What is mesmerism? : the question answered by a mesmeric practitioner, or, Mesmerism not miracle an attempt to show that mesmeric phenomena and mesmeric cures are not supernatural ; to which is appended useful remarks and hints for sufferers who are trying mesmerism for a cure

Front matter

STANDARD WORKS ON MESMERISM.

C\^K

Ashburner (J.) FACTS IN CLAIRVOYANCE, wira Observations on >1es.

Preface

What is Mesmerism ? This is a question constantly asked by persons when they are first induced to accept the verity of some one or more of its facts. It has been asked and answered in the pages of magazines ; it has been asked and answered in pamphlets. The question is more easily asked than replied to, if the required answer is to include the primary causation of mesmeric effects or facts ; but this remark applies to other natural powers — What is electricity? What is terrestial magnetism ? What is heat? What light? What the force of gravity ? What are they if we would view them separated from their effects ?

Writers, who have replied or attempted to reply to the question, What is Mesmerism? have been either its advocates or opponents to its reception. The advocates have rather laboured to establish its facts, than to explain them ; by their efforts the facts, or certain facts of mesmerism, may be considered as established beyond all possibility of disproof, and they now have the pleasure of seeing these facts generally admitted by the public. The opponents originally denied the reported facts of mesmerism absolutely, and insisted that they w'ere impossibilities, which were only credited by fools and “shammed” by impostors; when the facts were found too stubborn to be metamorphosed into falsehoods by mere assertion, they tried to admit the smallest possible portion, and to explain that by referring it to imagination and hysteria ; now that the admission of a large proportion, if not the whole of the mesmerist's facts, seems compulsory, they

VI

PREFACE.

meet the question by denouncing the facts as supernatural ; as being the result of Satanic influence; and forbidden in Holy Scripture.

When the only evidence of mesmeric power was ascertained by observing its effects on the animal organism, this evidence was constantly rejected as being inadmissible or insufficient, because imagination and peculiar states of nervous system caused similar results when there was no mesmerism used, or because these effects might admit of being simulated . thus the possibility of an error existing was always urged as a proof that all was error and deceit. However illogical and irrational this might he, it still served opponents as something to silence enquiry with.

Mesmerists were lately delighted with the peculiarly delicate phenomena of the magnetescope; and we also previously had the beautiful discoveries of Reichenbach. The latter subject has never been estimated at its true value by the majority of modern philosophers ; the magnetescope and its allied phenomena, such as the vibration of coins and rings, (attention to which was originally called by Herbert Mayo, the magnetescope being perfected by Rutter and Leger), have been allowed to fall into comparative decadence, at least they have not maintained the interest as discoveries to which they are entitled ; they are too delicate to satisfy common-place scientific observers; they have been principally studied by persons who already believed in the reality of mesmeric influence, and thus have not sufficiently impressed the learned with their value as collateral evidence of the truth of mesmerism.

Since the writer commenced the following pages, so remarkable a proof of the absolute reality of mesmeric force has been discovered, that in a few weeks we can hardly suppose a doubter will be found willing to dispute its truth ;

PREFACE.

vn a new presentation of mesmeric force is developed, and one of so gross a kind, that it requires no apparatus but a few pairs of human hands and a table for the experiment. We allude to the extraordinary phenomena of “ table moving.” The writer has seen little children move tables; he has assisted in moving tables by mesmeric power ; and has suddenly stopped tables and hats by the simple force of his volition, when they had been caused to rotate rapidly by others. He knows a gentleman who, when alone, moves tables by placing his hands lightly' on them, and causes hats to move and vibrate by holding his hands over them without touching.

In every second or third house has “ table moving” been practised; it is hardly probable that any scientific phenomenon of any kind has ever been brought more generally to the test of demonstrative experiment in an equally short period of time. Many mesmerists have long been of opinion that it was possible to move inorganic matter, by the force of the will alone,* but it certainly was not believed as an established mesmeric fact; and the “ table moving” has come unexpectedly even upon the mesmerists. This phenomenon is subject to the mesmeric laws which govern our other facts, for we ascertain that when strong-willed sceptics are in the chain, or even when present in the room in some instances, the tables won’t move ; — we all know how the presence of a determined unbeliever will often disturb clairvoyance, and derange, or prevent many other mesmeric

* Henry Thompson, Esq., of Fairfield, Dr. Ashburner, and the writer, have performed the experiment of causing a gold ring delicately suspended to vibrate by this agency, years ago. A Postscript is appended to this little volume with extracts from Articles by Drs. Elliotson and Ashburner, which appeared in the number of the Zuiat fur October, 1 8-47, in which the possibility of operating on inanimate matter by the energy of the will is adduced.

via

PREFACE.

phenomena. There can be no question that the “table turning” will establish a general conviction of the reality of the mesmeric or animal magnetic power; — it leaves no abiding place for a doubt in the mind of any reasonable being who will trust the evidence of his senses; those of our opponents who formerly declared that they would not believe our mesmeric facts if they saw them, may possibly remain the only doubters.

In the following chapters the writer has only treated mesmerism or animal magnetism as it is generally accepted, as a power, or force, which can be exerted by human beings, and probably by the inferior animals also; the new imponderable of Reichenbach, and the phenomena evidenced by the magnetescope, are not explained or examined, his intention being to show simply how mesmerism cures disease, and to demonstrate that its phenomena are not supernatural or out of the usual course of God’s Providence ; he has also already far exceeded the space which he originally purposed occupying. He does not trust himself with speculations as to the consequences in the amelioration of the present condition of humanity, which must follow when the truths of human magnetism are universally accepted.

A great change is impending, is now operating in the world. Electricity and steam have partly lessened the difficulties imposed on man’s intercourse with man by the laws of time and space; mesmeric clairvoyance and other mesmeric faculties will bridge over, perhaps, the chasm which now appears to separate spiritual from material states of existence. The more perfectly the connexion betwixt these states is established, the nearer will man become to his Heavenly Father; the better then will be his comprehension of his eternal and final existence; the more certainly will he be assured that the life after death is the life for which he should now live.

FREFACE.

IX

The writer could show, of his own personal knowledge, recent instances of well-meaning moral men, who nevertheless were atheists and materialists, having been converted into sincere Christian believers — accepting the Bible as their guide in both faith and works, by the evidence and teachings of mesmeric ecstatic clairvoyants. With such positive knowledge, how can we see Satanic influence in mesmeric power?

This little book has been written under many disadvantageous circumstances. It was commenced and in the printer’s hands last year, and has been written a page or two at a time, at intervals frequently of a fortnight, just when half an hour’s leisure could be snatched. The constant pressure of professional duties has prevented the writer from sitting down and penning his ideas when he was “i* the vein;” he has therefore not been able to do that justice to the subject which it merits — or even, he thinks, justice to himself. This is not an excuse for imperfections, which can be accepted by a critical reader ; but it may induce friends to lay aside their magnifying glasses when they peruse the succeeding pages.

4, Momington Crescent , May 30th, 18o3.

G. H. B.

C O N TENTS.

faob

Introduction 1

The Facts of Mesmerism 12

Mesmeric Curative Agency 25

The Science of Mesmerism 32

Appendix 105

Mesmeric Cures 118

Sundry Cures 119

Inflammation of Face and Gums 123

Gout 124

Paralysis 129

Constipation and Tumours 134

Insanity Cured 136

Intense Spinal Irritation 141

Diseased Knee Joint 143

Erysipelas Cured 145

Sciatica 1 47

Postscript 149

ERRATA.

Page 7— Second line from the bottom, for “principles*’ read prejudices.

Page 27 — Fourth line from the bottom, for “instruments'* read an instrument.

Page 73 — Third line from the top, for “ that which comes ” read those which come.

Page 95 — Fourteenth line from the top, for “obits” read orbits.

Page 106 — Fifteenth line from the top, for “ are” read were, and in Seventeenth line ditto, for “ cases ” read cures.

Page 115 — Eleventh line from the top, for “consequence so reflects” read consequences or effects,

Introduction

The writer lias not adduced, in the following pages, any argument to prove that the facts and phenomena of mesmerism are true ; they are written for the information of those who do already believe, therefore the truth may be taken as admitted. Those who are now found opposed to the reception of mesmerism as a special fact existing amongst other natural phenomena, or who affect to doubt and persist in denying the existence of a mesmeric agency or the possibility of diseases being cured thereby — are wilfully blind ; they shut their eyes and exclaim that they cannot see. No facts in existence are better supported by trustworthy evidence than the facts of mesmeric cures of diseases ; and the ordinary and many of the extraordinary phenomena of mesmerism may easily be produced by every earnest seeker of truth for himself if he will take the trouble to make a few experiments fairly. The chief opponents of mesmerism as a curative agent, are professors of the healing art who vainly fancy their own system to be so perfect

B

INTRODUCTION.

that it requires no improvements — or that they individually are too old to learn new systems of healing — or that their pecuniary interests may suffer by admitting a new method of curing — or their professional dignity is lowered by individually acknowledging a curative agency which is not yet recognised by medical colleges or corporations. We may add other persons whose mental organizations are so formed that they are ever doubting and never seeking -the truth ; too self-conceited to admit that which they cannot understand, too indolent to obtain conviction by a fair personal investigation, they equally deny or assert without having any reason for denial or assertion, and when urged to furnish one fall back on the opinions of others who are as idle, ignorant, or incompetent as themselves.

There is a fashion in science as in dress — there is even a fashionable religion — a fashion in politics ■ — a fashion in the art of curing diseases. There was a time when the fashion was to travel by stagewaggon at four miles an hour — the fashion changed in favour of stage-coaches at ten miles an hour — now the fashion is by railway at forty or fifty miles an hour. But a few years have elapsed since any specially urgent message was forwarded by special messenger on horseback, perchance at an expenditure of many pounds and many hours — the fashion now is to forward it by electric telegraph — even

INTRODUCTION.

hundreds of miles in a few seconds at a few shillings expense. It once was the fashion to consider projectors of vessels to be propelled through water by the agency of steam, madmen ; then it became fashionable for sane men to travel by such vessels. When Stephenson propounded an opinion before a select committee of the House of Commons, that it was possible to obtain a speed of twelve miles an hour on railways by steam power, he was derided as a visionary enthusiast — now a. railway speed of fifty miles an hour is fashionable , and members of parliamentary committees travel at that speed. When it was first proposed to cross the Atlantic in steam vessels, philosophers acquainted with matter and its properties demonstrated that it was not possible ; now steam- voyages across the Atlantic are the “ fashion of the time.” When Harvey propounded his theory of the circulation of the blood, the “ surgeon barbers” and physicians of his day were shocked past all forbearance at the unfashionable nature of his doctrine, and were as a body in no wise sparing of their abuse and persecution ; it is now quite fashionable amongst physiologists to believe that the blood really does circulate, and Harvey’s memory is held in reverence and his name in honour by them. When Jenner made his great discovery of the prevention of small pox by vaccination, it was so

d 2

INTRODUCTION.

thoroughly unfashionable that he was calumniated by his own profession — his discovery was attacked from the pulpit — and various evils to the community, if it were permitted, were declared inevitable by those who without any reason assert and deny. Now vaccination is quite fashionable and Jenner ranks amongst the greatest benefactors of the human race. When it was first announced to the medical profession of this country that persons might, by mesmeric agency, be rendered totally insensible to the pain of the severest surgical operation, and the fact of the painless amputation of a thigh at the Wellow hospital was communicated as an instance, the announcement was so much at variance with the standard of medical and surgical knowledge, that the profession as a body would not be so unfashionable as to believe, or receive, or even investigate it. One eminent surgeon even asserted that it would not be well for patients were it possible, as they were all the better for feeling pain ; others declared they would not believe in the possibility of such painless operation even although they witnessed it with their own eyes, as the thing was impossible. Painless surgical operations under ether or chloroform have since become somewhat fashionable — although dangerous and in many cases fatal, and the number of cases of painless and perfectly safe operations under mesmerism now on record, proba-

INTRODUCTION.

bly exceed five hundred — amongst which number Dr. Esdaile alone has performed two hundred and sixty, and numerous minor operations not recorded by him. It was once highly unfashionable for any man to assert that cures of diseases otherwise incurable — or any cures of any diseases whatsoever could be accomplished by mesmerism — now there are found so many persons of exalted rank, of acknowledged intellect, of high character as men of probity and piety, testifying to this truth and supporting their assertions by evidence of such facts within their own personal knowledge, that it is rather fashionable to believe it. It is hardly necessary that we should adduce other instances to prove that one generation may refuse facts — and declare them absurd, impious or impossible — merely because they are not the fashion — and that the constant and inevitable progression of every discovery which is based upon the truth, however slowly — or however much opposed— will in some other generation bring it into fashion. La Place admitted the evidence as to the truth of mesmerism to be conclusive ; Cuvier declared his belief in the ideality and positive existence of the power or agency claimed by the mesmerists. De Morgan, the first mathematician of the present day, is an avowed believer in the truth of mesmerism ; so likewise is the Archbishop of Dublin, whose fame is established as our first

15 3

INTRODUCTION.

logician. Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, no small name in the world of literature, has not only long since investigated the subject but expressed his conviction of its truth. Dr. Gregory, the Edinburgh professor of chemistry, who ranks amongst the best chemists in Europe, is also a mesmeriser and has written a large and excellent work on the facts and phenomena of mesmerism. Amongst physicians and physiologists there are plenty of believers — Dr. Elliotson standing at their head. However sceptics may affect to scoff at mesmerism, or sneer at those who practise it, they surely cannot say our evidence is insufficient when La Place, Archbishop Whately, and Professor De Morgan have found it sufficient.

Dr. Elliotson became convinced, by his personal experiments, of the truth that there existed a human power or force of some kind which could cause or evolve various singular mental and physical phenomena in persons subjected to its action ; and that it possessed great potency as a curative agency in disease.

Dr. Elliotson’s name was not an obscure one in the annals of his profession ; he filled the first medical chair in the then new Metropolitan University; he was first physician in its hospital; he was the author of one of the best and most voluminous >yorks on the principles and practice of medicine

INTRODUCTION.

ever published ; his learning as a physiologist and his experience as a pathologist were fully acknowledged by his brother physicians ; there were few, indeed (if there were any), who were considered by the profession as his professional superiors. It might have been anticipated, that as soon as a man so well qualified to judge of the truth of mesmerism had declared his conviction of such truth, that the whole professional body — those of all others whose duty was involved in ascertaining its truth — would have respected his opinion, have entered on a thorough investigation of the subject, and repeated his experiments. This might have been anticipated and certainly must have been anticipated by every honest head and loving heart who knew not the past history of the profession — by every man who was honest enough to assert a truth when he had sought and found it and kindhearted enough to seek and find such truth, when he was assured that by so doing he might minister to the distress or sufferings of some afflicted fellowcreature. However, the history of the public introduction of mesmerism into this country by Dr. Elliotson and the reception it has experienced from the medical profession, have proved that such anticipations would have been erroneous, and that the profession, as a body, remain true to the principles which made them reject the discoveries of llarvcy and Jcnncr,

INTRODUCTION’.

However numerous the honest heads and loving hearts are in the medical profession, and we confess and assert not only of our own knowledge which is circumscribed — but by all public report and private report, and by all evidence so patent as to be universal and common belief — that no body whatsoever possesses more honest heads and loving hearts, individually, than the medical profession ; the reception the profession have given to the claims of mesmerism, and their treatment of Dr. Elliotson because he was honest enough to avow, and true enough to the principles of his profession to investigate these claims, have also proved to the present generation, and established this fact for posterity, that no body in the whole community, as a body, ever possessed a less honest professional head, or more selfish and unloving professional heart.

We, who are convinced of the truth that there exists some human and animal force or agency capable of producing certain phenomena and curing the diseases of human and animal organisms, would exert ourselves uselessly if we endeavoured to convert to our belief those who have pre-determined that they will not be converted ; it would be idle to try and teach those who think they need not learning ; humiliating to address ourselves to those who, without investigating the subject, pronounce us “ fools ” or “ rogues,” as “ cheating ” or being

INTRODUCTION.

“ cheated,” because we venture to believe after duly and carefully investigating. We will not attempt to convince them — probably the less earnest mesmerisers may be in their endeavours to show them the truth the more readily will they seek to attain it for themselves ; if not, they can be left to the complacent enjoyment of their ignorance until the belief in mesmerism is throughly in the ascendant of fashion, an era which can he hut very few years distant, — and then all medical opposition will cease, and other opponents become converts to our mesmeric doctrines, without requiring any evidence of our facts , or asking any elucidation of the laws on which the facts are based, because belief will

THEN BE FASHIONABLE.

The purpose and design of the following pages is to afford plain and practical information to persons who already believe that there is truth in mesmerism ; and who, wishing to obtain for themselves or others the benefits of its curative powers, are not well informed as to the character or nature of this agency, the conditions which should be observed in order to secure its successful application, or the phenomena which may be presented during the mesmeric treatment. It is, however, requested that the reader will carefully distinguish betwixt that which may be put forth as opinion and that which is stated as fact. To propound sundry facts as the

INTRODUCTION.

effects of a specific cause and declare an utter inability to comprehend this cause, its nature, or mode of operation ; or to beg that the facts may be accepted and warn the acceptors thereof not to try and understand the cause but be contented with knowing its effects, is not our design ; there would be no science of any kind possible if this course were universally pursued. There is no reason whatsoever why the nature of the mesmeric agent or force, the laws by which it is governed, and the correlation which exists betwixt it and other known or rather acknowledged forces should not be comprehended as a science ; when can it become a science, if all who practise it and thus have the opportunity of observing its effects, are to refuse to “ theorize ” or speculate on their probable causation? The true method of progression in all matters of human knowledge is first to ascertain positively the existence of certain facts — as effects — and then seek to know the prior effects which have operated as causes. This is all that human learning can possibly accomplish ; all the causes which we can ascertain are only effects of prior causation, dive as deep as we will, ascend as high as we can, there is ever beyond us a next antecedent which human knowledge cannot grasp or mental chemistry analyze. The writer does not attempt any hypothesis which shall explain the causation of

INTRODUCTION, all mesmeric phenomena ; but the effects, or certain of them being taken as admitted, we may venture to ascend one step in the ladder which connects the lowest existence or effect with the highest primary or Great First Cause, and try to comprehend what the mesmeric power, force, or active agent is, and how the curative effects which follow on exercising it are the necessary consequence of its exercise. We again solicit the reader to accept the facts as belonging to the science and as parts of a universal truth, and receive the opinions as the speculations of one who has had a sufficiently large practical experience to exonerate him from a charge of impertinently obtruding his opinions, but who has no claims to ask his opinions to be received as any other than probabilities which may serve the reader’s mind to rest upon until some philosopher who shall have ascertained the nature of the highest imponderable material forces and the forces which are their antecedents shall have produced the elucidation of the subject — or until something more probable, feasible, or rational shall be presented to supplant it.

TEE FACTS OF MESMERISM

Are not probabilities or assumptions put forth by the mesmerists, but operations and results, circumstances and events, standing immediately and distinctively in the relation of cause and effect ; and they are so positive and evident, that it is hard to comprehend how any rational mind on investigating or viewing can refuse to admit them as incontrovertible truths.

These facts may simply be stated as the fact that there exists a mesmeric curative agency or power, and that diseases are cured by it, and the fact that various abnormal states, presenting extraordinary physical and mental phenomena, can also be and are produced by mesmeric agency, and furthermore, that the consequence of producing some of these states in a sick person is often evident in the cure of his disease.

The great fact of the cure of disease may be accomplished without any of the extraordinary states or phenomena of mesmerism being induced. Of all the persons who are cured in this country by mesmerism, there is not, probably, more than one ease in four where some of these phenomena are presented during the treatment.

The abnormal states induced by mesmerism may

FACTS OF MESMERISM.

be divided into three distinct classes or states — “ The Mesmeric Sleep,” “ The Mesmeric Sleep- Waking,” and “The Mesmeric Waking State.” During the persistence of these states, various curious phenomena, or groups of phenomena, may occur, coming out either when not sought for or expected ; or as a consequence of some effort or process designedly used by the operator.

The Mesmeric Sleep is really a state resembling natural sleep, and varying in intensity from mere dozing to the deep state of trance or apparent coma in which the sleep is so profound that all sensation, voluntary motion, and consciousness of external things is totally suspended, in this state the pains of the most severe surgical operations are unfelt and the sufferings which attend parturition may be passed through in perfect safety and absolute unconsciousness on the part of the mother. This state is also most valuable as a means of calming and strengthening the brain and nervous system of invalids, and hence greatly tends to accelerate and is sometimes alone sufficient to accomplish their cure.

The Sleep-Waking is a very peculiar state ; the term sleep-waking is not a very appropriate or suitable name to designate it by, we use it because the state is comjirehended by mesmerists when thus designated. This peculiar state might be further subdivided if it were necessary ; for many distinct c

FACTS OF MESMERISM.

forms of it are known to experienced mesmerisers. The sleep-waking person differs from the sleeping person inasmuch as some of his faculties are awake and abnormally active ; he has vision, but not through his eyes ; his perception though strictly analogous to visual perception and subserving all the ordinary uses of visual perception, is perception by the brain without the intervention of the eyes which are generally shut ; the pupil of the eye being turned up convulsively in its orbit, and the sclerotic, or white of the eye, only visible on opening the lids. There are some exceptions to this rule, as some sleep-wakers open their eyes — but the eye in these cases will always be found totally insensible to light and consequently quite incapable of ordinary vision. Many persons in the sleep-waking state will walk about, read, write, work, eat and drink, and converse exactly as waking persons do. They will remember, in one sleep-waking state, the circumstances or events of other or previous sleep-waking states ; but on awakening them, and thus restoring them to their natural state, they are quite oblivious of every event and circumstance which transpired during the sleep-waking condition.

The characteristics by which we distinguish sleep-waking from mesmeric sleep, and from the ordinary state when awake, is the power of seeing distinctly without using the eyes, of talking, and also toagrcater

FACTS OF MESMERISM.

or lesser extent, of acting or doing rationally. This does not occur in sleep ; in sleep, the subject, if he talks at all, grumbles incoherently, and if he moves, he moves mechanically without preconceived purpose and blindly without vision ; he is only a dreamer, his dream may even have been prompted by another, but he is still a sleeper.

The absence of memory is a distinguishing feature of the true mesmeric state, and exists on awakening from it, whether the state has been “ sleep,” or “ sleep-waking.”

It has been just observed that the “mesmeric sleep” may be less or more intense from mere dozing to absolute insensibility. The “mesmeric sleep-waking” may also be less or more perfect as a distinct state. We may have mere perceptive vision equal to or sometimes inferior to the vision obtained by the ordinary exercise of the eyes, taking in the same class of objects, and limited in its range by the same obstacles ; but this power of seeing without eyes may be so increased that walls present no impediments to its penetration ; it may be so extended that nothing in the material world is too distant for its range. A marked distinction occurs betwixt mesmeric vision and ordinary or normal vision ; in normal vision we see every thing which is subject to the ordinary laws of vision ; if our eyes be perfect and rays of light impinge upon