North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826Various
History
North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826
Various
Medicine -- Periodicals
The discussion was then adjourned to the next setting, and on the 14th
February, after hearing M. GASC against, and M. LHERMINER for the
report, M. HUSSON the reporter was heard. The section then closed the
discussion, and it was decided by a majority of ten, (35 to 25,) that a
commission should be appointed to examine animal magnetism.
We are indebted for the above account to the Revue Medicale for
March--the No. for February, also contains a review of M. DUPAU'S
Lettres Physiologiques et Morales sur le Magnetisme Animal, 8vo. Paris,
1826. In order to show our readers how they manage these matters, we
shall translate the following from p. 269.
"Here, says M. ROSTAN, is an experiment that I have often repeated, but
which I was finally obliged to interrupt, because it fatigued my
somnambulist prodigiously, who assured me, that if I continued, it would
make her go mad. This experiment was made in presence of my colleague
and friend, M. FERRUS. I took my watch, which I placed three or four
inches from her occiput. I asked my somnambulist, if she saw any thing:
"certainly, I see something that shines; it hurts me." Her countenance
was expressive of pain, and ours expressed astonishment. We looked at
each other, and M. FERRUS breaking silence, said, if she sees something
shine, she can doubtless tell what it is. "What do you see that
shines?--Oh! I don't know, I can't tell. Look at it well--Stop, it
fatigues me, wait--(and after a moment of great attention) _It's a
watch_." More astonishment. But, if she sees the watch, said M. FERRUS,
she will doubtless see what o'clock it is. "Could you tell me what
o'clock it is?--Oh! no, it is too difficult." "Look at it, try." "Wait
then, I'll try; may be I can tell the hour, but I never shall be able to
see the minutes;" and after the greatest attention--"It wants ten
minutes of eight o'clock:" which was exact. M. FERRUS now desired to
make the experiment himself, and repeated it with the same success. He
made me turn the hands of his watch several times, and when presented to
her (occiput we suppose,) without her having seen it, she never made any
mistake."
These statements we have thought fit to lay before our readers, who will
observe the respectable names which are connected with them. We shall
seize the first opportunity to give the report of the new commission,
and if they confirm the miracles, we can still say, credat Judaeus
apella. If it will make no cure, it will probably make much pay; since
MESMER got upwards of 340,000 francs for his mumming exhibitions, to the
_spectacle_ loving quidnuncs of Paris. The commission consists of 11
members, viz. LEROUX, BOURDOIS, DOUBLE, MAGENDIE, GUERSENT, LAENNEC,
THILLAYE, MARC, ITARD, FOUQUIER and GUENEAU DE MUSSY.
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