Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-03-06


But there were many before Mesmer
who claimed to be able to heal the sick
by mysterious power. In a work En-.
titled 1.-The History OF Pyscodunsmy,'
oy theodore Leger, of the medical
faculty Of Paris, published over fifty
years ago, are instanced many facts,
more or less well authenticated, which
are marvellous, to say the least. Leger
was an ardent believer il the value of
what he styles The new science, pys-
coduuamy," and his book was written
to give the world knowledge of the
distinguishing features of doctrines
then attracting universal attention.
Whatever may be said for theories t
must be admitted that he argues lis
case well, showing perfect familiarity
with the subject in all its forms. AS
Leger's name, as well as his book, is
probably unfamiliar to the average
reader of to-day, : pa-tial su .amary of
the contents of the work may not
prove without interest.
The magI, or wise men of India,
were in great renown for their medical
skill. Phllostratus describes their
practice as consisting chiefly of gestures
and secret manipulaIions, which Lsger
believes to be Identical with those of
modern mesmerists. The priests of
ancient Egypt were the only physic-
ians, and they also made a secret OF
their arts. Both Indian and Egyptian
images OF gods represent the figures in
attitude such as a mesmerist would
assume In obtaining mastery over his
subject.
The medical practices of Greece were
largely borrowed from India and
Egypt, aud the author cites numerous
passages from classical writers in sup
port of his theory, that the oracles, TO
whose words The Greeks attached such
importance, were in some way con-
trolled by mesmerlc influences. Soc
rates, who claimed to have some sort
or spiritual guide. by him termed a
demon, was certainly gifted with re-
markable prescience, or else the histor-
ians are greatly at fault He predicted
all the important events of his life, and
even foretold his own death. Apol-
lonIus, who is reported TO have restored
TO life by the laying on OF his hands a
person supposed to be dead, foretold
events as accurately as Socrates. At
Ephesus, in the presence OF a crowd,
he saw and described the murder of
Domitian at Rome, and when intelli-
gence of the Emperor's death WAS re-
ceived it was found to have occurred
at the very moment indicated b. Apol-
lonIus- Secret arts of healing, wonder
full revelations in dreams, and mar
velous gifts of prophecy were in as
high honor among the Romans as
among the Greeks. In the Latin
authors were numerous descriptions of
mental states corresponding very
clos ly to the modern trance or mes
meric sleep.
The sixteenth century scientific men
began to explain the nature Of physical
phenomena by theories, not unlike that
afterward formulated by Mesmer.
Chancellor Bacon maintained that
magic was nothing but the power of
Imagination OF one person acting on
the body or another.
Won Helmont, a Belgian, born in
1897, was the first to give the name
magnetism TO the mysterious force.
Between 1900 and 100 there were sew
eral magnetic healers who gained great
potoriety in England, France, and
other parts OF Europe. a man named
GreatrakeS travelled through Great
Britain performing most extraordinary
cures by the application or hands.
Among the diseases which he is re
ported to have cured were blindness,
]
fevers, neuralgia, tumors, scrofula,
cancer, etc.
The celebrated Emanuel Sweden
borg. according to his own account,
had most remarkable visions, III which
! the mysteries OF the spiritual world
were revealed to him. The Lord ''man-
iTested Himself in person to me, His
| servant,n he SAYS. ''in 1143, aud
granted me the privilege of conversing
| with spirits and angels, which / have
| enjoyed to this day. From that time
began to print and publish various
arcana that have been seen by me oi
revealed to me. as respecting Heaven
! and hell, the state of man after death,
] the true worship of God, the spiritual
/ sense OF the word, with many other
most important matters conducive to
/ salvation and true wisdom" Accord
/ ing TO other writers Swedenborg had
gifts resembling those claimed by the
| spIritualistic mediums of to-day.
Mesmer, whose name is inseparably
| linked with one branch OF occult
/ science, was born at Weller, on the
Rhine, in 1874. lie studied medicine
and astrology before entering hi:
clresr of healing by magnetic means
| The influence of celestial bodies upon
| living beings was an essential part o
his theory. The record OF his expert.
ments and that of his pupils is yo.um
| inous; suffice it to say that scores of re,
| markable cures of diseases that bafil 81
physicians are attributed to him and
| them.
With all the progress and learning
that this century has brought IL seems
that we are almost as far as ever from
obtaining such knowledge OF thu
minds mysteries as will lead TO cleal
understanding of the nature and cause:
OF phenomena which have puzzled
both the wise and the ignorant in all
ages.