Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of MesmerismMayo, Herbert
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Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of Mesmerism
Mayo, Herbert
Mesmerism; Parapsychology and medicine; Superstition
Some distinguish figure and colour when the room is so dark that
the bystanders can distinguish neither.
These observations, which are, however, only in conformity with similar
evidence from many other quarters, I give on the authority of Mr. J. W.
Williamson of Wickham, the gentleman to whom I have before alluded.
The following accidental features, attending the manifestation of
transposed senses, were further observed by Mr. Williamson:—
In most of the persons in whom Mr. Williamson has brought out
transposed vision, the faculty has been located in a small surface of
the scalp behind the left ear; and to see objects well, the patient
has held them at the distance of five or six inches from and opposite
to this spot. One young woman, who had been temporarily set aside
under affliction for the loss of a relative, on the experiments being
resumed, saw from all parts of the head, but confusedly, a broken and
incomplete picture. On a subsequent day, she saw with the right side of
her head. Afterwards the visual sense returned to its first place.
In one young person, the new sentient organ was on the top of her head,
and to see objects she required them to be brought into contact with
it. Once that she had a rheumatic cold and tenderness of the scalp, she
said, when entranced, putting her hand to the crown of her head, that
the cold had made her eyes sore.
One person saw objects best when placed behind her at the distance of
seven or eight feet.
The governess in a neighbouring family was mesmerised for
tic-doloureux. In seven sittings she was cured. At the second sitting,
in her trance she exhibited displaced sensation. She could read with
her finger-ends; her way was to hold the book open against her chest,
the back of the book towards her, with one hand; then she passed a
finger of the other hand slowly over each word, to read it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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