in effecting this, is the early inducement of Coma for surgical purposes. It is quite unreasonable to expect to extract music from a fiddle without strings and I endeavour to break at a blow, as it were, all the strings of the mind-the five senses. It is true, that this treatment is only required for acute diseases, or to induce insensibility to pain, and it might be expected that in the treatment of chronic diseases, I should be able to elicit the mental phenomena, if they exist in nature. But as my principal object is to ascertain how far this new agent is capable of alleviating bodily suffering, I have purposely kept myself from embarking on the troubled sea of metaphysics, till the more pressing bodily problem shall be solved, and a "terra firma" of indisputable facts created, from whence we may securely, and at leisure, examine, and attempt to understand, the high and mysterious objects above us.

My patients, being the poorest and most ignorant of the people, and convicted felons from the same degraded orders, are the most unfavourable subjects for psychological experiments. As to physique, men are nearly the same all the world over: an universal vital law reduces all to the same level of animal, and the cooly, therefore, may be able to mesmerise the philosopher; but

the difference in morale is so great, not only among races, but individuals, as to preclude all sympathy, and to often amount to actual antipathy, and mutual repulsion. Although in

producing the physical effects of Mesmerism, I have not seen any necessity for the sympathy and rapport we read so much about, I can readily understand, that in eliciting the higher mental phenomena, these fine mental sympathies may be developed, and be necessary for the success of the abnormal mental manifestations; but my patients and I have probably too little in common to admit of mental sympathy between us. It will be seen, however, in the chapter on Somnambulism, that I have created a singular bouleversement in the minds of coolies and pariahs even, when under the Mesmeric influence.

The public, in examining a subject so deeply interesting to them, will, I hope, take an enlarged and liberal view of the matter, and look for fundamental and incontrovertible truths, which are practically important, and not allow themselves to be cheated out of their senses and judgment, by the doubtful, mysterious, and theoretical parts of the subject being exclusively dwelt upon, by those who wish Mesmerism to be untrue, or by others who have neither the desire

nor capacity to acquire new knowledge. Errors of observation and of judgment must often occur in investigating a new and difficult subject, but I hope such unintentional mistakes will be excused; and wherever they shall be pointed out in my observations, I shall be ready to acknowledge and correct them. Let all doubtful evidence be totally rejected, and a mass of substantial important truth will remain, which, I am confident, the public "will not willingly let die;" for human nature can ill afford to lose any new and promising source of comfort to suffering humanity.

Before concluding these prefatory remarks, I beg the reader not to do me the injustice to think me a Mesmeric doctor, for it would be as true to call me a rhubarb, jalap, or castor-oil physician. Mesmerism often comes to the aid of my patients, when all the resources of medicine are exhausted, and all the drugs of Arabia useless; and therefore, I consider it to be my duty to benefit them by it, and to assist in making it known for the advantage of mankind.

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CHAP. II.

The French Commission of 1779.

Both Right and Wrong. The Mesmerists properly punished. — Condition required in the Patient.-State of my Mind before experimenting for myself. Report of the Bishop of Lausanne to the Pope. ·His Reply. Accidental Nature of my First Experiment. — Accidental Nature of my Second Experiment. - First Mesmeric Surgical Operation. Conclusion.

THE most formidable, because the most reasonable argument against the existence of Mesmerism as a natural power, is, perhaps, the report of the French Commission in 1779, of which Franklin was president. The verdict of the Savans was fair enough, considering the nature of the evidence placed before them; but yet, (such is human fallibility), in this case summum jus was also summa injuria; truth was sacrificed to falsehood, as I think will clearly appear from a short analysis of their proceedings. This will probably not be time wasted, as I have heard intelligent gentlemen say, that the report of the French philosophers still decided their opinions. They had a series of axioms in Mesmerism presented to them, whose truth they were to

examine, and the efficacy of certain processes was to be proved to their satisfaction by experiment.

The Mesmerist's object seems to have been, to try to convince the commission that he had a secret worth knowing, and yet continue to keep it to himself, by hiding its extreme simplicity under a load of complicated machinery and various kinds of mummery. D'Eslon, the pupil of Mesmer, propounded his laws of animal magnetism, after this fashion:

"I. Animal magnetism is an universal fluid, constituting an absolute plenum in nature, and the medium of all mutual influence between the celestial bodies, and betwixt the earth and animal bodies."

This is only a gigantic assertion.

"II. It is the most subtile fluid in nature, capable of flux, and of reflux, and of receiving, propagating, and continuing all kinds of motion.”

The first two clauses are probable enough; the last is only rash dogmatism.

"III. The animal body is subjected to the influences of this fluid by means of the nerves, which are immediately affected by it."

We see no other way, at present.

"IV. The human body has poles, and other properties, analogous to the magnet."