The Spirit LandEmmons, Samuel B. (Samuel Bulfinch)
Religion
The Spirit Land
Emmons, Samuel B. (Samuel Bulfinch)
Occultism -- Early works to 1900; Spiritualism
"Angelique Cottin was a native of La Perriere, aged fourteen, when, on
the 15th of January, 1846, at eight o'clock in the evening, while
weaving silk gloves at an oaken frame, in company with other girls, the
frame began to jerk, and they could not by any efforts keep it steady.
It seemed as if it were alive; and becoming alarmed, they called in the
neighbors, who would not believe them, but desired them to sit down and
go on with their work. Being timid, they went one by one, and the frame
remained still till Angelique approached, when it recommenced its
movements, while she was also attracted by the frame. Thinking she was
bewitched or possessed, her parents took her to the presbytery, that
the spirit might be exorcised, or cast out. The curate, being a
sensible man, objected, but set himself to work to observe the
phenomenon, and being satisfied of the facts of the case, he bade them
take her to a physician.
"Meanwhile, the intensity of the influence, whatever it was, augmented;
not only articles made of oak, but all sorts of things, were acted upon
by it, and reacted upon her, while persons who were near her, even
without contact, frequently felt _electric_ shocks. The effects, which
were diminished when she was on a carpet or a waxed cloth, were most
remarkable when she _was on the bare earth_. They sometimes entirely
ceased for three days, and then recommenced. Metals were not affected.
Any thing touching her apron or dress would fly off, although a person
held it; and Monsieur Herbert, while seated on a heavy tub or trough,
was raised up with it. In short, the only place she could repose on was
a stone covered with cork. They also kept her still by isolating her.
When she was fatigued the effects diminished. A needle, suspended
horizontally, oscillated rapidly with the motion of her arm, without
contact; or remained fixed while deviating from the magnetic direction.
Great numbers of enlightened medical and scientific men witnessed these
phenomena, and investigated them with every precaution to prevent
imposition. She was often hurt by the violent involuntary movements she
was thrown into, and was evidently afflicted by chorea, or St. Vitus's
dance."--_Night Side of Nature_, page 382.
"The French paper mentions the circumstance that while Angelique was at
work in the factory, "the cylinder she was turning was suddenly thrown
a considerable distance without any visible cause; that this was
repeated several times; that all the young girls in the factory fled,
and ran to the curate to have him exorcise the young girl, believing
she had a devil." After the priest had consigned her to the physician's
care, the physician, with the father and mother, brought Angelique to
Paris. M. Arago received her, and took her to the observatory, and in
the presence of MM. Laugier and Goujon made the following observations,
which were reported to the Paris Academy of Sciences:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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