The Spirit LandEmmons, Samuel B. (Samuel Bulfinch)
Religion
The Spirit Land
Emmons, Samuel B. (Samuel Bulfinch)
Occultism -- Early works to 1900; Spiritualism
_Fourth._ She controlled its action so as to give her brother (the
professor) a "smart shock when he was several rooms off." (The account
states, that when the professor received the shock, "he started up and
rushed into her chamber, where she was in bed; and as soon as she saw
him, she said, laughing, 'Ah, you felt it, did you?'")
_Fifth._ She was subject, also, to spasms and paroxysms of rigor
and trembling.
Some of the phenomena, in this case, resemble those we see exhibited by
the electric fish. The case is an important one in considering the
command which the nerve centres possess over the general agents
associated with them."
We shall now present another singular case, which occurred in this
country, in the month of January, 1839, an account of which was given
in Silliman's Journal, by a correspondent:--
_First._ That "on the evening of January 28, 1839, during a somewhat
extraordinary display of the northern lights, a respectable lady became
so highly charged with electricity, as to give out vivid electrical
sparks from the end of each finger, to the face of each of the company
present."
_Second._ That this did not cease with the heavenly phenomena, but
continued several months, during which time she was constantly charged
and giving off electrical sparks to every conductor she approached.
This was extremely vexatious, as she could not touch the stove, or any
metallic utensil, without giving off an electrical spark, with the
consequent twinge.
_Third._ That "the state most favorable to _this phenomena_ was an
atmosphere of about eighty degrees Fahrenheit, moderate exercise, and
social enjoyment. It disappeared in an atmosphere approaching zero, and
under the debilitating effects of fear."
_Fourth._ That, "when seated by the stove, reading, with her feet upon
the fender, she gave sparks at the rate of three or four a minute; and
under the most favorable circumstances, a spark that could be seen,
heard, or felt, passed every moment."
_Fifth._ That "she could charge others in the same way, when insulated,
who could then give sparks to others."
_Sixth._ "To make it satisfactory that her dress did not produce it, it
was changed to cotton, and woollen, without altering the phenomenon.
The lady is about thirty, of sedentary pursuits, and delicate state of
health, having, for two years previously, suffered from acute
rheumatism and neuralgic affections."
For further investigation into the cause of singular phenomena evolved
from secret agents, and the true philosophy of biology, magnetism,
trance, &c., we would again refer to the numbers of a work by Mr.
Rogers, now in process of publication. His principles and deductions
challenge successful contradiction.
EXPERIMENTS IN BIOLOGY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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