The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-13
NAPOLEON LAUGHED AT BUMPS,

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NAPOLEON LAUGHED AT BUMPS,
From the Chicago Herald.
The Emperor Napoleon was not ten-
der toward the doctrines of Mesmer,
Gall and Lavater, which troubled some
brains, but which he eaaled charlatan-
ism. ''Mesmer and nesmerism, said
he, "have never recovered from Bailly's
investigation made ip behalf of the
Academy of Sciences. Mesmer exer-
e'sed power over person, magnetic
ing him as he stood face to face with
him. This same person Elagnetized
from behind, and, not knowing what
was going on, felt nothing. 1t was
then on his part an illusion of his i'm
agination, a weakness of the faculties;
1t is the somnambulist whe at night
runs along the roofs without danger;
in the daytime he would break his
neck, because his senses would be agi-
tated. One day at one of my public
audiences / took in hand the charlatan,
Puysegur, on the subject of his SOM
nambuie' name given TO persons whom
the 'charlatan' can put into trance,
translation). He undertook to get on
his high horse; L brought him down by
these words alone: IF it is so wise, let
1T tell us something new. In two hun
dred years men have made much prog
ress. Let it specify one single step for
ward it has made, Let it tell what it
will do in eight days! Let it make
known the numbers which will be
drawn at the lottery tomorrow"
81 did the same for Gall. / contrib
uted much to the undoing. Corvisart
was his great votary; he and his like
have great penchant for materialism;
1t would extend their science and their
domain, But nature is not so poor. If
she were so gross as to make herself
known by exterior forms we would
make more rapid progress in our task,
and we would be better informed. Her
secrets are more subtitle and more deli
cate, more fugitive, until now they es-
cape every effort TO grasp them. a
little hunchback turns out a great
genius; tall handsome man is only
blockhead. A large head with big
brain sometimes contains single idea,
while a small brain is found to be en-
dowed with a vast intellect
"And row look at Calls imbecility.
He attributed 10 certain bumps pro-
pensities and crimes which spring only
from society and the covenants of man.
What becomes of the bump of robbery,
if there is no property; the bump of
drunkenness, if there is no fermented
liquor in existence; that of ambition,
ciety?
1T is the same with that arrant
humbug, Lavater, with his relation be-
tween the moral and the physical Our
credulity lies in the imperfection of
our nature: il is in US TO wish TO parade
pos tive opinions. when we ought. on
the contrary, TO carefully guard agaiRst
this
Hardly do we see a mans features
before we are ready TO lay claim to a
knowledge of his character. Wisdom
would lie in rejecting the idea OF such
a thing, of neutralizing these dslusive
circumstances Such one has robbed
me: he had gray ewes; henceforward I
viii never see gray eyes without the
idea OF being robbed: they are a vsa-
pom which has wounded me and which
! dread wherever ! see il; but indeed IS
IL the gray ewes which robbed me?
Reason. experience and | have had
great opportunity OF exercising them.
show that all these signs are lies that
one cannot guard against them too
carefully, and that there Is really no
other means of knowing men than that
of seeing them. trying them aud asso-
cia1lng with them
And after all one runs across such
hideous faces. | must confess. that the
most acute reason is al first put 20 fight
and condemnation il pronounced even
against reason Nevertheless we must
not Judge men bv their looks: we can
only know them well on trial What
faces have had 70 pass upon in M
life, What experiments l have sesn
able 20 make. What aenunciations.
what reports kave heard, 30 ! hare
made IL an iHvsriahie rale never 20 al 1
low myself TO be Influenced 81 mans |
face nor by words All the hum bug Of /
Cazlioxtro, Mesuer- Gail and LsFafer l
II swept away bY this one argument. .
simple as il =, al this can De. but IL Is I
not
Man loves the m-yves0ss: u has a. 4
irresistible charm for aim. he = a. 4
ways ready 20 quit that with which ne Is 4
eoEns SD saos. % rgI ate. VIA. "A 1