"In this peculiar state of sleep, the surface of the body is sometimes acutely sensible, but more frequently the sense of feeling is absolutely annihilated. The jaws are firmly locked, and resist every effort to wrench them open: the joints are often rigid, and the limbs inflexible; and not only is the sense of feeling, but the senses of smell, hearing, and sight also, are so deadened to all external impressions, that no pungent odour, loud report, or glare of light, can excite them in the slightest degree. The body may be pricked, pinched, lacerated, or burnt ; fumes of concentrated liquid ammonia may be passed up the nostrils; the loudest reports suddenly made close upon the ear; dazzling and intense light may be thrown upon the pupil of the eye; yet so profound is the physical state of lethargy, that the sleeper will remain undisturbed and insensible to tortures, which in the waking state, would be intolerable."- (Dupotet, p. 36.)

The above concise sketch corresponds very closely with what is laid down in other works of Mesmeric repute. A few brief quotations, exhibiting this correspondence, we subjoin. The first we take from Deleuze's Practical Instructions, wherein he states that "the magnetised feels the necessity of closing the eyes; his eyes are so

sealed that he cannot open them: he experiences a calm, a feeling of comfort; he becomes drowsy; he is put to sleep." Teste, another writer of distinction, speaking of the physical insensibility, says, "it exists, not only in the skin, but in the subcutaneous tissues, in the muscles, and even in the nervous ramifications." Dr. Passavant of Frankfort, an author often referred to, avers as follows: "As an especial effect of the power of animal magnetism, results the magnetic sleep. This is mostly deeper than ordinary sleep, the mediation of the senses is yet more decidedly suspended. The sensibility can so have vanished in a moment, that the loudest sound, the brightest light, even bodily injuries, are not perceived in this sleep." Indeed, all the authorities seem to coincide very much in their accounts, and, this we say, after referring to Chenevix, Elliotson, Townshend, Gauthier, Foissac, and others."

I shall now present to the reader illustrations of all the singular states of the system described above, and drawn from my practice here.

Mesmeric sleep.―This simulates, perfectly, sound natural sleep, and is more refreshing, even if it has been resorted to for soothing pain, or disturbance of the system, and can be had recourse to when it would be improper or useless to adminis

ter common narcotics;

over which it has the advantage of not inducing a disagreeable constitutional derangement, after the specific influence has ceased. The restorative powers of mesmeric sleep seem to depend upon an actual infusion of nervous vigour into the body, and, when induced as a remedial agent, this may account for its superiority over common sleep.

April 7th.- Janokee-Sing, a hardy looking peon; the whole of the scrotum is sloughing, from the application of some acrid leaves, and the pain is most intense.

April 15th.-The whole scrotum has sloughed off; has not slept since coming to hospital. The compounder, a healthy, intelligent Hindoo, succeeded in putting him to sleep to-day, in half an hour. He awoke when pinched, or called upon by name, but instantly fell asleep again.

April 16th.-Has slept, almost without interruption, from eleven o'clock A. M. yesterday, till seven o'clock this morning, the only sleep he has had since he was burned.

April 19th.-He has been mesmerised daily, and sleeps the greater part of his time; to mesmerise him, becomes more easy every day ;—and a few minutes now suffice to overcome him.

April 20th.-Kowsoalla; aged forty, a peasant woman. I subdued her to-day, for the first time, in ten minutes: she awoke when called upon, but, in a second, fell asleep again. The limbs are quite loose, but when I let them remain for a moment in any new position, they become rigid, and require to be dragged into a new attitude: the muscles yield precisely like lead, without a vestige of re-action, when the bending force is removed.

April 25th. She can now be mesmerised in a

minute.

May 3rd.-Bissumber Chowdry: has had retention of urine for three days; the bladder is prominent at the navel, and no instrument can be introduced. Ordered to lie in the easiest posture, and to be put to sleep, if possible.

May 4th. He slept for two hours yesterday, and voided his urine freely, when he awoke.

May 4th.-Deenoo, a prisoner; convalescent from cholera, is tormented with incessant hiccough for the last twenty-four hours.

Opii Grs. ii.

Confect. Arom. Grs. x.

F

If this does not check it, a blister to be applied over the diaphragm.

May 5th.-No better-To be mesmerised. I returned after three hours, and found him asleep awoke him: has no hiccough.

May 11th. No return of the hiccough.

Sealing of the eyes.—The quivering of the eyelids, and their subsequent spasmodic closure, is one of the most specific mesmeric symptoms.

June 27th.-The woman Alunga complains of considerable pain from the extension of her arm yesterday, and the nerve at the elbow is very tender. I passed my fingers along the course of the nerve for a few minutes, which removed the pain; I then held my fingers before her eyes, and in a few seconds she fell into my arms quite insensible. I soon after awoke her, and she sat up conversing with us as usual, but could not possibly open her eyes; when ordered to do so, she was obliged to pull the eyelids asunder with her fingers; but they would not remain open, and the difficulty was only removed by my rubbing, and blowing in her eyes. I have shown this peculiarity, in numerous cases, to great numbers of persons.