BUCHANAN'S

JOURNAL OF MAN.

Vol. II, No. 4-OCTOBER, 1850.

ART. I.-THE TRUTH OF NEUROLOGY.

UPON what basis must the science of man rest?

upon inference or upon direct observation? If it be in our power to determine by positive experiment the functions of any portion of the human brain, shall we rely upon such experiments, or shall we still rely only upon the remote and circumstantial evidence of Cranioscopy, instead of the evidence derived from the organ itself? There are too few who understand and reflect upon this question clearly and decisively. The phrenological world remained for a long time indifferent, or incredulous as to the excitement of the organs of the brain; and although at the present time, experiments upon the brain have carried throughout America and Europe, the knowledge of the fact that the cerebral organs may be excited by external agencies, still phrenologists do not appear to look to this method of investigation for the advancement or cultivation of the science. The experimental excitement of the organs is received as a confirmation of the truth of Phrenology, but not as a method of proving anything which was not previously known. And yet it is selfevident that the excitement of the cerebral organs, if it is sufficiently reliable to prove the truth of the old phrenological doctrines, is also sufficiently reliable to prove the truth of new discoveries. Either the cerebral organs cannot be excited by external agencies applied to the head, and all such experiments are therefore fallacious, or they can be thus excited, and if so, we can by such means discover the true functions of the brain. When this is done, the circumstantial evidence of Craniology is no longer necessary, and the probabilities and uncertainties of the science are at an end. Yet phrenological works, essays and VOL. II.-F

journals are still published, as before, in complete unconsciousness of the new discoveries, just as metaphysicians even to the present day continue to speculate and write as if Gall and Spurzheim had never lived.

It is in vain that nature surrounds us everywhere with the materials and evidences of science, if we have no disposition to seek them. It was in vain that every human head presented to the careful observer a proof of the general truth of Gall and Spurzheim's system of Phrenology-anti-phrenologists uniformly refused to observe, and occupied themselves in vague speculation and captious criticism. It is in vain that a large portion of the human race are impressible and capable of feeling the influence of the different organs of the brain, if there be no disposition to develop the facts by experimental investigation.

Those who have made such experimental investigations must be allowed for the present to speak a little dogmatically in reference to matters which are so familiar, so well established and so easily proven. For the sake of those who would wish to see a greater amount of evidence of the truth of Neurological science, let me lay down this general proposition: All persons of highly impressible temperaments-in other words, possessing an acute psychometric sensibility are capable of recognizing the action of the brain, and determining the characteristics of the various

organs.

As an illustration of this, I would mention the fact, that two intelligent young gentlemen (practical phrenologists of the old school) called upon me this summer, with a view of learning something of Neurology. I referred them at once to nature by experiments upon themselves. They could not change their views in which they had been educated and become confirmed without ample evidence, and as they were both impressible, I showed them how to experiment upon each other to determine the functions of the organs. Notwithstanding all their prepos sessions, when they both felt and recognized the action of the brain, they could not feel in accordance with their previous opinions. All their sensations corresponded to the new system of Phrenology, and further investigation confirmed their consciousness of its truth. The following quotation from a letter recently received (from Philadelphia) from the elder of these gentlemen exhibits the progress of a candid inquirer.

"I have thrown aside the old system of Phrenology; and in my examinations of heads, I use the new system just as far as I am able to apply it. I examine more or less heads every day for the amusement of my friends and acquaintances, and flatter myself that I am as correct in my delineations of character, as our best Phrenologists are by means of the old system. I shall always remember with pleasure my visit to Cincinnati, as it has been the means of turning my attention from an old and bungling system of Phrenology to a new, and I might say almost perfect one. With the best wishes for the success of your enterprise, and the highest regard for the valuable discoveries you have made, I remain, yours, &c."

ART. II.-REICHENBACH ON ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

SECTION IV.

FURTHER SOURCES OF THE FORCE WHICH RESIDES IN THE MAGNET, IN CRYSTALS, AND IN THE HUMAN HAND.

95. As before, the author resumes the last section.

a. Not only do crystals act on healthy and diseased sensitive persons, but the earth's magnetism does so likewise. The action of the latter is so powerful, that very sensitive patients can only lie in one position, that with the head to the north and the feet to the south. Every other line is disagreeable to them, and in many cases, that from west to east is quite intolerable, nay, even dangerous to life.

b. All the reactions of magnets, crystals, &c. on such patients, are essentially altered when any change is made in their direction with respect to the earth's magnetism.

c. Pure iron, when magnetized by contact with a magnet, does not retain any permanent magnetism when separated from the magnet. But it has, notwithstanding, acquired a peculiar power, by which it is capable of producing decided and strong effects on sensitive persons.

d. The magnet yields this unknown something, not to iron alone, but to all solid matter without exception, including the living body.

e. This something, in all bodies either directly charged with it, or rendered active by its distribution, acts on sensitive patients exactly as the magnet on crystals, and must therefore be identical with the peculiar agent residing in them.

f. In like manner, living persons, especially with their hands and fingers, are capable of acting on sensitive patients, and healthy individuals, if sensitive.

g. This force, which has been called Animal Magnetism, has the following properties: it is, namely, conductible through other bodies; it may be communicated to other bodies either by directly charging them or by its dispersion. It soon disappears, but not immediately, from bodies charged with it. It assumes a polar arrangement in the animal body, by virtue of its apparent dualism. It has no marked relation to the earth's magnetism. It attracts mechanically the hands of cataleptic patients, and its presence is associated with luminous phenomena. In all these points it agrees with the force of crystals, with which it coincides, and in all particulars obeys the same physical laws as that force

h. One part of the complex force inherent in magnets, — the force residing in crystals, and this last force, these three, in their essence, make, in one point of view, but one force.

96. But these are not all the sources of this force; nay, they are not even the chief sources of it. Pursuing the investigation, the author has met with further important sources. It has long been a question, whether the sun's rays can render a needle magnetic. Morichini, Mrs. Somerville, and Baumgartner have chiefly investigated the matter. It occurred to the author that the sun's rays might play a part in the present investigation; and this idea acquired some probability when the influence exerted by the moon on certain nervous disorders, an influence well-known and undeniable, was taken into consideration.

97. He employed the first sunny day to try the experiment with Mademoiselle Maix. He put into her hand the end of a copper wire nearly 30 feet long, and when her hand was accustomed to the sensation, the other end was put out of the window in the rays of the sun. Immediately the sensations caused by the force of crystals were perceived, not powerful, but quite distinct. The end of the wire was now connected with a plate of copper 9 inches square in the dark, and when the patient was accustomed to the feel of the wire, the plate was exposed to the sun. No sooner was this done than he was saluted with a cry of pleasure from the sick-bed. The moment the sun's rays fell on the plate a powerful manifestation of the well-known force was felt, as a sensation of warmth in the hand, rising through the arm to the head. But this sensation was accompanied with one quite new and unexpected, namely, a peculiar, somewhat cooling, but astonishingly refreshing sensation, a pleasurable feeling, which the patient compared to the fresh air of a fine May morning. This sensation flowed from the end of the wire into the arm, and thence spread itself over the whole body, dispensing throughout her whole nature a feeling of strength and refreshment. All the bystanders were affected to sympathy, and the author allowed the unfortunate patient for a considerable time the new enjoyment derived from this unknown cordial or restorative. It was something which flowed through her whole nervous system with a beneficial effect. The author did not know what it was, and as it did not immediately bear on the question, it was left, like many other things, for subsequent study. The explanation will be found at a later stage of the inquiry.

98. In another experiment, to avoid as much as possible the complication due to heat, the wire was hung with white linen. The room was warm, the air rather cool, but still the patient felt as before, only the sensation of crystal-force was weaker. The peculiar refreshing coolness was very decidedly felt.

99. Again, the wire was hung with moist linen. The effect was accompanied by a disagreeable sensation, such as moist air

is said to produce on the patient. But in this case also, the peculiar effects first observed, namely, increasing sensation of heat in the wire, and the refreshing coolness flowing to every part of the body, were very distinctly observed.

100. In order to obtain confirmation and security for the accuracy of these observations, the experiment was now tried on Mlle. Nowotny, who was so far recovered as to have quitted her bed for several weeks. When the wire alone was used, she perceived coolness in the end of it in her hand, and this disappeared and reappeared as the other end was removed from the sunshine or restored to it. When several square feet of tinned iron were attached to the wire, and exposed to the sun, the sensation of coolness increased to that of icy coldness, which caused the hand to stiffen. It has been already stated that the force of crystals, in some persons, caused the sensation of heat, in others that of coolness; the special difference will be subsequently considered. In this case, where the coolness is derived from the sun, the great source of heat, it is peculiarly indicative of a specific influence. The influence was so decidedly marked, that a difference was perceived by the patient, according as the rays of the sun were allowed to fall perpendicularly or obliquely on the plate, or according to the time of day or of year, other things being the same.

101. The author had no opportunity of trying these experiments with Mlle. Atzmannsdörfer; but on inquiry, she stated, that at all times the sun's rays had exercised on her a most beneficent influence, not of a warming, but of a cooling nature, and that she could not bear them to shine on her head, not on account of heat, but because they produced severe lancinating pains.

102. In like manner, he had often heard from Mlle. Sturmann, long before he had discovered the peculiar influence now under consideration, that the sun chilled her; a statement which was then quite an enigma to him.

103. But he was able to investigate this subject most accu rately with the aid of Mlle. Reichel. Not only did she perceive the peculiar cooling sensation, when the wire was attached to sheet-iron, sheet-copper, sheet-zinc, tin foil, lead foil, silver-ribbon, gold leaf, brass plate, and German silver, and these bodies exposed to the sun's light; but also when linen, woolen cloth, cotton, silk, &c., attached to the wire, were placed in the direct rays of the sun. Indeed, every substance tried, including porcelain, glass, stone, wood, water, lamp-oil, alcohol, sulphur, when tried in the same way, produced the remarkable sensation of increasing coolness, which all the sensitive patients uniformly and unanimously testified to, being as much astonished at the apparent contradiction (which, however, was afterwards very clearly explained) as the author himself.

104. If it were really the force residing in crystals, in magnets, and in the human hand, as already identified, which was