V ' 6 / 4 s A, « K V ' %A aO J o ^ o ^ 7? 233- %^3 ABSORPTION /ST4/V m : * AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. \m A RATIONAL AND CONSISTENT SYSTEM OF MESMERISM; EXPOSING MANY OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ERRORS PREVALENT UPON THIS SUBJECT. "Nature unadorned is adorned the most." EMBRACING, ALSO, UNIVERSAL CONNEXION, * * $ K BY DR. A. YORKE, PROFESSOR OF MESMERISM. COMPILED CHIEFLY FROM NOTES OF HIS NUMEROUS EXPERIMENTS AND LETTERS TO HIS PUPILS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. £ PHILADELPHIA: GRUBB & REAZOR, 178 NORTH THIRD 6T. 1844. & r^ The following Works, among many others, possess considerable interest ; for the historical and matter-of-fact information which they furnish. 11 Mesmerism ; or System of the reciprocal actions and re-actions," &c, by Dr. Frederick Anton Mesmer. Edited by Dr. Chas. C. Wolfart,— Berlin, 1814 — German. " Commentary upon Mesmerism," by Dr. Chas. C. Wolfart; 1815 — German. " Townshend's Facts in Mesmerism" — English. Deluese's Work — French to English. Teste's late Work— do do. " Attempt to Establish Animal Magnetism as a Therapeutical Agent," by Dr. C. A. F. Kluge, Prof, of Surgery at the University of Berlin ; 3d edition ; 1819 — German. " Attempt to Explain the apparent Magical Nature of Animal Mag- netism, according to Physiological and Psycological Principles," by Professor Eschenweyer ; 1816 — German. " Pathetism," by Rev. La Roy Sunderland ; New York, 1842 — English. ■« The Wonders of Magnetism," by Dr. Louis Vogle — German. " Progress of Animal Magnetism in New England," by M. Poyen — English. Stilling's Writings — German. Wirth's Treaties— do. " Somnambulism," by Prof. F. Fischer, of Bazil ; 1839 — German. " The Magnet," (still publishing,) by Rev. La Roy Sunderland ; New York — English. Psycography," by Dr. Robert H. Collyer ; Philada., 1843 — English. " Researches into Vital Magnetism and Clairvoyance," by Dr. J. C. Passavant ; 2d revised edition — 1837. Contains a good history of Mesme- rism, from the earliest ages down. — German. The latest work from the German press, is by Prof. Eunemoser, of Munich, entitled, " Magnetism in its relation to Nature and Religion,"— 1842. It is highly spoken of by those who have perused it. 'ABSORPTION: A RATIONAL AND CONSISTENT SYSTEM OF MESMERISM; EXPOSING MANY OF THE FUJTDAMBNTAI ERRORS PREVALENT UPON THIS SUBJECT. 'Nature unadorned is adorned the most.' EMBRACING, ALSO, UNIVERSAL CONNEXION, THE CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. BY DR. A. YORKE PROFESSOR OF MESMERISM. COMPILED CHIEFLY FROM NOTES OF HIS NUMEROUS EXPERIMENTS AND LETTERS TO HIS PUPILS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATliS. p PHILADELPHIA: GRUBB & REAZOK 178 NORTH THIRD ST. 1814. K m± 1? > " Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, i BY J. M. REAZOR, In the Clerk's Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. GihoN & Porter, Printers, 8. E. corner of Seventh and Market Streets. DEDICATION. To the faithful, the candid pioneers of Mesmerism, hi the United States and in Europe ; in token of admiration for their benevolent, per- severing, yet unpopular labors in the cause of truth ; this brief treatise is respectfully dedicated, by The Author. PREFACE In throwing hastily together'the few following pages, which give but a brief outline of my System of Mesmerism, I have rather consulted the necessitous condition of the subject itself, than my own interest. For it is my sincere desire to dispel, if possible, a portion of the darkness and superstition which thickly envelope the noblest subject within the sphere of our investigation — a sub- ject teeming with the most profound interest to the whole world, and worthy the attention of the mightiest intellects. The exceeding brevity which I have been compelled to adopt, I fear will render my remarks somewhat incomprehensible to the first view of general readers ; yet, to those who are investigating the subject, for whose perusal they are chiefly intended, they will be found perfectly comprehensible. In the main, my remarks are entirely new. I am aware that my positions in Part Second, will be laughed at by many skeptics, who reject the whole subject of Mesmerism. But I do not heed this— quod scripsi scripsi — I have given my opinion with candor ; and am willing to abide by the consequences. I entered the field of Mesmerism under a very unfavourable opinion ; honestly disbelieving all that I heard, and saw of it. About a year ago, however, I accidentally became convinced of my error by my own experiments ; since which moment, I have devoted to it, both .by day and night, my undivided attention ; and kept up an incessant, untiring, practical investigation, including several hundred subjects of various temperaments, ages, habits, and conditions ; and under almost every variety of season, location, and circumstance imaginable. During my investigation, I gave every thing that met my view, which professed to throw light tipon the subject, a faithful, and an impartial examination. But in- stead of finding the subject reduced to such laws, as in reality seem to govern, it, I found, that it had been treated, by most writers, in such a vague, mystified, and inaccessible manner, that I almost despaired of ever arriving at any rational conclusions. But, I took facts for my guide ; I saw that there was a founda- tion to the thing itself; and, determined to spare neither labor nor expense to arrive at the truth, I toiled on in defiance of the scoffs and gibes of the prejudiced, and but little heeding the dreads and fears of the superstitious ; leaving not a stone unstruck, which seem- ed to promise a single spark of light, upon the subject. And thus VI. PREFACE. from an entire skeptic at the beginning of my researches, I have been led on, step by step, to appreciate and adopt the sublime truths of Mesmerism ; bordering closely upon " the spirit land." The conclusions to which my numerous experiments have led me, as will be seen by the following pages, are greatly at variance with the opinions which have been adopted, as it were, by com- mon consent, by most mesmerisers, down to the present time. My system of Absorption effectually abolishes the glaring, the ridiculous, the inconsistent idea, that the imperial "ivill" per- forms" so many curious, absurd, mystical, sublime, whimsical, ay, fearful convolutions, and gyrations of action, as have, by our " Lecturers," been attributed to it ; by which they have frightened the sober notions of our philosophers, and rendered Mesmerism a subject for mirth, even among scientific men. Although the following system may disturb the felicity of some of the potent ivil led quack mesmerisers, who are spreading them- selves throughout the country, I feel confident, that it will be glad- ly received by all whose purpose is the discovery of truth. And, even should they have adopted the common hypothesis of "will," they will recognize, at once, the errors under which they have been laboring; and, generally willing to make an exchange of what they cannot but own to be a defenceless mass of confusion, for that which may be brought within the sphere of our accustom- ed modes of reasoning, they will, willingly, suffer their tottering fabric of prejudice or superstition, to tumble uncoercedly into that burial place, where, hidden from the unmerciful, relentless, stare of ridicule, the darling opinions " that were," are lulled into silent repose ; whence nought, save their shapeless ghosts, are suffered to escape, to wander down to future generations, playthings for the mirth of school-boys. Should my other duties permit me to do so, I shall, within a short period, publish an elaborate work o'n the subject of Mesmer- ism. In the meantime, I offer, to the investigating public, the present brief pamphlet ; trusting, that by eradicating some of the fundamental errors prevalent upon this subject, which have hidden its real worth from the view of scientific men, who otherwise must have seen and adopted it, I shall discharge a duty, which the rights of my species demand. A. YORKE. PART I. ABSORPTION. CHAPTER I. Man is very justly considered the most exalted creature of the animal kingdom. Besides this, the intellectual faculties, with which his species is endowed, which, through means with which he is every day becoming more and more familiar, may be ele- vated to a far more exalted capacity than their ordinary condition exhibits, justly entitle him to be ranked in the Kingdom of Spirits. For the purpose of being systematic, I shall consider man in three distinct divisions. First, the Body. Second, the Vital Principle. Third, the Mind. In the first, I shall include the solids, together with all the pon- derable fluids, of the human economy. In the second, I shall in- clude that principle, which has for its basis, an imponderable fluid, upon which depend the life, and action of the system. The third, which is the mind, or soul, is entirely immaterial ; and includes thought and sensation. Some, indeed, have added a fourth divi- sion, to embrace the soul, which they have considered as being distinct from the mind. Be this as it may, the'above three divisions are sufficient for my present purpose. Nor do I see the utility of going beyond this third division, and then confining ourselves to a fourth : just as well might we add a fifth and a sixth. For, whilst the fourth division is entirely beyond our comprehension, equally so is the third ; the existence of which, however, we are necessarily com- pelled to admit; i. e. a capacity for thought and sensation. But of the manner in which this capacity acts, we are totally ignorant ; and may ever expect to remain so, whilst under our present terres- trial organization. Of the first division, I need say but little in this place, as we are already familiar with it. The second, then, only remains for our consideration. This embodies, by means of an imponderable fluid, and its properties, the connecting link between mind and matter ; it em- bodies the principle of life, and the medium by which the mind, which is strictly immaterial, acts upon, and influences the body, 6 ABSORPTION. which latter, is strictly material; as well as the medium by which the body, when influenced by outward objects, communicates, in turn, itstihfhien.ee to the mind. The existence of this fluid was for some time a matter of doubt to many who attempted to investigate the subject ; but at present, I think that there is no practical mesmerizer who has arrived at any degree of proficiency in his a*rt, that entertains even the slight- est remnant of doubt upon this point. I consider it unnecessary, therefore, to offer any especial proof of its existence, beyond what may be gathered from the tenor of this work. Several speculations have been advanced, for the purpose of identifying it with the electric fluid ; which have been, thus far, unsuccessful. And, as my present means of making a chemical analysis of it, for the pur- pose of determining the precise quantities of any primitive sub- stances, that may enter into its composition, are entirely inadequate to that task, I shall content myself, for the present, by denying its strict identity with electricity ; at the same time contending that that fluid forms its basis, which, however, becomes variously mo- dified (as I shall hereafter show) by a variety of other substances, as it occupies the different parts of the system. Was it pure elec- tricity, its effects would be uniform ; and, if all subjects were not affected precisely alike by its influence, at least the same subject would be affected*precisely alike by the influence of every mes- merizer, which is hot the case ; for every individual possesses this fluid under a modification peculiar to himself. This medium has received a variety of names, according to the caprice or inclination of each individual treating of it; such as — - "Vital Principle, 77 "Nervous Force, 77 "Magnetic Medium, 77 and some others. But I shall call it the Mesmeric Fluid ; that being a name of generic import, and one that will exclude no principle which may hereafter be discovered to belong to it. That fluid, with which the system of the subject is charged, when under mesmeric influence, being that which abounds- in negative electricity, I shall term Positive Mesmerism. Its contrary, of which the subject is at that time deprived, and which abounds in positive electricity, I shall term Negative Mesmerism. This fluid, like its basis electricity, is universal ; and in addition to this, by its being modified by other substances, it is capable of pervading, in right lines, all known substances (which I have yet tested) whether conductors of electricity, or otherwise, and whether conductors of common light, or otherwise, i. e. whether transparent or opaque. This latter condition it is, which renders it a medium for vision to the lucid subject. ; as the common light is a medium, for sight, to the natural eye, and gives him that capacity of clear- sightedness, or Clairvoyance, by which he is enabled to see, dis- tinctly, through substances which are opaque, with respect to com- mon light. ABSORPTION. 9 This arrangement is'as conceivable, and as admissible to our perceptions, as, that common light pervades glass, water, the at- ?nosphere, and other transparent substances; and thus informs our sight of the presence of objects beyond them. Nor would it be any more absurd, for a person who is blind, and does not pos- sess the natural means of vision, to deny the existence of light, and its properties, because he is unable to comprehend them, than for one, who has not been in a lucid mesmeric state, to deny these principles of the mesmeric fluid, merely because he has not per- sonally realized them. This fluid has the atmosphere for a reservoir of its general prin- ciple, electricity ; yet, in its modified condition, resides upon the nervous system of animals, and, more particularly, upon the nerves (including the brain) of the human economy. Whilst, in this latter capacity, it furnishes, as I have before said, the connexion between the material, and immaterial parts of our nature; was it not for this, the spirit must necessarily exist separately from the body; and the mind would lose its ability to recognize the indivi- dual habitation to which it belongs. As it is, however, the body becomes a repository of thought and sensation, by means of this connecting agency. Each external cause of sensation, produces a peculiar modifica- tion of this fluid, which is then deposited upon an appropriate part of the nervous system, where its peculiar import is recognized by the mind. By the commingling of these various deposites, which first originate in simple sensations, material is furnished for all the combinations of ideas which we possess; and thus is means established for the support of an endless train of thought and action. I shall leave the further consideration, of this part of the subject, until I come to treat of the Consequences of Mesmerism. This fluid is subject to disorganization ; which causes pain, and disease in the system ; and, good clairvoyant subjects tell me, that they can detect this disorganization, by the fluid's exhibiting a dark, dull color, in contradistinction from that of the healthily or- ganized fluid ; which, they say, has invariably a white, luminous appearance. When a pain, &c, is to be removed by mesmeric application, the immediate cause of which is, always, an unhealthy organiza- tion of this fluid, it is easily to be understood, how, when this por- tion of the fluid, which has become unhealthily modified, or de- composed by some means or other, has been dislodged, and a por- tion of healthy fluid established in its stead, by the operation, the pain is removed. One of the most valuable laws, as I shall hereafter show, which governs this fluid, is its tendency to seek an equilibrium upon the nervous system. 2 10 ABSORPTION, Not only does this subtile fluid serve as a medium lo connect thought with our individual bodies, but also, by its action upon the motor nerves, furnishes the muscles with the power of Con- tractility and relaxation ; thus rendering our bodies capable of mo- tion and action. It appears to me, that, in order to contract a muscle, the poles of certain fibres of the nerves, are thrown into peculiar positions, with relation to each other, in such a manner, as to cause tfne set of poles to become positively mesmerized ; whilst the other, on the contrary, remains negatively mesmerized ; which conditions pro- duce a principle of attraction, similar to that manifested by the opposite poles of electricity, and thus cause the contraction in question. If, for instance, we suppose that the fibres, at one pole, are erected in such a manner as to extend their points, which points may serve for the collection of negative mesmerism, in a similar manner to that in which steel points serv^e to collect the electric fluid, and that the other poles, by being relaxed, absorb, in their turn, the positive mesmerism, we have no difficulty, whatever, in understanding how each pole may be supplied with its essential principle, from the adjacent parts,or from the general reservoir itself. It is still difficult, however, to determine how these nervous fi- bres are brought into action by the command of the mind. It seems equally difficult, too, to determine whether the mind acts independently, in issuing its mandates to the fluid, or whether the action of the fluid (which is, of course, modified by external cir- cumstances) takes place in accordance with some former actions, which it has performed. For the peculiar state in which the fluid was left, by its former actions, united with the influence of external causes; may, peradventure, produce, as a necessary and unavoida- ble consequence, not only the present action, but, at the same time r the will to perform this action. This last proposition, which is not without some share of sup- porting evidence, throws the action of the mind into the position of an effect, instead of a cause j i. e. makes the fluid the motive power, and thought the consequence ; and was it established,, would save us the trouble of enquiring hoio the fluid *is brought into action by the command of the mind. But as it seems impos- sible to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions, with respect to the manner in which the immaterial and material parts of our nature are connected, I will quit the discussion of this mysterious question, for the present, and proceed to speak of more tangible matters — maintaining the position which I have taken with regard to the poles of the nervous fibres, and premising, still farther, (as my practice corroborates it) that the negative mesmeric (electric) points, when in action, are generally directed towards the ex- tremities ABSORPTION. 1 1 Each individual part of the system possesses this fluid under a modification peculiar to itself. This is strongly manifested by the brain, where each portion serves for the occupation of some particular kind of thought, sensation, &c. And, further, as no two individuals are precisely of the same constitution and disposition, neither do any two persons possess this fluid in precisely the same degree, either with respect to quantity, or quajity. Lastly; the fluids belonging to the systems of two or more indi- viduals, may, by means of the mesmeric operation, be brought into communication with each other, when many curious, interest- ing, and important phenomena may often be developed. CHAPTER II. Although the fluid, of which I have been treating in the former chapter, the positive kind of which constitutes the material for mesmerizing, is possessed in different degrees by different indi- viduals, no one, at all acquainted with the subject, will pretend, that the ability to mesmerize is confined to a few individuals ex- clusively ; yet, it is not to be denied, that, like with every other faculty, with which we are endowed, nature has dealt more libe- rally with some of us than others, in measuring out our capacity to mesmerize. She has, on the other hand, also, been partial to some, by constituting them more susceptible to the mesmeric in- fluence, than others ; thus, making them natural heirs to the bene- fits to beHerived from it. The different degrees of mesmeric capacity depend on certain conditions of temperament, and mental organization. Those, with whom the sanguine, or bilious temperament pre- dominates, usually possess positive mesmeric fluid in a strong de- gree; and, hence, they have, by their nature, a supply of the ne- cessary material for mesmerizing. Yet this alone does not con- stitute them efficient mesmerizers; for, let it be especially observed, there is a vast difference between the mere possession of the material for mesmerizing, and the power to call this material into action. The capacity to use this material to advantage, consists in a peculiar mental organization, in an ability to exert a strong degree of mental energy, an irresistible and unremitting determination to succeed in what we have undertaken to create, and support, un- tiringly, a superior degree of nervous action. This is usually, chiefly manifested by the organ of Firmness being well developed ; which renders us capable of continuing in any pursuit, in which li ABSORPTION. we may have engaged, at the suggestion of the other organs of the brain. Although this constitutes the sine qua non of the mesmeric power, this power is greatly modified, as well as strengthened, by a liberal share of Benevolence ; which is, perhaps, of as much, or even more importance, than the leading principle of continuance, itself.* Those who are naturally more susceptible to the mesmeric in- fluence, generally have the nervous, or lymphatic temperament predominating; and possess an abundant share of the negative mesmeric fluid. (It may be well to remark here, that the peculiar physical constitution, proposed for the mesmerizer, as well as this contrary one, here offered, for the subject, or recipient, pre-suppose the residence of the particular kind of fluid, which I have allotted to each of them ; which peculiar degree, of positive or negative fluid, is essential to the well-being of each, to whom it has been allotted, whilst they are in their natural state, and, when the positive and negative degrees are changed, from what the constitution naturally requires, mesmeric phenomena are pro duced.) Certain conditions of the mental organization, are also advanta- geous to the recipient ; the chief of which, is an ability to devote the whole attention to the mesmerizer. This is shown by the organ of Concentrativeness being strongly marked ; which creates an ability' to keep the attention fixed upon a single subject, to the exclusion of all other thoughts. The recipient, too, should be of an amiable disposition, and free from any thing that would tend to render him, in the least degree, disagreeable to the operator. The combinations of the physical and mental conditions, which I have here proposed, are seldom met with in any considerable degree of perfection. Those who are so happily constituted, are capable of producing truly wonderful effects^ whilst those who possess the necessary conditions in part, are still able to produce some phenomena ; yet there are many others, who, from an abso- lute absence of all such essential combinations, are totally incapa- ble of either producing or receiving any beneficial effect, whatever. CHAPTER III. It is a lamentable truth, that, in addition to the very indifferent manner in which the modus operandi of mesmerism has heretofore been understood, efforts have even been made, by some who have * See Part III., Chap. 3. N ABSORPTION. 13 Created the subject, to render it even more mysterious and incom- prehensible, than they, themselves, found it. We hear it, every day, most profoundly asserted, that the fluid is subject to the will of the mesmerizer — that the mesmerizer "wills" a thing to be done, and it is done ; and all this unconditionally. And, without any further explanation, whatever, we are told, that the "will" of the mesmerizer, sends out this fluid; i.e. eradiates, directs it; to the system of the subject ; depositing it in this place, and that, at its option. Some lecturers upon the subject, have even been hardy enough to assert, that they have thrown subjects into the mesmeric state at the distance of half a mile, without knowing where they were at the time, and without their knowledge of the operation, &c; and leave their hearers to understand, as best they can, how their wills have eradiated a fluid, through a densely populated city, in every direction, to the distance of half a mile, until it has sought out, from among the crowds the object for which it ivas intended, and there deposited itself, in strict obedience to the commands of its imperial master, the will* Statements, of these kinds, are more readily made, than either understood or be- lieved ; and are but illy calculated to assist in establishing that confidence in the subject, of which, at present, it stands greatly in need. It is fully time, therefore, that such deleterious errors, which are rather* the offspring of superstitious folly, combined with a morbid love of the pageantry of "mystic lore," than of scientific reflection, should be eradicated, and a rational and comprehensible view of the subject taken; such an one, as will not presume to set at naught all the known laws of nature — nor challenge our credu- lity beyond its utmost stretch ; but will comport with our daily ob- servations of nature's laws, and accord with the knowledge that we already possess of her operations, which canno^ fail to enlist the attention.of philosophers. In order to produce mesmeric effects, the mesmeric fluid, of the operator, and that of the subject, are brought into communication, by contact, proixmity, or mutual correspondence ; by which means they become so modified, as to cofomingle with each other, almost as though they were the common property of both. miction of the nervous system, or of any part of it, requires the presence of a greater degree of negative mesmeric fluid, than in- action; or action requires a supply of negative mesmerism (elec- • tricity) whilst inaction may survive on positive mesmerism. In the mesmeric operation, the nervous system of the operator is thrown into voluntary, even energetic action — the negative mes- meric (electric) points of the fibres, of the nervous substance, are erected, and extended in such a manner, as to collect, most effec- tually, the negative mesmeric principle, essential to the condition * See first note, Part II., Chap. 1. 14 ABSORPTION. of action. On the other hand, the nervous system of the subject of the operation, is suffered to relax into a state of repose and in- action; in this condition, it requires a less quantity of negative mesmerism than it already possesses ; but, in its stead, a supply of positive mesmerism. The fluids of the two systems, are now con- nected, and the operation about to take place — the two conditions, of activity and inactivity, are present ; one at either end of the chain — each with its peculiar want to be supplied, and each pos- sessing that sort of fluid, which is not only unnecessary, but abso- lutely destructive, to its own continuance ; yet the very desideratum ■of the other. As the operation continues, a mutual exchange of the fluids occurs ; the negative mesmerism (electricity) passes to the active system of the operator, which requires its presence, whilst the positive mesmerism passes to the inactive system of the recipient, the condition of which, also, requires its presence. And in this manner the operation of mesmerizing is completed. But is this exchange of the fluids brought about by the " will" of the mesmerizer, sending out, propelling, eradiating, and directing a fluid to the system of the subject, as has been heretofore univer- sally contended ? I think not ; and I believe that every candid reader must agree with me in this opinion. Instead, however, of its being effected in so mysterious and improbable a manner, it is accomplished, as will be seen by what has alrea'dy been said, by the simple process of Absorption, with the existence of which principle, our daily observations have made us familiar. I am fully aware, in making this correction, by substituting a theory based upon philosophic principles, for one, the leading fea- ture of which is romance, that I shall greatly spoil mesmerism — ■ -not however, of its grandeur, its sublimity — not of its noble balmy purposes — no$ of its high benevolent, and sympathetic character — but of a part of one of its most attractive outward ornaments ; namely, its mystery ! ! Nor am I ignorant of the prodigious con- sequences that must result to mankind, from the general application of the principles here laid down j but, of this, I shall speak in another chapter. This absorption is not confined to either the operator, or the subject ; but produces a mutual exchange, of the opposite kinds of fluid, between the two parties. It will be seen, that the mesmerizer, by performing the active part of the operation, absorbs from the system of the subject, the*, negative mesmeric fluid; whilst the subject, in turn, by remaining inactive, absorbs the positive mesmeric fluid from the operator's system. Hence, each has become a recipient ; the former, how- ever, of negative mesmerism, (electricity,) which principle sup- ports him in an active, and waking state ; and the latter, of posi- tive mesmeric fluid, who is then said to be under mesmeric in- fluence. ABSORPTION, CHAPTER IV. This theory of absorption, is supported by an extensive range of phenomena which I have seen produced, and I know of none with which it does not satisfactorily accord. ( How is it, I ask, that, if the' fluid is subservient to, and dire&ted by the "ivill," we sometimes throw persons into the mesmeric state, when it is not our will to do so, and of which we are entire- ly ignorant at the time? For it not unfrequently occurs, that, at the end of a tedious operation on a difficult subject, the operator dis- covers one or more persons who are sitting near him, and whom he has had not the slightest intention to mesmerize, to be under mesmeric influence. Writers have not been sparing in their essays- on foreign influence : i. e. the subject, when mesmerized, receiving the influence of those around him, which often causes some trouble to the operator to remove it ; for this they have accounted, by sup- posing it to be produced, by the " will" of the bystanders, who merely wish to try their mesmeric skill. But concerning this fo- reign absorption, of which I have spoken above, i. e. the subject becoming mesmerized ivithout the will of the operator ; which is of nearly as frequent occurrence as the other, they have all re- mained perfectly quiet; perceiving no doubt, (as they easily might,) that their theory of "will" would not embrace it. The principles of absorption, however, will satisfactorily explain them both. * Again : a person who has made but one or two attempts to mes- merize, will often be found capable to remove the influence from a subject in a shorter time than it could be done by an experienced operator : the reason is obvious ; namely, that the responsibility and novelty of his situation, with which he continues to be im- pressed during the whole time that the subject is under the influ- ence, prevent the negative mesmerism (electricity,) from escaping into the general reservoir; hence it is retained upon his system — ready to be returned to the subject at the least notice. With the ex- perienced operator, however, it is often different ; for, at the end of his operation, he having nothing to keep his nervous system in in- voluntary action, relaxes it, and suffers the negative mesmerism which he has absorbed from the system of the subject, to pass into the atmosphere : (this, of course, is very essential when operating for the relief of disease : for it throws off the diseased fluid, and replaces it by a fresh supply from the general reservoir.) the consequence of which is, that when he desires to aivake his subject, he is often compelled, first to re-collect a fresh, supply of negative mesmerism to be returned to the subject, instead of that which he (the opera- 16 ABSORPTION. tor,) had absorbed. No one will presume to doubt, that in these ci ciimstances, the ivill of the experienced mesmerizer is as strong as that of the inexperienced one, or even stronger. Besides this general principle of absorption, which depends principally on the positive and negative qualities of the fluid, there is also a secondary principle which deserves our attention, and is equally important and interesting in its effects with the former. It ^ this, that, as each part of the system possesses the fluid under a modification peculiar to itself, so each part has a tendency to absofb from the corresponding part of the system of another, in preference to any other part. This principle is manifested in many ways, and particularly in that class of curious phenomena in which the senses of the operator and subject, are said to act in sympathy. If, for instance, when the conditions are such as may render the sympathy of taste de- monstrable, the operator should take a sapid substance into his mouth, the gustatory organs of the subject may receive the same sapid impression, as that which the operator has received. Elucidation. In the first place, as I have already premised, each external cause of sensation produces a peculiar modification of the fluid ; and also the negative mesmerism (electricity,) is par- ticularly essential to nervous action. Now the operator has absorbed upon his gustatory organs, a superfluous quantity of this principle, from the corresponding organs of the subject : hence, the sapid body being brought into contact with his gustatory organs, produces a peculiar effect upon the fluid there residing, i. e. modifies it in a peculiar manner, by which it conveys to the mind the knowledge of some particular taste. If, for instance, the sapid body is an aromatic, its action upon the gustatory fluid is such as will change the qualities of that fluid, in such a manner that it will be recog- nized by the mind, to have been in contact with a body.possessing aromatic properties. During the time that the operator is tasting, he is collecting the negative mesmeric principle for the action ; and ivhilst he is making an effort to increase the taste in his own mouth, (supposing the subject to be still passive,) the subject will receive no impression by sympathy whatever, nor until the operator relaxes his effort to taste, when the gustatory organs of the subject, being called into action, will re-absorb from the corresponding organs of the operator the negative mesmeric principle, essential to the sup- port of their action ; (yet no longer necessary to the relaxed, or inac- tive state of the gustatory organs of the operator,) bearing with it the aromatic modification which it has received. Thus his organs of gustation receive the same sapid impression as those of the opera- tor, and in a similar manner, convey a knowledge of it to his mind. This phenomenon may likewise be produced by another person taking the place of the mesmerizer, (i. e. being put in communica- tion with the subject,) demonstrating clearly, that the subject when ABSORPTION. 17 tinder mesmeric influence, may absorbYrom the system of another, a portion of negative mesmerism (electricity,) which did not original- ly belong to him. In fact, I have seen a case of a young lady, in which, by this kind of absorption, severe strangulation was produced by the per- son who was in communication withUher, having swallowed a small portion of capsicum annuum ; and even after she was taken out of the state, the biting continued on her lipsduring severalhours. The same principles of re-absorption which I have here given, may be equally applied to the senses of feeling and smelling, (I have never yet seen a satisfactory case of sympathetic hearing : and for this reason shall pass over it, at present,) of vision, I shall speak in another place. In feeling, if the operator's hand should be wounded in such a manner as will cause pain ; a similar sensation will be produced on the corresponding part of the subject's system. If the hair of the former should be pulled, the latter will complain of his head ; and, often after being awakened, will charge some one withbh^ing pulled his hair ; which clearly proves my position, with regard to the peculiarities of the different parts of the system ; and the mutual preference of the corresponding parts for each other. In smelling, too, the olfactory sensations, which are often trans- fered very correctly, from the operator to the subject, are conveyed by the same process of local re-absorption. When any corresponding parts of two systems are equally ac- tive, or equally inactive at the same time, no exchange of the fluids takes place by the secondary or local principle of mutual absorp- tion, (yet, independent of this, a greater or less effect may some- times be produced by the general, or positive and negative principle, which, by dint of the tendency, which the fluid has to seek an equi- librium, spreads its influence throughout the system.) And also, when any particular part or organ of the mesmerizer's system is thrown into action, whilst the corresponding one of the subject's system remains inactive, a mutual local absorption takes place, and that part, or organ of the subject, is brought under mesmeric in- fluence. This is an elucidation of the mystery (concerning which, the wits of many of our amateur mesmerizers have been greatly at a loss) of that important branch of mesmerism — popularly termed " Local Magnetism." CHAPTER V. It has been supposed, that, during the mesmeric operation, a community of thought and feeling was established between the operator and the subject — a unison of the action of the two minds 3 18 ABSORPTION. was kept np ; and in accordance with whatever organs of the operator's brain were the most active, the corresponding organs of the subject's brain were excited by means of sympathy; and this, during the operation. This is an error as egregious as many others, which, before I finish this work, it will have fallen to my lot to correct : nor can I^ee any plausible philosophic excuse for it ; for such communication from the operator to the subject, can only take place by re-action — re-absorption ; whilst, on the contrary, during the operation, a direct opposite action of the corresponding organs is produced. Elucidation. When a particular faculty of the operator's mind is active, it becomes the province of the organ supporting the corresponding faculty of the subject, to supply with negative mes- merism, (electricity,) the like organ of the operator, which is in an active state ; and in its turn, to absorb from that active organ, the positive mesmeric principle, which renders it more and more inactive. Thus, if that faculty of the operator which gives him thegfeejing of " 'per sever antia omnia vincit" is active, it will tend to exhaust the active principle of that faculty from the subject, who, by this means, allows himself to become flexible and sub- servient to the operator ; and a suspension or relaxation of the activity of that faculty on the part of the operator, during the operation, is often attended by the risk of arousing the subject, by allowing him to re-absorb the active principle upon the organ in question. If benevolence is active with the operator, and produces a feeling of pity and concern for the welfare of the subject — a desire io give : it necessarily absorbs the active principle of that faculty from the subject, as in the former case ; and instead of" benevolence" being excited in the subject by sympathy, a willingness on the contrary to receive a benefice is established ; in consequence of its action being depressed by exhaustion. The same may be said, on this point, with respect to the other organs; to some of which I shall allude in treating of the abuses of mesmerism. I may also observe in this place, that, when an organ is exceed- ingly large and active in the brain of the subject, the operator is sometimes visibly affected by it ; by direct local absorption from it. For .a large and naturally active organ, whilst being lulled, in common with the rest of the system, into a passive state, may very readily and suddenly absorb the inactive principle from the like organ of the operator, upon the slightest opportunity being given, by such organ of the operator becoming excited in the least degree; which consequently must, in its turn, absorb the negative mesmeric or active principle. I have witnessed several striking phenomena of this kind, and believe that they are not of very rare occurrence. One case in particular, in which combativeness in the subject's brain was very large and excitable ; the like organ of the operator being large. ABSORPTION. 19 After the connexion had been formed and the absorption carried to considerable extent, and whilst the latter was still going on, the faculty of combativeness of the operator became suddenly excited without any visible external cause, to such an extent, that it was with ^reat difficulty he restrained himself from actually striking the subject. But upon raising himself, and looking leisurely into the subject's face with the involuntary feeling of a most bitter antagonist, and observing an unusual degree of placidity in his expression, he apprehended, at once, the cause of his excitement ; readily per- ceiving that he had acquired it by local absorption. Upon this he endeavored to relax that feeling and become calm ; the conse- quence of which was a re-action of the negative mesmerism upon the subject's combativeness, which, by this re-absorption, became more and more excited as the operator grew cairn. Another instance I have seen, in which tune was strongly de- veloped in the subject; with the operator the like organ was/w//. In this case the operator involuntarily commenced humming- a t tune ; a thing entirely foreign to his usual habits, and especially on such an occasion : (he being at the time exhibiting phenomena to a public audience of several hundred persons in Reading, Pa.) I have seen this latter phenomenon at different times, both during and after the operation, and account for it as in the former case. Hence it will be seen, that, during the operation, the faculties do not act in unison. When the operation is completed, and the subject reduced to a deep state, the operator, by decreasing the action of his nervous system, causes a suspension of the adverse action of the corresponding organs ; but even then, by re-absorption, the negative mesmeric fluid that is re-absorbed by the subject, which constitutes a vehicle for the thought or sensation, takes its journey at the expense of the operator. In a word, it may be resolved into this, namely, that whilst the faculty of one is being supplied with the active principle, by local absorption, the corres- ponding one of the other is becoming exhausted. CHAPTER VI. I shall now proceed to consider briefly, that interesting and valuable branch of mesmerism which has recently received the titles of " Neurology," " Cephology," &c, but is more generally termed " Phreno-magnetism." With regard to the manner in which this class of phenomena is produced, I shall have to disagree in part with both Dr. Collyer and his opponents; for he does not admit that the organs of the 20 ABSORPTION. brain are ever excited by manipulation-, or, in other words, that the excitement of the organs is caused by a fluid communicated by the fingers, but that the faculty is excited by " will" Whilst some of his opponents contend, that they can always be excited by " touch ;" which process they consider indispensable. This latter error is certainly much the greater, and seems to betray a paucity of experience in the examination of the subject ; whilst 'the former, I admit, may, despite of much industrious application, for a long time baffle our efforts to detect it ; owing to the many difficulties usually attending an impartial investigation of this matter. There are three distinct methods by which this kind of phe- nomena is made manifest, which may either act seperately or conjunctively. These are : first, Manipulation, second, Local Ab- sorption, third, Perception. With regard to Manipulation, of which I have yet premised nothing, the fact will be readily under- stood, that the fingers, when vigorously extended, which erects the negative mesmeric (electric) points of the nervous fibres toward the extremities, become excellent absorbents for the collec- tion of the active principle ; and upon being relaxed, will suffer this principle to escape ; re-absorbing in turn the positive mesmeric or inactive principle. This fact is strongly corroborated by the effect produced by pointing the extended fingers towards the eyes of the subject, and then relaxing them whilst in this position : to the consequence of which latter act, many an amateur mesmerizer can attest the surprising discomfiture that he has met with by performing it, either through ignorance or inadvertence. So in bringing the fingers in contact (proximity,) with an organ of the brain, if they are already sufficiently charged with the active principle, re-absorption may be brought about immediately upon their being relaxed, and the organ thus excited. This capacity of exciting the organs of the brain, by manipulation, is confined to the principle of general absorption, and can have place only in those cases in which the law of equilibrium predominates over the principle of local absorption: and there are many cases in which this principle of local absorption, i. e. the preference which each part has for the fluids of its corresponding part, is so tenacious that it entirely precludes the efficiency of manipulation in exciting the organs. And, in fact, I think the cases comparatively few, in which manipulation alone is sufficient to produce this effect. I am not ignorant of the precautions necessary to prove this opinion of manipulatory excitement, and have been favored with the most unimpeachable evidence of its validity in cases in which all the usual hindrances upon this point have been removed. In many cases, however, the influence of manipulation is available, when acting in adjunction with either of the other exciting methods ; for it then often adds vigor to the excitement already begun. ABSORPTION. 21 When a particular organ is to be excited by the second method, local absorption, the corresponding organ of the operator's brain must first be excited — receiving its active principle partly by local and partly by general absorption : (which latter includes absorp- tion from foreign parts of his own system, and the general reser- voir,) which organ as it becomes relaxed will re-absorb the positive mesmerism from the like organ of the subject, which, in its turn, by dint of local re-absorption, will receive the negative mesmerism necessary to arouse it to action. I would have sup- posed that this sympathetic excitement could not have escaped the notice of any practical observer, as it is by no means of rare occurrence. The third method, perception, which is perhaps as useful as, and more applicable than either of the preceding ones, consists simply in informing the subject which faculty the operator desires to become excited. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways; by mental correspondence,* by which the subject will perceive what is expected of him ; by any external sign which may have been given him on a former occasion ; by telling the subject plainly the operator's desire ; or by any thing, whatever, being done which would indicate that desire to him. In a case of this kind, the susceptibility of the particular organ which the subject perceives it to be the intention of the operator to excite, is aroused by his apprehension of the excitement which is about to take place ; which causes it to collect the active prin- ciple by either loeal or general absorption, as the case may be. The general tenor of this last method agrees, I think, with Dr. Collyer's views of the subject, given at his lectures in Philadelphia in the spring of 1843, and embraces what he means to imply by " WILL." Any two, or all of these methods, may often be advantageously combined. These phenomena may also sometimes be produced by a third person, or one put in communication with the subject as in the case of the external sympathies; (see chapter IV., of taste, &c.,) and as they resemble them in many respects, are likewise governed by the same general principles. I deem it scarcely necessary to say more at present to prove my theory of absorption, which I think will be found intelligible to every person who is familiar with mesmeric phenomena, I may only add briefly, that in removing the influence from a subject, a complete mutual re-absorption between him and the operator takes place, either local or general, as the case may be — that where there is exhaustion, i. e. a loss of either the positive or negative principle, it is finally re-supplied by a gradual re-action from the general * See Part IT., Chapter 1. 22 ABSORPTION. reservoir. And in order that t may not swell this part of my work beyond its intended limits, I shall conclude it by a few concise remarks on manipulation. I havealready alluded several times to the efficiency of manipulations, and premised that the ringers are excellent conductors, consequently manipulations are often used with great advantage during the operation, both as general conductors and absorbents for collecting any truant par- ticles of fluid which may have escaped the local absorption, and which might otherwise cause convulsions. Rev. La Roy Sunderland seems to entertain such a high opinion of manipulations in the operation, that in N$. 1, Vol. 2, of his "Magnet," a valuable monthly periodical on the subject of mes- merism, published in New York, he says that their use "will be found equally successful, and far better than the old process of staring persons in the face." By which delicate language, I presume he alludes to holding a connexion by having the eyes mutually fixed. With such an opinion I cannot agree ; for the eyes are both excellent and very natural conductors, and in many cases, such a connexion is indispensable in mesmerizing a new subject. In many cases, too, in which children are to be operated upon, and when it is impossible to hold their attention in any other way, it must be admitted to the "sine qua non" of the process. It is entirely foreign from my present design, to write a dissentation on the art of mesmerizing, although I have at my command the most ample resources for such a purpose ; still, whenever I meet with any thing under that head, the nature of which seems calculated to mislead, and rather to throw darkness than light upon the paths of investigation, I shall deem it my duty to correct it. In conclusion. In using manipulations for removing the in- fluence from a subject, the fingers are relaxed that they may re- absorb the positive mesmerism, and if "passes" are used they are generally made from the extremities toward the body, throwing, as it were, the negative mesmeric fluid upon the negative mesmeric points of the nervous fibres of the subject's system ; (which usually extend toward the extremities,) which now being called into action, are erected,-and consequently re-absorb the active principle. PART II. UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. CHAPTER I. Man is not that independent, thinking, being, which, for many plausible reasons, he has long been, and still is generally supposed to be. 1 intend to reserve the general discussion of this subject, for a future and more proper occasion. In the mean time, however, I introduce the assertion, in this place, merely as a ground-work for a single position, that I am about to advance; namely, Universal Connexion : i. e. a general connexion of thought throughout the universe. This position will, doubtless, seem extremely novel at first, and to many, eccentric and absurd ; yet I shall not, on this account, hesitate to advance it, for it is both radical, and demonstrable ; nor do I despair of being able clearly to prove and support it, by bringing forward a succession of illus- trations, the evidence of which, cannot for a moment be doubted. In the first place, the mesmeric fluid, of which I have already given some description, has for its basis the electric fluid, (which is universal,) which fact alone pre-suppose a universal connexion; and was this fluid identical with the mesmeric fluid, doubtless the connexion would be much more complete than it now is ; as it is, however, the basis being modified by the human system, the strength, or weakness of the connexion (as with mesmeric experi- ments) depends greatly upon the proximity, or distance, to which the connexion is carried. * * In speaking, in a former chapter, of persons being mesmerized at the distance of half a mile, I do not mean to imply, that a connexion cannot be held at that distance; nor do I deny the possibility, in some cases, of performing the operation at that distance ; although there are many intervening circumstances that may interfere with the genuineness of such an experiment. Nor would I be understood to imply, that action of the nervous system does not embrace that mental action, which mesmerizers misname " will" But it is the absurdity of making such assertions in public, without their proper reasonings, to which I chiefly object; for rational people will not believe such statements, without, at least, a plausible explanation of them ; and consequently, they are worse than thrown away. 24 UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. Secondly. The basis, (electricity.) may at any time form a ve- hicle, or rather a medium, for the modifying principles of the mes- meric fluid. Thirdly. The manner of producing many mesmeric mental phe- nomena, is but an extension of our usual means of performing mental actions. "The possibility of mental transfer has been established beyond the remotest chance of a doubt." There can no longer be any doubt of the truth of the above quotation. Every mesmeric practitioner must be familiar with the fact, that a state of mental correspondence may often be produced. In producing the almost startling class of phenomena exhibited by this state, it is necessary, that the subject should receive, by local absorption, the mental impression from the brain of the.ope- rator, or person in communication with him. In order that the uninitiated may not be at a loss to know to what class of phenomena I have reference, I will insert the follow- ing extract from an article in the " Lehigh Bulletin/ 7 of August 16, 1843: " On Tuesday evening, of last week, after going through a suc- cessful course of clairvoyant,* and phreno-magnetic experiments^ Dr. Yorke announced his intention of exhibiting on Thursday evening, an experiment with a bowl of molasses, by means of which, he would reflect t the rays of an embodied idea, from the * These experiments, though called clairvoyant, were mental correspondent,- exhibited in the ordinary manner. — The Author. | Dr. Collyer first introduced this experiment before the public, in the Spring of 1843, and since advocated it in his pamphlet, entitled, " Psycography ;" on which occasions, he explained it as the " reflection " of the rays of an embodied idea, from the surface of the liquid. It was having witnessed his experiments, that induced me to make the trial, on the present, as well as on several other oc- casions, with equal success ; and for some time, I felt quite enthusiastic about it. Since, however, I have discovered the error into which I was unwittingly led; therefore I correct it. After much anxious investigation to discover the truth of the hypothesis, I was compelled to relinquish my purpose. My subjects told me, upon inquiry, that, in many cases, when performing this experiment, the images seemed to rise out of the liquid ; whilst in others, the images appeared of their natural size, and entirely independent of the mirror. They told me too, that, in those cases in which the images seemed to rest upon the mirror, that appearance was caused by the per- sons in communication with them, holding upon their mental vision, the image of the mirror, in connexion with the image of t]ie object desired to be seen ; or by their own, (the subjects') knowledge of the presence of the mirror: and, conse- quently, their connecting its image with the image presented by local absorption. Which explanations I consider very rational. I also found that the same results took place, when the angles on the opposite sides of the mirror were unequal, as when equal. And, in fact, I found no change when I, (privately) removed the liquid altogether; for even then, by dint of the supposed presence of the mirror, the images were often seen, as before, resting upon the surface of the liquid. Again : if the rays of this medium were actually bent in a similar manner to UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. 25 brain of one person, looking into the bowl at a certain angle, to that of the recipient, at the same angle, on the opposite side. The announcement was, of course, received with much incredulity ; and even his most sanguine friends were disposed to smile at what they considered his enthusiasm. But Thursday evening came, and, after a few appropriate remarks, Dr. Y. threw a young man, of this place, into a magnetic sleep, in about fifteen minutes ; a table was then stood before him, upon which Dr. Y. placed a small bowl of molasses ; a medical gentleman, from the audience, then took a seat on the opposite side of the table, and was requested to look into*'the bowl, and bring before his mind, any image which he choose. The recipient seemed intensely searching for something in the liquid ; and, after a few moments, said, in a distinct and au- dible manner, * I see the State House, at Philadelphia.' A short pause ; when he added — w I see a wagon.' At this, the gentle- man stated that he had described the images of his thoughts to the very letter ; and that*the < wagon ' was the one well-known as the ''Black Maria,' used to convey the prisoners. The result of this experiment was heard in profound silence by the audience, and so great was the sensation produced, that actual stupor and doubt seemed depicted on nearly every countenance. A clergyman then took the seat ; and, after a minute of breathless suspense, the re- cipient said, i I see an engine house with white doors' — a momen- tary pause — s now I see a church'— pause — 'they have brought the engine out, and stood it before the door ' — short pause — ' and now they seem to be drawing it through a large body of people.' At this moment, an involuntary exclamation of surprise escaped from the lips of the experimenter; which was followed by a burst of astonishment from the audience, as the flash of conviction fell upon their minds, whilst he described the scenery which had pass- ed through his mind, corresponding with what the recipient had said, in every particular. We saw Dr. Y. repeat this experiment on Saturday evening ; when, among others, a gentleman entirely skeptical took the seat, and brought before his mind, the falls of Niagara ; the recipient, after a moment's pause, and with some degree of apparent sur- those of reflected light, as Dr. Collyer supposes, the images would be seen, by the subject, in an inverted position ; which is not the case. He also, in his " Psycography," where he maintains the necessity of the angles, on either side, being equal, introduces, as a parallel case, the phenomenon of the Egyptian Magi, with the " magic mirror." But in the accounts which he there furnishes of the manner in which they perform this experiment, there is nothing, whatever, ad- duced to show that an equality of the angles was observed ; which, had it been done, could not have escaped the notice of the inquiring parties engaged in it. — Hence I shall consider the phenomenon in question, as a result of simple local absorption, without the necessity of bending the rays of the fluid. Though I am still perfectly willing to alter my opinion, whenever sufficient evidence shall be produced, to warrant me in doing so. 4 26 UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. prise, cried out, ' Is it a dam ? ' The gentleman seemed to change his opinion. Another striking demonstration of mental correspondence which Dr. Y. gave, was this : One of the audience placed a row of six or seven pieces of money before the recipient ; Dr. Y. then told him to gather them up, one at a time, until the person who stood be- hind him willed him to stop. He commenced picking them up ; and, at trie will of the person near him, promptly stopped; it was requested to be repeated ; Dr. Y. consented ; and the same result took place, to the astonishment of the whole audience. The ex- periment was then tested by about twenty ladies and gentlemen, without a single failure." I might adduce many other equally striking and successful ex- periments, which have come under my immediate observation and practice ; but as that would not forward the chief design of this part of my work, (believing that the above-mentioned will suffice to point out the particular kind of phenomena of which I am now treating,) I shall not occupy the attention of the reader with them. It will be seen, as I have already hinted, that, by local absorption, i. e. by the active principle being conveyed from the brain of one person, to that of another, correct mental impressions may be transferred. These impressions too, as every practitioner knows, are often transferred to the lucid subject undesignedly ; and to a considerable distance. The degree of accuracy, with which an individual idea is thus transferred, depends upon the degree of the natural capacity of the parties to be in communication ; the distance between them, (on which, as I said before, depends the strength of the connexion,) and the degree of concentration upon that particular idea. I have already premised that this mesmeric communication is but a heightened degree of our natural* means of communication; hence it is governed by the same general laws, and a reduction of the accuracy of that communication, brings it more and more in proximity with our usual mode of communication ; until, finally, it commingles with it, and they are lost in each other. According to the above, the universal basis of the mesmeric fluid, forms a medium for connecting, in a greater or less degree, the minds, the thoughts, the immaterial parts of all mankind. This connexion is manifested in a variety of ways ; not only in the mesmeric condition, but also in many cases of nervous disease, and in the normal state. I have already shown some instances of mesmeric connexion ; I will adduce one instance more, which bears a greater proximity to natural connexion. Having repeatedly mesmerised Master George * I use this word, merely in contradistinction to mesmeric, to imply that there has been no voluntary effort to increase the strength of the connexion. UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. 27 Wundcrlich, a lad eighteen or nineteen years old, at Allentown, Pa., I took, what I then considered, my final departure from that place, for Reading, distant thirty-six miles ; whence, after remain- ing upwards of two weeks, I unexpectedly returned to Allentown, being very anxious to find George, for the purpose of testing some mesmeric experiments. On my arrival, I was not a little surprised to learn that George had anticipated my coming j and with such certainty, that he could not rest until he had satisfied himself of the fact, by inquiring for me. He said that he " knew " that I was coming ; but how he knew, he was unable to tell ; but added, at the same time, " Is it possible that you have such a powerful influence over me ? " Elucidation. There was a strong natural connexion between the fluids of our systems ; which had been rendered stronger, by our former mesmeric communion. By our proximity, and the ex- treme activity of my mind, from anxiety to find him ; and tr»at activity too, being strongly concentrated upon him, as it had often been before, my brain was rendered particularly .susceptible to that same modification of the active principle, which had supplied it, on many former occasions, when its action was concentrated upon the same object. At our greatest proximity, which was a little less than a quarter of a mile, (my lodging being that distance from where he was at the time,) there being, as I have intimated, a strong connexion, my system, (the electric fluid being the medium,) absorbed from his the active principle. This condition alone, might have caused such feelings to him, as he had often before felt in my presence ; and thus reminded him of me. This feeling, however, being aroused on his part, may have caused a re-absorp- tion from my system ; and thus fully corroborated his first im- pression. In disease, this phenomenon is often strikingly manifested. I visited an old lady, last summer, in Northampton County, Pa., who had been blind for several years. This remarkable personage is constantly in a state of semi-mental lucidity. After conversing for half an hour, I discovered that she was taking cognizance of my thoughts, by absorption, in a very accurate manner. This lady almost invariably anticipates the (irregular) visits of her phy- sician arid friends, within a few minutes. In seeking in the normal state, for a parallel to the above, I will- simply point the reader to the vulgar phrase, "Speak of the Devil, and he ivill appear. 77 It is a remarkable and well-established fact that persons do make their appearance in company, whilst being spoken of, or thought of, much oftener than for which the rules of chance will account ; hence it is that the above phrase has been repeatedly heard by nearly every one. The proper reading, how- ever, is, When an acquaintance approaches, he is spoken of. This remarkable mental phenomenon, like every thing else that *S UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. savours of the wonderful, has oftener elicited momentary surprise, than philosophic enquiry. I think that the same principles of con- nexion, and absorption, which I adduced in the former cases, will satisfactorily explain it. Deeming these instances sufficient of their kind, to give the reader some idea of what I mean by uni- versal connexion, which cannot be doubted in the mesmeric state, I shall proceed to draw still closer analogies between this, and the normal state. CHAPTER II. Who does not know that we can convey our ideas to some per- sons, with much greater facility, than to others? And who does not know, too, that we can better convey them to those with whom we are familiar, -than to strangers ? Why is it so ? becomes a matter of rational enquiry. One obvious reason why we can better communicate to some than others, is, that the connexion is naturally stronger — that the capacity to be in correspondence is greater. For, although in con- versation, our words, (as such,') may be as intelligible to one, as another, the fact that the fluids of our systems, do not so readily commingle in some cases, as in others, is sufficient to create a vast difference in the efficacy with which we are capable of rendering our ideas comprehensible. That it is not the sound of words alone, which conveys an idea to the mind, is evident; notwithstanding that we may be quite fa- miliar with those sounds ; hence it is, that, when one's mind is already engaged, he may be addressed with the most distinct words, the sound of which, the ear cannot exclude, yet they will not convey the intended impression to the mind. To make him understand the meaning of the sounds, we must have his attention^ i. e. his susceptibility must be excited, which will render him ca- pable of absorbing from our systems, the principle necessary to complete the idea which the signs of sound may have caused his excited susceptibility to anticipate. This ability to yield the attention, or to become in correspon- dence, differs in different individuals, as I have already hinted ; and upon this depends, in part, the greater facility with which we can convey our ideas to some persons than to others. I shall be told, that the ability to give the attention to the speaker, depends upon some peculiarities of temperament — certain conditions of phrenological developement — a general capacity to concentrate the mind, &c. I admit that it does; and, in return, reply, that upon these very same conditions, depends, in a great degree, the UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. 29 'capacity to conduct, successfully, the phenomena of mesmeric mental correspondence. Doubtless, some reader has, by this time, enquired, how we are to account for the capacity to convey ideas by means of writing, &c, and how it is that we are capable of receiving mental impres- sions, from books, which, being inanimate, could not possibly sup- ply the necessary fluid, for the confirming of an idea? In cases of this kind, the susceptibility is excited by certain forms (of words,) which the mind recognizes as having before seen ; i. e. these certain forms comport with impressions which have formerly been deposited upon the brain, which impressions, consist of a fluid under such peculiar modifications as to be recog- nized by the mind, to contain some particular meaning, as I have stated in a former chapter ; and which, when excited, may be com- bined in such a manner as will produce the necessary, susceptibility of the author's meaning; which excited' susceptibility, may be con- firmed simply by the reader's absorbing the active basis, either from foreign parts of his own system, or the general reservoir. No sign of form, however, which the author may make, although he may attach to it the most important meaning, will convey the in- tended idea to th^ mind of the reader; unless it comports with some mental impression already resident upon the brain ; which impres- sion was created on some former occasion, by joining a particular meaning to a similar sign ; and which now may serve to connect this external sign with a similar meaning. Finally: this method of communication is weaker and less accurate than that of personal correspondence ; for it loses the great advantage of local absorption, and the advantage of communion by the eyes, which are unrivalled conductors of the t fluid ; which renders them, as it were, the " index to the soul." Who does not know, that, when persons wish to interchange their ideas, they get as close together as convenient? g Who ever saw two persons conversing with their backs towards each other, or with their eyes shut, for the purpose of facilitating their corres- pondence ? I think no one. I have not written this last section so much to strengthen my present position of universal connexion, as to avoid the appearance of inconsistency ; and to furnish an excellent, analogy to a part of mesmerism, which has not yet received its due share of attention. It is this : that some subjects have the capacity of going into the mesmeric state, from sheer belief that the mesmerizer is operating upon them. Elucidation. The susceptibility of the" subject is excited by his anticipating the result, in a similar manner to that in which it had been excited on a previous occasion, when in presence of the mesmerizer ; which renders him susceptible to the same result.— And, though it may be urged that he absorbs the principle for 30 UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. confirming his anticipation, from his mesmerizer, with whom he may be in communication, it seems reasonable to suppose that a great part of the confirming principle is absorbed from the general reservoir; which confirming principles, however, is often modified by his susceptibility, in such a manner as will place him in com- munication with no one, save the person whom he supposed to be mesmerizing him. Again ; we can better communicate with those whom we know, than with strangers ; because the connexion of the fluids of, our nervous systems has been rendered stronger by dint of repeated approximation, correspondence, &c. The strength of this connexion is augmented by long-continued and frequent correspondence ; and is weakened by distance, and the length of time which that distance may be continued. In a word, this condition is governed by the common laws of connexion and absorption. Besides what has already been advanced in favor of universal connexion, it only remains for me to refer the reader to the mani- festations of this law, in its powerful effects upon tribes, communi- ties, neighborhoods, and nations, to satisfy him entirely of its validity. Why do the different members of a tribe possess the same gene- ral character — the same ideas of G-od and eternity — the same mea- sure of justice, &c, with each other ? Because of the general com- mingling of the mesmeric fluid of their systems, by the laws of mutual absorption — of action and re-action — of equilibrium, &c. It has been disputed (upon what ground I know not) that a "ge- neral idea ". ever existed. In my opinion, general ideas are not at all unusual. For instance : neighborhoods and communities entertain the same general idea of right and wrong — the same general regard for the wonderful — the same disposition towards hospitality, &c. I know that imit advenes s may have its especial weight in some of these things ; it may teach men to construct the same kind of dwellings — to adopt similar forms and customs in living ; but it will never teach them to think alike — it will never excite them to mutual enthusiasm upon a particular doctrine of religion (numerous, and startling instances of which, every reader must have before his mind,) no ; it requires a more potent law of nature, to accomplish these purposes ; that which spreads the me- dium of thought throughout the habitable globe, and forms a uni- versal connexion between all mankind ! In extended nations too, this principle is still manifest ; though diminishing in strength as it extends ; according to the distance to which it is carried, &c. I might adduce many other evidences of equal weight with these that I have briefly given ; but, thinking that I have already said enough to illustrate the point in question, I shall reserve the more elaborate discussion of it for a future occasion. In conclusion, I can see nothing particularly eccentric in the opinion that there exists a universal medium of thought, which UNIVERSAL CONNEXION. 31 may be capable of conveying any modification, from the human system, that may be consigned to it ; especially when I reflect that there does exist a certain universal medium which is capable of conveying modifications in the form of epidemic diseases, &c, a striking instance of which, we have in the Asiatic Cholera ; which spread its invincible terrors throughout the earth ! CHAPTER III. Clairvoyance, or the ability to see through substances which are opaque with respect to common light, is one of the most dim- cult conditions which mesmerism now aims to produce. I have premised an explanation of this phenomenon in the commence- ment of this work. By this faculty, the subject is enabled to see through space, and substance, having the universal connecting principle for the me- dium of his mental vision, to an immense distance ; when he ac- tually sees objects as they exist, without being informed of their condition in any other manner. And, as his mental vision is not restrained by any external apparatus, as is the natural vision, he has no 'difficulty on this account, in discerning small objects at a distance, with the same facility, as large ones. I suppose, in some instances, however, when a subject gives an account of what is passing at a distance, that he establishes a communication with some individual who is present at the scene which he is con- templating ; and thus, although at considerable distance from that individual, gains his information from him, by local absorption. This, however, is very difficult to determine. This state of mental lucidity too, has also been manifested with- out the aid of mesmerftm, as in the cases of young Yarnell, (the Frankford boy) Emanuel Sweedenborge, and some others. PART III. consequences' of mesmerism. CHAPTER I. The general Adoption of mesmerism into any community, must be attended with the most important results. At present, however, the subject is enveloped in such mystery, and the usual explana- tions of its phenomena savour so much of the magic, and astound- ing, that the attention of the mass is attracted more by its novelty than its usefulness — more through a desire to be astonished, than to be enlightened. Oftentimes too, its phenomena are so startling and unaccountable, as to cause even those who have produced them, to doubt the evidence of their own senses. This -state of things is calculated to give rise to ample scope for the propagation of quackery. For, whilst those of the multitude persist in grasping at what they consider the ridiculous, the absurd, rather than the plain and intelligible, whilst they evince a sickly desire to be de- ceived, rather than fail in their attempt to be astonished, there will always be found those who are prepared to cram their gaping mouths with that loo palatable nostrum — vulgarly termed " hum- bug." And until the subject takes a more scientific turn than it has heretofore enjoyed, these evils are des^ned to continue and in- crease. Owing, too, to the great ignorance which is prevalent upon the subject, joined to this love of the wonderful, many radical, and ofttimes hazardous errors will continually be committed ; and igno- rant operators will often become dupes to their own folly. In almost every branch of mesmerism, many false, impressions may be made upon the subject ; (i. e. such impressions as are made by causes which escape the detection of the unwary operator,) which produce delusive phenomena — in appearance, so much like genuine ones, that it is often a matter of great delicacy to separate the two classes. For instance, in endeavoring to produce clair- voyant results, much care is necessary to be taken, lest the subject be influenced by the minds of those around him ; as in mental cor- CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. 33 respondence, which would totally destroy the genuineness of the result. I have often. met with this kind of confusion, and where it is not sufficiently guarded against in cases of the examination of internal diseases, the most dangerous consequences may ensue. I have seen dupes, too,^ to this^rror, where I thought that I had least reason to look for them — even among those who had gained some notoriety as mesmerizers, I have found cases in which they com- sidered the statements of one recipient, upon a particular subject, greatly corroborated by the corresponding statements of several other recipients, when it must have been evident beyond a doubt, to any'one acquainted with the subject, that there were false im- pressions produced by local absorption, i. e. mental correspondence between the operator and recipient. Such apparent errors, whether committed through ignorance, or for the, purpose of deceiving, often form the connecting link between the sublime and ridicu- lous, and furnish our opponents with abundant material for raillery. Indeed, owing to the rare satisfactory production of the clair- voyant state, many of our modern mesmerizers, who have not been able to produce it, doubt the existence of it altogether; I for some time, did the same, but since I have given the subject a careful examination, I no longer hesitate to yield it my support. On the other hand, a few modern operators claim for mesme- rism, a condition of prophetic vision. I have met with several re- markable, and seemingly unaccountable phenomena of this kind ; which I forbear inserting, because I have not yet adopted the hypothesis, yet I am far from being prepared to reject it. This, indeed, would seem like crossing the threshold of the spiritual world, and would throw consternation upon many who should consider it an ungodly attempt to elevate man beyond his proper sphere. I would, however, calm the fears of such, as well as allay any expectation that may be. abroad, of a general participation in this novel branch of ontology, with the words of Rev. Mr. Town- shend, who says, " In being permitted to view the mesmeric state, there is nothing to make man proud ; but all to make him humble. Then too, mesmerism has its restrictions which keep it low to earth; even while it hints to heaven. Many are the conditions required for its accomplishment. Carefully hedged about, is it, by the barriers of opposing will ; by defective sensibility; even by a spirit of skepticism. Its highest capacities are exercised with dif- ficulty — its loftiest wonders are few and fleeting." CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. CHAPTER II. The chief advantage that we have thus far gained from m'esme~ fism, is its healing virtues ; which cannot be too highly esteemed, As a remedial agent, it is the most natural, and most effectual means with which nature's God has endowed us. It has already- severed the compact long established between death and several formidable diseases; and is the most potent antagonist with* which that last visitant of mortals has to contend. When judiciously ap- plied, it has often been found successful in the cure of 'Nervous Headache, Chronic Pains, that excruciating malady the Tooth- ache, Convulsions, Locked-Jaw, St. Vitus Dance, Tic Douloureux, Catalepsy, Spinal Disease, Blindness, and many other maladies that "flesh is heir to." Its usefulness in producing insensibility- of the system in cases of surgical operations, is incalculable. Yet many of our Medical In- stitutions deny the reality of mesmerism altogether, and, regarding it as a species of chicanery, have closed, and barred, and sealed their doors against it; so that they will neither admit it, nor are they likely to discern from their isolated stronghold. " what man- ner- of thing" it is, that they have thus excluded. A remarkable instance of this character recently occurred in on^ccasion of a report being read, of a case of the amputation of a limb, without causing pain, whilst the patient was under mesmeric influence. But I need not now record the inconsistent, I might justly say, the contemptible conduct, of some of the members of upon this occasion, as it must be remembered by all, to have been total- ly unworthy of such men ; and must long remain a stigma on their philosophic pretentions, whilst it will stand as a sturdy column of patience, in the annals of mesmerism. Much stress has been placed on the assertion "that, if mesme- rism really posesses the dignity that it claims, it would 'have been brought to light by the regularly bred man of science ; and not have been left to the investigation of a few obscure individuals." But have we not regularly bred men of science engaged in its ad- vocacy? What are Dr. Eliottson and Dr. Collyer ? What are the hosts of German and French Professors ? It is true that some other intelligent and benevolent persons have entered the field as mesmerizers, and efficient ones too. I shall not, however, essay to palliate the gross inconsistency of some not being learned men ; for I esteem truth equally pure, beautiful, and valuable, whether it flows through the channel of the unsophisticated, unbiased reason of. Nature's favored pupil, or the hedged intellect of him, who, reared within the precints of the nursery's walls, has been taught CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. 35 byJiis college axioms, to revere with sacred awe, the preconcep- tifns of his respective preceptor. And in fact, I begin to fear that if our Medical Schools still persist with their blindness, in excluding a knowledge of the very fundamental laws of the human economy from their regular course of instruction, the time is not far off, when their diplomas will be regarded as but a pitiful testimony of medical knowledge. . Did my limits permit, I might name many benevolent and per- severing mesmerizers, in this country and in Europe, who have successively applied mesmerism as a medical agent — who have eradicated several diseases between which and death, scarcely a sha- dow was discernable — who have repelled some of the most loath- some, and ugliest enemies to health, that venture to assail our species ; and who have reared monuments to the triumph of mes- merism, which the indifference, the bigotry, and the prejudice of ten thousand medical institutions cannot overthrow ; as it is, I may not, nor have I room to give the particulars of but few of the many cases with which I have met, of the successful application of this ageht as a therapuetic. Dr. Collyer relates a case in which a per- son apparently dead, and whose coffin had already been procured, was resuscitated by its application; and I cannot too forcibly im- press its importance in this capacity, upon the mind of every phi- lanthropist. Undoubtedly, many persons are supposed dead, long before they really are so ; and as long as a single spark of vitality remains upon the system, especially if the system has been formerly rendered susceptible to the mesmeric influence, a mesmeric com- munication may be established, by which a 'departing spirit might often be recalled to inhabit for a while longer, its earthly home. It is worthy of remark in this place, that in an attempt to introduce any new remedy into medical practice, the innovator is required in the outset, to perform cures in the most hopeless cases that can be found; which have baffled the efficacy of every established mode of practice. He must perform miracles, and repeat them, under every possible disadvantage ; and, this too, in the very infancy of his art, before he is able to bring his remedy into notice. • This is emphatically the case with respect to mesmerism, which is not only capable of curing diseases which all other known remedies have failed to cure ; but, when judiciously applied, is a very pleasant, prompt, and safe cure for many others which are often successfully treated by the usual modes of practice. In short, its influence imparts general vigor to the declining system; and in cases in which only a part of the system is affected, and the system generally is brought under mesmeric influence, the affected part will, by a natural right and capacity, absorb to itself, the healthy fluid which its convalescence requires, according to that valuable law of equilibrium, before alluded to. 36 CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. Upon the healthy system, too, its judicious application may he repeated day after day, without any disadvantageous results. Besides this, the healing virtues of mesmerism aspire to purposes of a far more exalted character; they purpose to heal diseases of the mind — to restore to health the wandering intellect — to bring back departed reason — to assuage the mental woes of afflicted man, with a power and precision, at which no other remedy ever yet aimed. Repeated cases of both total and partial insanity, have been cured by them. A variety of the most important and thril- ling mental phenomena that can be imagined, have come within the scope of my immediate practice. For an example^ I will in- sert the following brief notice of an interesting case. From the Reading Gazette, Nov. 18, 1843: — "I first saw Miss H , of Reading, Pa., (the subject of the above mentioned operation,) at a public lecture which I gave at that place Nov. 13th, 1843. On this occasion she was led forward to the plat- form incompany with another, desiring to be mesmerized. I ob- served at the time, a peculiar reservedness in her manner, for which I did not then attempt to account ; yet I have since attributed it to the real state of her mind. Amid the very limited opportunity of learning the character of a subject, and the usual restlessness and en- thusiasm exhibited at such public lectures, in this country, I seated the above mentioned young lady. But, after exciting her suscepti- bility, ajid commencing the absorption, I was led, by observing the eccentric progress of the operation, to apprehend some unusual phe- nomenon : which prompted me to desist from throwing her into the state, before the audience. I therefore, removed the influence, and concluded my lecture with some other experiments ; immediately after which, feeling interested in the case of Miss H., I obtained a private introduction to her, and during the same evening, performed the operation alluded to by Mr. Miller. Instead of an elaborate history of this case, suffice it to be said, that Miss H. had given her affections to a certain gentleman, Mr. T ■, of R , which had been but illy requited by him. This, her reason was unable to support — she became broken hearted — in a word, a monomaniac. In a fit of calmness, however, when reason presided over the passions, when self control held the sway over the more tender feelings, she resolved, through the agency of mesmerism, to banish from her mind, all remembrance of the joyless past. When I took her out of the stale, she was a different being ! Instead of that wan, dejected look, which, but a few minutes before had marked her features, and beneath which reason itself seemed to reel, there now beamed from her cheerful countenance, all that sprightly joyousness so characteristic of health, youth, and inno- cence ; not even a vestage of her former sadness remained; he who had harrassed her mind, found no longer a place in her afTee- ■ CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. 37 tions ; when his name was mentioned, she denied having ever heard it before — when the circumstances were alluded to, she did not recognize them. The facts seemed to have vanished from her mind, as though they had never existed. In reply to my questions, she said that she had forgotten nothing, but that a great weight had been removed from her mind, and that she felt unusually and unaccountably happy. Some days af- ter this, she was. intentionally brought face to face with him she had once known and loved ; and it was a moment of the most thrilling interest to her skeptical friends, who were acquainted with the facts, when they observed the modest, unchanging ex- pression of her features, as she said " she had not before met him." This state of things continued for two weeks. In the mean time some notice of the facts had been taken by the public prints, which gave rise to circumstances that rendered it necessary to procure a greater amount of evidence than was then extant, to prove that the lady had ever made the statement to her friend, concerning Mr. T. In the condition of affairs I was again called : I stated to Miss H., that to prevent her friends becoming involved in serious diffi- culties, she must be mesmerized, and throw herself upon our gen- erosity for a few minutes. Without comprehending what was to be done, she consented ; I mesmerized her, and desiring her to recall all the circumstances which I had formerly caused her to forget, took her out of the state, w^hen she raised her eyes, and immediately burst into a flood of tears. Here again I recognized ihe features of her who had been led forward at my lecture. I shall not attempt to delini- ate the feelings of any one present ; words cannot convey an idea of the anguish depicted in that appealing look of despair. — All her former grief had returned, and with it, a remembrance of all the particulars concerning him she had loved. She at first, refused to answer any questions concerning him ; but, after telling her the necessity of the tale being re-told, and that she snould in a few minutes forget all again, she recited, as calmly as possible, the particulars of the source of her woes : when, hav- ing obtained .the necessary evidence, I again closed the scence, and in a few minutes more re-awoke her to* the enjoyment of cheerful- ness, health, and happiness. The statement which she had just given, corresponded exactly with that given to her friend just two weeks before. Elucidation. The impressions made upon the brain, by the painful circumstances in question, had become "diseased by the continued increase of the active principle upon them ; whicli ren- dered them peculiarly susceptible to the re-action of the inactive principle. By an effort, the subject allayed the excitement of the impressions : thus causing the parts containing them, to absorb an • 1 3S CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. abundance of positive mesmerism, which displaced the active principle, and rendered the impressions too faint to be recognized by the mind, when in the normal state. This power to allay the excitement of a mental impression, is not peculiar to the mesmeric state ; it is but an extension of the same capacity which many of us can exercise in a low degree, whilst in the normal state.* Several months after the above had occurred, and a short time previous to this work going to press, I addressed a letter to Mr. Miller, wishing to know the final termination of this case. The following is a copy of-his letter in reply. Reading, April 1th, 1844. Dr. A. Yorke. Sir.^I have received yours of the 1st inst., asking information concerning the case of Miss H -, and as you desire that I shall be careful that the evidence be accurate and impartial, I shall say nothing for which I cannot vouch. About one month after your departure from Reading, Mr. T , the young man who she said caused the trouble, was taken to the house of Miss H , and asked her "do youknow me?" she replied "yes;" but denied the circumstances. The next day, my wife, in my presence, went into a detail of every thing which she had said concerning the transaction, and of what had been done for her relief. It appeared to me, that during the recital a light was dawning upon her mind, when finished, she declared it was all true, and that she remembered it distinctly. Yet I could detect no appearance of grief or sorrow, neither at that time, or since. She now associates with Mr. T , but appears to consider him as an acquaintance only. I am very respectfully yours, W. R. Miller. By this letter it is shown that a knowledge of the forgotten cir- cumstances has been recalled ; this, however, for along time*with- stood the daily efforts of her acquaintances, who, as they could not believe the existence of the phenomenon, used every means in their power, to bring back to her mind, the forgotten facts. The value of the operation, however, has not been lessened in the slightest degree by thistermination ; for the remembrance of the facts has returned — stripped of all its grief and sorrow, a know- ledge of the facts has been restored to her perceptive faculties ; but the exiled woes that formerly attended them, will never return to their native home — the propensities. *See the conclusion of this chapter for an elucidation of the recalling of the facts which had been forgotten. CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM; 39 " It will be said, that time would have had the same effect in re- moving the grief from the mind of Miss H . So it might : but it would have exhausted and impaired her system, to have waited for the cure of that tardy physician. — And this is what I have prevented by mesmerism. Finally. View this mesmeric phenomena in every particular — trace it carefully down through all its various stages, until -it is lost in the normal state ; and it will greatly corroborate my posi- tion respecting the homogeneousness of the phenomena of two conditions. The use of mesmerism in educating, too, is invaluable; and in this, it is, that the value of the capacity to excite the different facul- ties of the mind is chiefly manifested. The moral faculties of the subject may be stimulated t*> increased action ; whilst the animal propensities, where their action is too strong, may be subdued. — The perceptive and reflective faculties may be rendered more ac- tive : which will add strength to the powers of memory and reason. In fact, the whole man may be rej^Kiied. All the finer quali- ties of the mind may be made to flny their greatness; whilst the courser'ones are made subservllff to them. Facts, too, the particulars of which had been forgotten years before, which it had baffled every ordinary effort of the mind to recall, have, through this agency, been brought back to the knowledge of the subject, with every circumstance connected with them, as distinctly deline- ated, as though they had occurred within the last hour. Elucidation. The knowledge thus recalled, although it had been dormant in the memory for years, h*L never yet gone out of it ; i. e. the impressions made upon the brain by the deposites of fluid, modified by the external causes of sensation, which were present years before, had never yet been entirely erased, although the lapse of time, by dint of the law of equilibrium, might have rendered them very faint. These faint impressions are now aroused by concentrating the whole attention upon them, using contagious impressions (as in cases of ordinary recollection,) to point them out: the effect of this, is to excite the susceptibility of the pans of the system containing the impressions in question ; thus causing them to absorb from the general reservoir, the active principle necessary for the confirmation of the impressions. It will be seen that there is nothing here proposed, but what has already been premised, namely : an extension of our natural men- tal capacities. In this case, an increase of the power of recollection. The above faint outline of an explanation, which has been given that I may not subject myself tothe same charge of inconsistency that I» B have brought against others, in the forepart of this work, for leaving their assertions in too crude a state to merit belief, em- braces a portion of my theory of memory, at which I have already hinted several times, namely : That each external cause of sensa- 40' CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. tidn produces a peculiar modification of the mesmeric fluid, which is then deposited upon an appropriate part of the nervous system, where its peculiar import is recognized .by the mind. That the strength' of this peculiar modification, depends upon the degree of concentration, with which it is made, the qualities and the quan- tity of the confirming principle, the length of time that its action is continued, the lapse of time .from the cessation of its action un- til it is again called forth, &c. And that an external cause of sen- sation, bearing a relation to that which formerly produced the resident modification, is capable of producing, a modification, which, by its congeneality will commingle with the former dor- mant modification, and excite its susceptibility to a re-supply of the confirming principle, and thus reproduce the original mental impression. But I have rather digressed from my subject; I shall now return to it, leaving the special consideration of memory, for a future occasion. ■*■ CHAPTER III. The great, benevolent, and legitimate design of clairvoyance^ seems to be the examination of internal diseases. By this capacity,.a lucid subject will often. point out the diseased parts of the system, either of himself or of another, with the great- est accuracy. This, hmvever, I am inclined to think, is often done by a peculiar modification of clairvoyance ; which enables the sub- ject to see with greater facility, on account of his close communi- cation with the patient, than he otherwise could do. (This pur- pose, too, is often effected without the necessity of clairvoyance. I think that it may also be practically applied to other benevolent purposes. This necessity for benevolence, in true hicid mesmeric phenome- na, is a sad poser to many of our mercenary would-be-skeptics. It is the part of mesmerism, which above all others, they are least willing should be true ! If, says one, you can prove the truth of clairvoyance, under any circumstances whatsoever, I shall be sure to double my wealth next year, by digging up hidden treasures &c. In fact some such mercenary attempts have already been made, the results of which I need not mention ; as the mesmeric vis operandi requires an exercise of benevolence ; and certainly there is nothing particularly benevolent in the proposition # of our opponent, who, when he finds his anticipations foiled by fhe very spirit of the subject, sneers at what he tries to consider a happy hit on the part of mesmerism, to avoid scrutiny. CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. 41 We want more benevolence in the world : or rather, we want a greater exercise of that faculty than we now have. And until men cease to pervert their noble mental endowments, until they become convinced that "the love of money is the root of all evil," the most lamentable evidence of which has been developed in every age of the world, mesmerism can never, and will never be- come a subject of general use and application. Each one of ninety-nine persons, out of every hundred with whom we meet, (in this country at least,) is eagerly striving to swallow up the substance of the remaining ninety-eight — a thing in itself, morally impossible, the whole soul seems absorbed in the one ideal, the greatest of all possible follies — an attempt to get rich, a thing in which no sane man ever yet succeeded. Every efficient mesmerizer, I think, can attest to the justice of my remarks upon the high office which the benevolent feelings perform in the vis^operandi. We know that when we are suddenly called upon to throw a patient into the mesmeric state, who is suf- fering in any way, and our sympathies are excited by his condi- tion, (making every allowance for his susceptibility,) we are capa- ble of exercising a degree of power, to which we are entire strangers, when operating merely for the sake of experiment. In the former case, we find our subject passing into a deep and tran- quil state, with an ease and a rapidity, which plainly show us that Ave are really at work ! Whilst in the latter, the effort that we are often compelled to make, teaches us that there is a want of stimulas, and that our power is a mere plaything, when benevolence is not enlisted. Mesmerism, like many other useful things that we have confided to our charge, is liable to some extent of abuse ; I am satisfied, however, that the apprehensions on this account, of many who have but partially examined the subject, are entirely ungrounded. From the tenor of my former remarks, it will be seen, I thi-nk, that the laws which govern mesmerism, will, in a most beautiful manner, confine the exercise of its higher powers, to those to whom it naturally and properly belongs. And I am fully persuaded that much more evil will result from ignorance, than design. Experi- ence, too, fully corroborates this opinion ; for, whilst we have re- ports, almost weekly, of unpleasant results arising from the mal- practice of some incompetent operator, we have but few, if even one solitary authentic instance, of the power having been designed- ly abused, since Mesmer first introduced the subject in Europe, nearly a century ago. I anticipate that my theory of local absorption and exhaustion, given in my modus operandi, may, at first thought, be called into question in this place. I will, therefore, subject it to the test. There we see that the activity of a faculty of the operator, reduces the activity of the corresponding one of the subject : the same will 6 44 CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. > be the case here. — If the operator's design toward the subject is evil, the faculties of destructiveness, secretiveness, cautiousness, combativetiess, &c, will necessarily be active. This, indeed, would tend to exhaust the corresponding faculties of the subject ; and could this state of things continue unchanged, the most dangerous results might be looked for. But, where is the thing in human shape so void of conscientiousness, that is able to keep up an un- remitting determination to injure, in any way, a person who has just confided himself to his protection ? And unless he is capable of exercising such natural, such demonical concentration, his pur- pose must utterly fail. For at most, he can only exercise his de- structive faculties alternately with his better feelings, which will cause a confused re-action — the subject will become restless—will grow alarmed — and although he knows not why, will oppose the efforts of the operator ; thus, a feeling of antipathy is established, and the susceptibility of the subject is destroyed. But even sup- posing that he should succeed in inducing the state, the subject, upon any injury being offered him, would immediately arouse his energies, and throw off the influence. For nineteen subjects out of twenty, are capable of coming out of the state at will; and the reason of their not generally doing so, is that their condition is a pleasant one. But just as soon as the state becomes unpleasant, just so soon, will they call their energies into action, and come out of it. And even in those cases in which they do not possess this pow- er, their failing in their attempt to exercise it, will throw them into convulsions ; which is the most disastrous consequence that I can conceive, of actual designed abuse of the mesmeric power. I cannot, however, be too positive in my denunciations against the attempts of persons to mesmerize, who have never examined the nature of the subject, especially ^when their motive is mere curiosity. In attempting to relieve the suffering, they will be less.likely to do harm ; but even should they do so, would be far more excusable, than under the former circumstances. From an unwary practice of this kind, I have known very seri- ous consequences to ensue. Persons are thrown into a profound mesmeric state, from which the untutored operator finds it impos- sible to arouse them ; and the most fearful, and painful convulsions often result from such temerity. During my visit to Easton, last summer, I was called to remove the influence from a young man who had been suffering painful spasms and convulsions, for forty- eight hours, in consequence of having been mesmerized by an in- competent person. Whilst in Lebanon, Pa., last December, I was called about midnight ; when I arrived, I found the family in the utmost consternation, on account of a young lady being thrown into a deep mesmeric state, by a child only eight years old, from which state, they found it impossible to arouse her. But I need not multiply instances ; I have said enough to show the reader CONSEQUENCES OP MESMERISM. 43 that certain laws are connected with this power, without a compe- tent knowledge of which, it is a thing that should not be tampered with. I consider it of no small importance, that the mesmerizer should possess good mental parts ; for the impressions made by re-absorp- tion, are often permanent. But to discuss this matter in detail, would occupy more room than I can here allot to it. CHAPTER IV. There is a stage in mesmerism, in which the subject tells us that he sees heaven, fye. This is analogous, if not identical with the ecstatic state of religious enthusiasts. The most material differ- ence that I have marked, is the greater degree of coolness exhibited in the former case. I have not unfrequently listened to the most unpassioned, connected, and majestically sublime descriptions given by my subjects, of the world of spirits — in excellent keeping with the vision of Paul. I took a subject out of this state, who was fully conscious of having spent a whole year in heaven ; and retained a distinct recollection of all that had passed there. Now, I am not prepared to say that my subjects held an actual commu- nication with departed spirits, &c, yet, from what I already know of mesmerism, I have no philosophic evidence that they did not. It must be admitted, however, that the descriptions which they give us, may generally be ascribed to impressions which they have received in some other manner. Finally. A subject under mesmeric influence, may be made to experience any variety of sensation, which may be suggested to his susceptibility. He may be made to feel hot or cold, hungry, &c. He may be made to partake of a hearty dinner, with all the sensa- tions of one who is really eating ; and, even if hungry before being mesmerized, may be taken out of the state with his appetite fully satisfied, and remain fully convinced that he has eaten ! In fact, I can conceive of no impression whatever, that he may not be made to experience ! In perusing an assiduous investigation of this important subject, I have spared no pains whatever, to arrive at its true laws. At every step that I have taken, I have been startled by the light of some new phenomenon. In testing the power which one mind possesses over another, I have often stood amazed at what I my- self have done. I see that mesmerism has suddenly spread out to our view, a new, extensive, and fertile field of moral philosophy, which the mind of Plato, of Democritus, of Des Cartes, of Bacon, 14 CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. . of Locke, of Leibnitz, and of Reid, never entered ; and what may we not expect from a faithful gleaning of its productions ? When we bring the conditions of natural somnambulism, trance, religious excitement, dreaming, &c, under the laws of mesmerism, have we not a light thrown upon them, of which our most sanguine hopes never before dreamed ? When we find ourselves possessed of feelings and notions of which we would fain be free, we refer them to the laws of mesmerism, and from them expect relief. Nor are we any longer at loss to account for the phenomena of persua- sion, love, attachment, friendship, &c, with their opposites. We can also see reason in the laws of mesmerism, why the sympathetic parts of systems, have an affinity for each other. — This will in- form us why woman are inclined to kissing in their salutations, why men join their hands, and why the natives of the South Sea Islands join the ends of their noses, on similar occasions. They inform us, too, why we are inclined to embrace those of whom we are fond. They reveal the secret of the mysterious power which has ever been justly attributed to lover's eyes • and explain why the hands of trembling lovers are wont to meet ; and why, when they come in contact, a mysterious, thrilling sensation is sent throughout the whole system. By a philosophic and impartial investigation of this profound subject, we are enabled to discern a beam of rational light shedding its grateful rays upon many of the most important passages of the Holy Writ, which have heretofore been shrouded in mystery so dense and incomprehensible, that they have not only made skep- tics of all rational men, but have exhausted the faith of even the most devoted bigots. For whether the ancient prophets, the Witch of Endor, Jesus Christ and his apostles ever enquired into the modus operandi of what is now called mesmerism, or not, doubtless they were well acquainted with the existence of this power and its principal results. And whether the theologians of the present day, are willing to take up the sublime study of this subject, and, by giving it the zealous attention which its dignity, importance, and profundity demand, avail themselves of an invalu- able assistance in their professional expositions, or not, doubtless the time is come, when the incongruous, artificial readings of many passages of the Holy Scriptures, are often heard from the pulpit, with feelings of mingled pity and disgust for the timorous dupe of either his own ignorance, or his too great devotedness to the es- tablished dictates of man, in preference to those of his reason, his conscience, and the true spirit of the Sacred Record. By an examination, too, of this subject, we find no difficulty in explaining the causes which gave rise to the superstitious notions of witchcraft, and the sanguinary deeds .which too often accompa- nied them. And one great lesson which we are all being taught by the havoc that mesmerism is making of our skepticism, is this, CONSEQUENCES OF MESMERISM. 45 namely : not to denounce any subject until we have examined it ; let its first appearance be ever so absurd or ridiculous. I cannot close these hasty pages, without first soliciting the seri- ous attention of physicians generally, to a thorough investigation of this subject, which bears an immediate relation between them and the greatest interests of mankind. I know that many who are engaged in the healing art, still remain skeptics upon this mat- ter ; and I can only express my regret that they have been so un- fortunate, as not to have met with circumstances which might have convinced them of their error. And whilst I acknowledge every due feeling of toleration for a moderate share of skepticism, in matters which at first seem repulsive to our reason, I cannot but think that there is sufficient light now abroad upon this subject, to arouse to action, the sleeping energies of every well wisher of mankind ; and as this light can no longer be hidden from the com- munity, skepticism will no longer screen the ignorance of medical practitioners. But there are also many medical -willing skeptics, who are fully convinced of the efficacy of mesmerism, yet fear to own it. They tell us that they have "characters to lose !" that they " do not wish their names mentioned, in connexion with mesmer- ism, for fear of injury to their practice ! ! Can there be any im- aginable, pusillanimous position, more repulsive to the feelings of nature, of justice, and of humanity jthan this ? . Popular prejudice, I know, makes sad inroads upon the moral courage of feeble man ; but I ask in very pity, how can any man, possessing one spark of hu- man feeling, be moved by mercenary motives, to withhold his support from what he knows would be of benefit to his suffering patients? How can he, with a shadow of conscience, or of moral principle, for the sake of " filthy lucre," compare the lives and health of his confiding and supplicating patients, to the 'price of a few sordid dollars? He who can do this, certainly subjects him- self to the just censure of every true friend of benevolence; and renders himself unworthy of the name which marks his species. I do not wish to appear severe in this place, upon the faculty ; for I am pleading the cause of suffering humanity ! and call rather with the voice of supplication, than of demand. I wish, if possible, to impress the importance of the subject upon the minds of all who are engaged in the healing art — to encourage them to an investiga- tion of it. They will find that their labors will be more than compensated by their acquaintance with this " ne plus ultra" of modern materia medica. And if any one should lose, for a while, the empty smiles of the prejudiced, or even be minus a few dollars at the end of the year, I fearlessly promise that he shall be doubly repaid, by the consciousness of having done his duty ! In conclusion. There is much yet to be learned of this subject. Much delicacy and patience are necessary in the investigation of it ; and every one who commences the investigation with skepti- 46 CONSEQUENCES OP MESMERISM. cal feelings, can only advance in his knowledge, step by step. It should be borne in mind, too, that throughout nearly the whole prac- tical part of the subject, much depends on susceptibility, a branch which I intend to treat more largely on a future occasion than the limits of these pages could possibly permit. There are many other important branches too, belonging immediately to this sub- ject, which I have entirely omitted, some, for want of space to ex- plain them, and others, because they do not properly belong to a work, not professing to be a practical one. I have, however, in preparation, an elaborate work on Historical and Comparative Mesmerism; in which I shall fully discuss every thing that may. seem to have a direct bearing upon the subject. FINIS. [From the Reading Gazette, Nov. 18, 1843.] ASTONISHING RESULTS OF MESMERISM. " Thou canst not administer to a mind diseased." — Shakspeare. Notwithstanding Shakspeare has thus written, events that have transpired, during the present week have convinced me, that if Diseases of the Mind could not be removed in his day, they can in this ; and I cannot rest satisfied without informing the afflicted, that ' there is a Balm in Gilead,' ' a cure for wounded hearts.' A few evenings since, being in company with Dr. Yorke, he for the gratifi- cation of the company, consented to magnetize a young lady, and while she was in the state, he was informed of a desire on the part of the lady to forget some circumstances which had lately occurred, and which were a source of great uneasiness to her. The Doctor having satisfied himself of the fact, im- mediately willed her to forget the circumstance and persons connected there- with ; the result of which has been very satisfactory. The lady has not been able since to recall the name of any of the parties, denying ever having known them; and although the strictest watch has been kept upon her countenance, not the slightest emotion has been visible, eyen when the circumstances have been directly alluded to. Previous to the operation, however, she was moved to tears by the slightest allusion to them. There have also been several other cases of a similar character, which have fallen under my notice, in which the power of Mesmerism as applied by Dr, Yorke, has been equally successful. Any persons desirous of availing thmselves of the efficacy of Mesmerism, and wishing to be more fully informed as to the correctness of the above statement, can, by referring to me, obtain ample evidence of its truth. WILLIAM R. MILLER, Franklin street, Reading, Nov. 18, 1843.. NOTICE. The Author of 'Absorption,* will continue to impart instructions personally, and by letter, on the practical application of Mesmerism, to Medical Practi- tioners, generally, and other competent persons. TERMS. — Per course Fifty Dollars. N. B. Single lessons, or letters, or any number less than a complete course, will be given at Five Dollars each, to such only as have already obtained some knowledge of the subject. Reason is the Philosopher's highway to truth. Experience, the best monitor of even fools, has placed facts along for way-marks, to guide him on his journey. Hence : " He who will not reason, is a bigot ; He who cannot reason, is a fool ; And he who dares not reason, is a slave." 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