The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-01-27
AEDREW ]. DAVIS
SPIRITUALIST
a Remarkable and Long Famous Seer
and SpirituaIist,

Andrew Jackson Davis. beginning
! ms career as an illiterate youth al
~ who dwelt in frances, spoke and
/ read languages Of which he was 10
! tally ignorant, and clairvovantIv Wis
lted regions on earth and in other
| spheres. has closed it i'm Waterfowl
at Lis summer HON cas- a reputable
though peculiar practitioner of medi-
c1ne-which be did not study until
| he was more than 60 years old, and
then graduated from a full course of
study at the New York Medical Col
lege. He was a farmers boy. but
was shoemaker's appretice when. in
lS43. his extraordinary clairvoyant
powers were discovered and devel-
oped by William Livingston, a travel
Ing eXpositor Of mesmerism.
His trance utterances were far he
yond any ability OF the mesmerist 10
inspire. and they covered not only the
strange gift of tongues which he man
tested; and he never became com
monplace. while he dealt with the
diagnosis OF diseases and dictated
medical prescriptions In the mag
netlc sleep which were apparently
as enectual as those o feducated prac-
tltioners. But this sort of work ceas-
fell into trance in which he met
and conversed with spirits and be-
gan his large discourses on all CON
Germs of human life. present and I'm
ture; and when his "Principles of
Nature; Her Divine Revelations" an
peared in 1S45 he was recognized as
the highest product of the then new
spiritualistic movement. teaching from
the interior state" as Swendenborg
had done.
He was never concerned i'm tabIo
tipping, raps. and other phenomena
OF mediumship, which he declared TO
DeIong to the infancy of spirit com
nuhlcatlon. He lived in an atmos-
pherc OF the further world. lie wrote
Great many books of things human
olvlDe. and in the mid-region of life
IN the borders of the worlds: in fact
ne was the first philosopher of sDir-
ltHalism. His books are of mived
merit, but there is no DENYING that
they abound in an interest more than
casual. though, no doubt. so largely
forgotten that his name is strange IN
the present geenration. Few can ra-
member to have read his great work
The Great Harmonic" in four vol
umes. or even his most entertaining
ana worthy book. THE Magic STAFF"
II is not worth while to record the
titles of voi unimuousozfih xzfi6af
titles of voluminous OUTPUT; hut
Whatever one may think of his claims
10 spiritual experience and authority
these many writing abound in matters
OF psychologist and scholastic interest
Davis in his prime. 40 years ago
mad personality of remarkable eff
5ect He was then slight of figure
with dark hair worn somewhat long
brilliant and questioning eve:
magnetic impression radiated from
MN. He was to be met at anti-slaverv
and woman suffrage meetings. and
was regarded with respect. Every
where he espoused the advanced ideas.
And when he was at last ready he
obtained medical education for the
purpose of practicing his unusual
healing gifts with a basis of scien-
tine Knowledge which would remove
him from the mere dealers" How
ne was received by the medical nro-
lesslon we do not remember, but II
appears that in Boston, where his
medical practice was, he had a certain
amout of success.