie cam
out of his sleep at once, and after look
ing about in dazed way for a second
suddenly caught sight Of the candle en-
in his hand He gave it an lnyoluntar
toss from him, sending it plump into tn
reporters lap, and then spit out a mouth
full of the half-chewcd wax.
The candle end was genuine and wa
never designed for edible purposes, 4
the Seventeenth street physician acknow
edged, after taking bite out of it,
TO more subjects were presently pr
10 sleep and the professor proceeded