Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-27
MssMeaIsM IN TAg ORIENT.



are now, in India, niesmerists whose pertor-
naances transcend IN wonder the combined
efforts Of such Of their Christian rivals as |
have ever seen. Let me describe one perfor-
nance.
IL. Was in Secunderabad, IN 1873, aud il
took place in the broad corridor OF the palace
Of Saler jung the nyzam. was one Of
party Of Englshmen, among whom were Dr.
Crawford Surgeon Of the British army, and
Mir. John Hodglsins formerly an officer IN
her majesty's Lancers, but at that time IN
the employ Of an English banking and mer-
camille firm in Hong Kong. We were IN the
front ranks Of the spectators, nearly an q
whom ssere Europeans After we had waited
few inmates, tanning ourselves, Tor the DAY
was oppfessively hot, the fakirs made their
appearance There were eight IN the party.
An old man with aquilue features patri-
archal white beard and pair Of flashing
black ewes, was the leader. His wife, pretty
little.woman, young enough 10 be his daugh-
ter. was his chief assistant and the six re-
naming men served az subjects and under
assistants
had heard much about the wpDlerful per-
fornaances Of this particular band Of fnkirs,
as All itinerant performers arc generally
termed. and thus when received the invita-
ton OF the palace authorities | was delighted
TO accept IL But must admit that all the
praise had heard seemed faint and cold af-
ter had seen all that was to be seen. II
was, taking it all in all, the most wonderful
performance Of the sort any Of our party had
ever witnessed
After the falSirs arrived they proceeded at
once 10 business The old man bound band
age tightly around the forehead Of one OF his
Young men, placing small wedge shaped
! piece Of pith under the cloth and directly be-
/ tween the eyes. Then lac handed him small
round mirror, telling him to place IL IN his
hand and gaze upon it intently This the
young man did Meanwhile the other faisirs
made circle partially around him, droning
a monotonous chant that ran something as
follows:
Ram, ram, amaram, aInaram ram,
Amaram ainaram, amaram, ram.
This was repeated over and over again in
singing tones, resembling the distant hum Of
a hive OF bees. and when the chant was ended
We were nearly as drowsy as the poor subject
was
Directly the song was finished we started
from our lethargy and brought our tagging
senses to bear upon the victim OF this remark
able incantation He was lying on the par
lor floor, to all appearances dead. His face
was Of the CHASTITY pallor Of the tomb Hii
arms, legs and fingers were as though they
had been suddenly turned 70 ice. His blood
seemed to have been frozen on day when w
living spectators were almost sutfocated by
the heat
We felt his fingers They were as rigid a
though modelled from marble Or. Craw
u ford raised his eyelids The pupil had beer
upturned and nothing but the white wa
, I
} felt his pulse His blood had stopped flowing
, through his veins 70 make the test evei
D more complete the doctor stopped his nostrils
? his eyes and his ears aud mouth with thick
!, putty like paste, that made breathing an i'm
D possibility IN every previous mesncric o
+ hypuotic experiment had witnessed The sub
+ ject always breathed
! Now came some further tests, and crue
4 ones they were, too. Large bodkins wer
b thrust entirely through the palm Of his hand
q and he never moved muscle. Neither did
9 single drop Of blood follow the withdrawal Q
J, the Steel This proddng was repeated upo
b his cheeks, his finger points, his thighs an
\ arms, with precisely the same results. The
o the old man took glowing coal Of burnin
Q charcoal from his pot and placed il on I'll
. upturncd palm Of his unconscious victim
hand. Here il az first smoked, then sizzlet
b and the corridor became permeated with I'll
I odor OF burning human flesh. Still the ma
was unconscious. Al last the doctor force
the old man 10 remove the coal, for fear tina
{ it might do the young man some permanen
injury.
: The subject was then turned over to tn
I doctors care. The physician made every 81
! fort known TO medical science TO resuscitat
: him. but all for naught After he had bee
q in this trance for nearly an hour the old faki
0 made some wide spreading passes over h
8 body with his arms and leaned back to waite
T. the result. A shver passed over the sui
ject's form, and a grim smile Of trump
4 curled the corners Of the old mans moutl
We gathered around the PROSTATE man an
watched him until we grew sick at heart an
q felt faint. Such torture, such horrible ag
% ny never before behed on n human being
face. His features were twisted and distor
y cd out Of all human resemblance. His liml
81 became knottcd, and he wrthed into a tho
% sand different shapes from his finger tips
ID bis toes. After FIVE minutes, that seemed
as us an age, he opened his eyes, rubbed d
10 moisture from his forehead and sat up as OF
a dazed. A minute later he rose and took !
" place among the others as though nothh
en- whatever had happened.
p w ME lhls was very WonuetAuis Aht y
rs man now proceeded to astonish US still mol
Jp With no one to help him save the singers al
ell their chant, OF his own voltion he threw hi
be self into this same marvellous state. We
ai- peated the same experiments upon him Ii
20 we had done in the first instance. We dro
nd steels through his limbs and scorched I
list palm Of his hand with a living coal.
in stopped up his nostrils, ears eyes and mouf
ri- aud then the doctor worked on him for b
TO an hour or more. The effect Of death was
in this case more pronounced than in the {
or mer. The natural pallor Of the old ma
sh face, his flowing white hair aud beard ma
le- him appear like the carved figure Of some
,st Indian chieftain in one Of the royal bun
l grounds. It impressed as as though we W
iue in the presence Of actual death, and we
stinctively spoke in whispers.
Jed When the doctor was tired he turned
Get body over to the woman, wEo made cert
tn. passes over t. and slowly and terribly
he old man regained his senses.-Kellar in
ere Louis Republic
ing --
nov Tho College IN Corner Of Fife.
Dun When the scarlet gowns OF the student.
on' winter are moving above these yeners