Carlisle Patriot 19 July 1844 19 July 1844 Mesmerism in Carlisle

19 July 1844 Mesmerism in Carlisle

(From a correspondent.)        Mr. Spencer HALL has been entertaining the inhabitants of Carlisle during the past week, in the Athenaeum, with a series of experiments elucidatory of the pseudo "science" of Mesmerism.        Mr. HALL, we are told, is reckoned one of the most successful mesmeric experimenters of the present day. He is of an ardent and enthusiastic temperament, of the true "go-ahead" stamp, and consequently travels forward in the path of extravagance where men of cooler judgment would long since have stopped; and the multiplicity of new craniological "organs" which he is said to have discovered, or his minute subdivision  of the old ones, is sufficient to make the most pliable phrenologist cry "hold, enough."        The first performance "came off" on Tuesday evening, when a goodly audience was assembled, evidently in the most compliant mood, and waiting anxiously for the wonders that were about to be revealed.        Soon after the appointed time, Mr. HALL mounted the platform and commenced his introductory address. he began, as is customary with all propounders of new views or extravagant theories, by talking of the opposition which some useful discoveries had at first to encounter. The "science" he said, which he had come to elucidate was by no means a new one; "all Greek, Egyptian, and Roman history teemed with mesmeric facts. "The Egyptian philosophers and the magicians of Persia were well acquainted with its virtues; and there was every reason to believe that the miracles said to have been wrought by the monks in the early days of the history of our own country, were actually performed by means of this wonderful agency. Many of the cases of witchcraft related of old no doubt arose from the possession of this power; and the very last case which had been recorded was clearly one of mesmeric influence. It was that for which two old women were tried at Burt St., Edmunds, before Sir Matthew HALE, for throwing a  child into fits; one of the women were charged with having put it asleep, while the other made it quite stiff and rigid, but whenever any person approached, it became convulsed and screamed out. Now, the first woman, he said, there could be no doubt had thrown the child into a mesmeric sleep, the second one had produced catalepsy, and the convulsions when any one approached were clearly the common result of "cross mesmerism" !        Mr. HALL then descanted on the use of mesmerism in more modern times, and after mentioning that a person once resident in London called the "Irish Stroker" cured manifold diseases by simple "passes" with the hand, adduced in support of the views he was advocating the still more egregious folly of some old American gentleman, who, hearing of mesmerism, tried his own power, and succeeded, by making passes over it, in imparting the mesmeric influence to some kind of medal, which was sold all over Europe and America, and which accomplished such wonders in a sanatory point of view, that the virtues it possessed were made the subject of special inquiry by the medical gentleman of Bath.        No fact could be more plain it was contended, than two individuals did possess and influence over each other; a healthy child, he said, sleeping with an old and infirm person, could not fail to suffer from it; while on the other hand the reason why schoolmasters in general lived to such a green old age was owing to being surrounding during a great part of their time by so many healthy young persons! It might be said that all mesmeric effects arose from imagination; but even if this were true, all facts tended to show that the power of the imagination was entitled to consideration. After attempting to grapple with the fact that the doctrines which he was propounding had an irreligious tendency, Mr. HALL adverted to some of his own discoveries in phrenology; and after stating that he would commence his experiments by producing in a subject he had brought with him a state of catalepsy, he concluded by requesting the audience, if they thought it necessary, to appoint a chairman to preside over the affair.        After we presume some of the natural reluctance to preside over the mummeries about to be exhibited, the Mayor at length consented to take the chair. The "experiments" then commenced.        The arm of the young man was then "catalepsed" by one or two strokes over it, and a state of muscular rigidity was said to have been produced. Mr. CASTLE, the druggist, (himself, if we mistake not, a mesmerist) endeavoured without success to hold the arm in a certain position while the operator was using his "influence" to draw it in another direction.        A boy, of some ten or twelve years old, was then brought onto the platform, and the lecturer said he would mesmerise or put asleep one part of his head and body while the other side remained awake. He then gazed a few moments in the patients eyes, and made sundry "passes" but failed in his object, and observed that the boy had fallen into the complete somnambulic state - that he could carry an errand when in that way to any part of the town - notwithstanding which the lad was continually stumbling over chairs in his way, though he certainly took good care not to tumble off the platform. This patient was kept in this state almost the whole evening for the purpose of exhibiting "suggestive dreaming" - the operator asserting that he had the power of making him dream, and accordingly manifest whatever might be suggested to him. Mr. HALL told him he was a steam engine, and the audience were highly delighted to hear him whistle, blow with his mouth, and whirl his arm as if in rapid motion!        Mr. HALL then asked for any person in the room who had been previously mesmerised, (he refused to take any other), and a barber's lad, with a wooden leg, well known in our streets for his many pranks, was then brought in. The arms were soon "catalepsed" by the operator, who, to show the power of his will over him. offered the lad sums of money if he would do a certain thing, apparently easily done, but lo! He could not; the same offer was made if he could refrain from doing what he was directed to do, but to the apparent amusement of all, he could not refrain! For instance, after making a pass or two, the operator offered him a guinea of he could say the word "Carlisle" but his mouth was closed! The guinea was then offered if he could refrain from doing it, and forthwith the unlucky word was uttered.        The astonished audience, or at least those who believed that what they had witnessed was not a trick, left wonder-struck and confounded by what they had seen.        On the following evening, the exhibition was renewed, but proved a failure. Mr. HALL, of course, succeeded admirably with his own subjects, but he could not succeed in throwing into the mesmeric sleep any stranger who submitted to his manipulations. Having other "fish to fry" on Thursday, we were unable to attend, but we understand the farce partook of the trickery we have already noticed; and we cannot help regretting that the Chief magistrate of Carlisle should have countenanced, by presiding over, the "tomfooleries" that were enacted By Mr. HALL, his well drilled accomplices, and his dupes.

 

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