The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08

He and MoscheIes Deeply Interested
i'm the Subject.

Felix Moscheles, the artist, writes Tor the
with Du Maurier: Recollections OF Artist
Life In the Fifties" This is accompanied by
seventeen sketches and several letters and
as follows:
Mesmerisrn-or, as the fashion of to-day
calls 1t, hypnotiSm-formed so frequent
TOPIC OF conversation and speculation De-
tween Du Maurier and me that it takes a
very prominent place in my recollectfons. In
Paris had had opportunities or attending
Quence of which / soon proceeded to investi-
gate the mesmerio phenomena on my own
account. Now 1 have not touched the huid
for some thirty years; l swore on because It
was taking too much out OF me; but look
back with pleasure on my early experiments
successes, 1 may say-for was fortunate
subjects. Du Maurier was particularly in
terested in one Of these-Virginie Mersaudon
and had a way of putting puzzling ques-
tons concerning her faculties and my mes
meric influence. virginie was femme de
menage of the true Partisan type, devoted,
elderly creature who performed the duties
OF charwoman and housekeeper.
/ was not yet eighteen when first went
to Paris to study under my cousin. the
eminent Henri Lehman. AT his studio /
found Virginie installed as the presiding
genius OF the establishment, using i'm turn
broom or tub, needle, grill, or fryfng-pan,
as occasion might require. The wide range
OF her powers / further extended by making
a truly remarkable mesmeric subject of her.
My debut in Paris was that of the some
what bewildered foreigner, speaking burt
very Indifferent French; and She had from
the first done what she could to make me
feel at home in the strange city. treating me
with truly motherly care and devotion.
How completely she took possession OF me
Is shown by passage in a letter she wrote
when was iii IN Leipsic, where had gone
on a visit to my parents. After expressing
her anxiety and her regret at not being
there to nurse me, she emphatically says:
''Je rends madame yotre mere responsible
de votre sante., 1t needed but little to
lead her on from a state of docile and genial
dependence to one of unconscious mesmerio
subsection: and so, a few passes shaping
her course, i willed her across the bound
cry line that separates us from the I'M
sa;,v n Line Which thanks to Science Is
herself an incorri2fble disbeliever in the
phenomena OF mesmerfsm, but as a subject
her faculties were such as to surprise and
convert many scoffer.
At the seances, to which / invited my
friends and few scientific outsiders. al
ways courted the fullest investigation, taxi
Ing it as the first duty of the mesmerizer to
show cause why he should not be put down
as charlatan. So we had tests and coun-
ter tests. evidence and counter evidence;
scrutiniZe the rightly OF the muscles, ex-
perts to PROFOUND scientific Ifs" and
butts" and wiseacres generally to put
playful way wherever they find that wheel
In motion. It was doubly satisfactory. then,
that the good faith of subject and mesmer-
One of these Seances led to rather anus
ing incident. One night ! was awakened
from first slumber by sharp ring at my
bell, and when, after some parleying /
opened the door, / found myself confronted
by two persons. One / recognized an sin
quirer'' who had been brought TO my rooms
some time before; the other was lad /
had not seen before. The inquirer, / ascer-
tanned, having carefully watched my modus
operandi on the occasion of his visit, had
next tried experiments of his own. In this
Instance he had succeeded In mesmerizing
lad, but had found it impossible TO recall
him to his normal condition So, securing
him by a leather strap fastened around his
waist, he led him through the streets OF
Paris to my rooms. There we both tried our
powers upon him, the result being very I'M
satisfactory. The youth, feeling himself
freed from one operator and not subjected
by the other, refused allegiance to either,
and being OF a pugnacious temperament.
squared up and began striking out at both
of u.s. 1t was not without considerable diff
fculty that l mesmerized him completely,
and then, having previously prepared his
mind to account naturally for his presence
in my rooms, succeeded in awakening him,
and all ended happily. The inquirer was duly
grateful, the youth went home strapless and
none the worse for the adventure, and /
proceeded to do some very sound sleeping
on my own account.