frequently before alleged, that the hand could be magnetically attracted; but he did not find that the hand had any effect in attracting other bodies--such as iron filings-usually attracted by the magnet. The power, whatever it was, was not reciprocal, nor could his patients succeed in imparting the attractive power to needles, &c., according to the statements to that effect of 'Thilorier, who experimented some time since, on certain nervous persons. But in his attempts to magnetize water he was completely successful; and Professor Gregory has no hesitation in saying, upon the strength of Reichenbach's descriptions, that this is henceforth to be regarded as among established physical facts. Reichenbach commenced his researches 'strongly prejudiced against the mesmeric idea of magnetized water,' but he was compelled to admit what soon became a daily occurrence before his eyes. He says, 'it was impossible to oppose a fact like this by arguments, and he thought it more rational to admit the fact at once, whether he could understand it or not, and wait for the explanation.' But Reichenbach was still more surprised to see that this magnetized water possessed an attractive force over the human hand, similar to that of the original magnet. A phenomenon so singular, he was persuaded, could not stand alone, and he therefore tried whether the same effect could not be produced by other bodies besides water, hoping by that means to arrive at some general law. Accordingly, a large variety of substances, such as minerals, drugs and preparations, were subjected to the influences of the magnet, and then applied to his patients in the same way the water had been, when lo! similar results were obtained, but with some obvious differences as to power. To find the cause of these differences, he proceeded to try the same substances witnout their being magnetized, when he discovered, to his increased astonishment, that they still acted on his patients with pretty nearly as much power as they had when magnetized. The effects were more decided when the patients were in a diseased or cataleptic state, than when they were in their normal condition. In crystalline substances, however, he observed that while some exerted an attractive effect on the hand, others only produced a strong convulsive movement. He therefore prosecuted his experiments on crystals with great assiduity, until after a time he was able to classify them according to these different properties. The question then arose, whether the force existing in crystals was identical with what is commonly called magnetism? Reichenbach, guided by the previous experiments of Hauy, Biot and Coulomb, after a variety of trials, came decidedly to the conclusion that it was not, but that it was a distinct force, and, in fact, a NEW IMPONDERABLE. We cannot detail all his experiments on this head, but his results are summed up by Professor Gregory, as follows:

"1. That every crystal, natural or artificial, exerts a special action on the animal nerve, feeble in healthy persons, powerful in many diseased individuals, strongest of all in cataleptic cases.

"2. That this influence is seated chiefly in the axis of crystals,

and being most active at the opposite ends of the axis, is, consequently, polarized.

"3. At the poles, light is sent forth, visible to eyes rendered preternaturally acute by disease-especially by nervous disease.

"4. In certain diseases the crystal attracts or solicits the hand of the patient by a kind of attraction analogous to that of the magnet for iron.

"5. But the crystal, in virtue of this peculiar influence, does not attract iron-has no tendency to any peculiar direction; when freely suspended, does not attract the magnetic needle, and induces no electric current in a coil of wire. The new influence or force, therefore, is not magnetism.

6. The force may be transferred to other bodies, which may be charged with it by contact.

""7. Matter possesses some degree of coercitive power in regard to this force, so as to retain it, but only for a limited time, within which the charge disappears.

"8. Different bodies conduct it with different degrees of facility. 9. The power in matter, of being charged with this force, is directly proportional to the strength of the force in the crystal employed.

10. The force differs, qualitatively, at the opposite poles-at one causing a sensation of coolness, and at the other of warmth. Quantitatively, the cool pole is weaker than the warm one.'

"The similarity of some of these phenomena with another series, which had been described for many years under the name of animal magnetism, suggested to Reichenbach the question, whether other analogies did not exist between the two, and whether animal magnetism might not, like the crystallic force, be subjected to physical laws. He had purposely abstained from reading the literature relating to the latter, partly from a sceptical aversion to it, and partly that his mind might not be biased in the independent series of investigations which he had undertaken. Before proceeding, however, to determine the questions he had started, it seemed to him necessary, first of all, to inquire what part ordinary terrestrial magnetism played in these phenomena. If a magnet or needle produces such decided effects on sensitive persons, he reasoned that then the magnetism of the earth, which gives the needle its direction, must have an influence on the animal nerve. And under this impression repeated trials were made, both upon healthy and diseased subjects, and at many different times. The experiments we cannot give here, but will again avail ourselves of the abstract of Professor Gregory, to condense the general results. Reichenbach then established the following positions: That the human hand, passed over sensitive persons, acted upon them like the poles of crystals; that the power which acts thus is conductable through all bodies, like the force of crystals; that, like the same force, it disappears from the charged bodies in a short time; that bodies also retain it, and have a coercitive power in reference to it;

that the capacity of being charged is the same for both forces in all bodies; that this force is polarized in human bodies, as the other is in crystals; that both are uninfluenced by the earth's magnetism; that both exercise a mechanical attraction on the hands of catalep tics; and that both exhibit beautiful luminous phenomena, visible to the sensitive. Reichenbach, therefore, concludes, that the force of crystals and the so-called Animal Magnetism, are one and the same, so that the laws which regulate the former admit of a full application to the latter. And Professor Gregory remarks, that he had, before he heard of Reichenbach's success, been witness to some of these results in experiments of his own, and refers particularly to one where a sensitive patient had seen flames issuing from the points of human fingers. This last phenomenon is singularly interesting, and bears out many asseverations that have been made by mesmeric patients, but which the scientific world have consented all along to ridicule as the height of charlatanism and absurdity. But now that the facts are demonstrated by high and unquestionable scientific authority, we suppose they will be generally admitted.

"We have said above, that the two forces referred to were independent of the earth's magnetism; but it must not be inferred that the patients on whom the experiments were made, were likewise insusceptible to influences from this grand source. On the contrary, both healthy and diseased subjects were found to be sensitive in this respect. It was found, also, that the rays of the sun and moon, heat, friction, artificial light and chemical action, were all sources of the new and peculiar magnetic power; and that all these were accompanied by the luminous appearances. The fact that chemical action was a source of the new power, suggested to Reichenbach several highly curious explanations of well-known, but hitherto unaccountable, phenomena. That curious hotch-potch, which has been called the Magnetic Boquet, and to which certain medical practitioners have ascribed great healing virtues, not without some leaven of truth in their asseverations, was found to be a source of the new power, because subject to a slow and long-continued chemical action. But a more interesting application of his discovery was made to those church-yard lights, which have so often excited the fears of the superstitious and ignorant. A singular occurrence, which took place at Colmar, in the garden of the poet Pfeffel, led Reichenbach to his inquiries in this direction. The facts of the case are thus given:

"The poet, being blind, had employed a young clergyman of the evangelical church, as amanuensis. Pfeffel, when he walked out, was supported and led by this young man, whose name was Billing. As they walked in the garden, at some distance from the town, Pfeffel observed that as often as they passed over a particular spot, the arm of Billing trembled, and he betrayed uneasiness. On being asked, the young man reluctantly confessed, that as often as he passed over that spot, certain feelings attacked him, which he could not control, and which he knew well, as he always experienced the

same in passing over places where human corpses lay buried. He added, that at night, when he came near such places, he saw supernatural appearances. Pfeffel, with a view of curing the youth of what he looked on as a fancy, went that night with him to the garden. As they approached the spot in the dark, Billing perceived a feeble light; and when still nearer, he saw a luminous ghost-like form floating over the spot. This he described as a female form, with one arm laid across the body, the other hanging down, floating in the upright posture, but tranquil, the feet only a hand-breadth or two above the soil. Pfeffel went alone, as the young man declined to follow him, up to the place where the figure was said to be, and struck about, in all directions, with a stick, besides running through the place of the figure; but the ghost was not more affected than a flame would have been. The luminous form, according to Billing, always returned to its original position after these experiments. Many things were tried during several months, and numerous companies of people were brought to the spot; but the matter remained the same, and the ghost-seer adhered to his serious assertion, and to the opinion founded on it, that some individual lay buried there. At last Pfeffel had the place dug up. At a considerable depth was found a firm layer of white lime, of the length and breadth of a grave, of considerable thickness; and when this was broken into, there was found the bones of a human being. It was evident that some one had been buried in the place, and covered with a thick layer of lime (quick-lime), as is generally done in times of pestilence of earthquakes, and other similar events. The bones were removed; the pit filled up; the lime mixed and scattered abroad, and the surface again smoothed. When Billing was now brought back to the place, the phenomena did not return, and the nocturnal spirit had for ever disappeared.'

"This story created prodigious attention at the time, and the learned, as well as the unlearned, gave it sundry very frightful interpretations. The character of the narrator raised it above all suspicions of untruth. When it came to the ears of Reichenbach, he inferred at once that the effect might have been the result of natural and physical causes. He knew that a dead body was the seat of an infinite number of chemical decompositions and changes; he knew that quick-lime in a pit had affinities for various organic matters, which would give rise to slow fermentations, &c.; and he knew, finally, that rain-water, filtering through the earth, would contribute to excite the chemical working. He concluded, therefore, that a luminous appearance must result from the chemical action, and that sensitive organizations would be likely to detect its presence. In pursuance of his theory, he contrived to bring a highly sensitive person, by night, into a church-yard. The result more than justified his anticipations. His patient saw delicate waving lights issuing from several of the graves; without form or shape, it is true, but rising some spans above the surface of the ground, and, in one instance, four feet. On other occasions, the same phenome

na were exhibited. The appearance was that of a luminous mass, intermediate between a fog and a flame, and was more vivid over new graves than old ones. Thus we find, as Prof. Gregory remarks, that many superstitious tales are susceptible of a clear and scientific explanation, so that the wonders of second-sight and ghost-seeing lose many of their marvelous qualities.

"But a more important application of his discoveries has been made by Reichenbach, to the theory of digestion and respiration. As he had demonstrated, to his own satisfaction, that every chemical action evolved the new magnetic force, he suggests that digestion, which is but a long-continued chemical action, may supply the whole human system with the new power. And he urges the same view in respect to respiration, explaining, in this way, the radiation of polarized light, &c., from the ends of the fingers. Liebig, as all our scientific readers know, had before derived the motive force of the human system from digestion, and its heat from respiration, maintaining, at the same time, that both were the result of chemical action. Reichenbach imagines that his own researches have conducted him to the same end; and that, from his having arrived at the result by a different route, there is a strong probability that the theory of Liebig will be sustained triumphantly by subsequent teachings of Nature.

"Such is a hasty outline of the important inquiries of a distinguished philosopher in a new direction. We shall make no comment upon them, as they speak for themselves; but we cannot refrain from the single remark, apropos of the spirit in which the mesmeric developments have been received hitherto, that scientific men should not be overwise, lest the progress of research very soon compels them to eat their own words, in shame and confusion of face."

ART. III-VAUGHAN'S DISCOVERIES IN
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.

SOMETIME last summer, I found at my door a man of humble appearance, with a few pamphlets in his hands, which I supposed he had been sent out to deliver. He handed me a copy-I glanced at the title, and soon learned that it was a scientific essay, from the pen of my humble visitor. I invited him in, and found under his unpretending and diffident address, a current of clear scientific ideas, and a mind accustomed to original inquiry. I immediately felt a lively interest in the progress of his researches, and as soon as