Whenthesefactsbecameknown,theCounciloftheCollegerequestedtheMedicalCommitteetodischargeOkeyandpreventanyfurtherexhibitionsofAnimalMagnetisminthewards。ThelatterpartofthisrequesthavingbeencommunicatedtoDr。Elliotson,heimmediatelysentinhisresignation。AsuccessorwasafterwardsappointedinthepersonofDr。Copland。Athisinaugurallecturethestudentsofthecollegemanifestedariotousdisposition,calledrepeatedlyfortheiroldinstructor,andrefusedtoallowthelecturetoproceed;butitappearsthedisturbancewascausedbytheirrespectandaffectionforDr。Elliotsonindividually,andnotfromanyparticipationinhisideasaboutmagnetism。
ExtravagantasthevagariesoftheEnglishprofessorsofmagnetismmayappear,theyareactualcommonsenseincomparisonwiththeaberrationsoftheGermans。ThelatterhaverevivedalltheexplodeddoctrinesoftheRosicrucians;andinanagewhichiscalledenlightened,havedisinterredfromtherubbishofantiquity,thewildestsuperstitionsoftheirpredecessors,andbuiltuponthemtheoriesmorewildandstartlingthananythingbeforeattemptedorwitnessedamongmankind。ParacelsusandBohmen,BorriandMeyer,withtheirstrangeheterogeneousmixtureofalchymyandreligion,butpavedthewayforthestranger,andevenmoreextravagantmixtureofmagnetismandreligion,asnowpractisedinGermany。Magnetism,itisbelieved,isthekeyofallknowledge,andopensthedoortothoseforbiddenregionswhereallthewondersofGod’sworksaremadecleartothemindofman。Themagneticpatientispossessedofallgifts——
canconversewithmyriadsofspirits,andevenwithGodhimself——betransportedwithgreaterrapiditythanthelightning’sflashtothemoonorthestars,andseetheirinhabitants,andholdconversewiththemonthewondersandbeautiesoftheirseparatespheres,andthepowerandgoodnessoftheGodwhomadethem。Timeandspacearetothemasifannihilated——nothingishiddenfromthem——past,present,orfuture。Theydivinethelawsbywhichtheuniverseisupheld,andsnatchthesecretsoftheCreatorfromthedarknessinwhich,toallothermen,itisenveloped。Forthelasttwentyorthirtyyearsthesedaringandblasphemousnotionshaveflourishedinrankluxuriance;andmenofstationinsociety,learning,andapparentgoodsenseinalltheusualaffairsoflife,havepubliclygivenintheiradhesion,andencouragedthedoctrinebytheirexample,orspreaditabroadbytheirprecepts。Thattheabovesummaryoftheirtenetsmaynothedeemedanexaggerationweenterintoparticulars,andrefertheincredulousthathumanfollyinthepresentagecouldeverbepushedsofar,tochapterandverseforeveryallegation。
InaworkpublishedinGermanyin1817,byJ。A。L。Richter,entitled“ConsiderationsonAnimalMagnetism,“theauthorstatesthatinmagnetismistobefoundthesolutionoftheenigmasofhumanexistence,andparticularlytheenigmasofChristianity,onthemysticandobscurepartsofwhichitthrowsalightwhichpermitsustogazeclearlyonthesecretsofthemystery。Wolfart’s“AnnalsofAnimalMagnetism“aboundwithsimilarpassages;andKluge’scelebratedworkiswritteninthesamespirit。“Suchisthewonderfulsympathy,“saysthelatter,“betweenthemagnetiserandthesomnambulistthathehasknownthelattertovomitandbepurgedinconsequenceofmedicinewhichtheformerhadtaken。Wheneverheputpepperonhistongue,ordrankwine,thepatientcouldtastethesethingsdistinctlyonherpalate。“ButKerner’shistoryofthecaseofMadameHauffe,thefamousmagneticwoman,“Seer“or“ProphetessofPrevorst,“WillgiveamorecompleteandmelancholyproofofthesadwanderingsoftheseGerman“menofscience,“thananyrandomselectionswemightmakefromtheirvoluminousworks。Thisworkwaspublishedintwovolumes,andtheauthenticityofitsdetailssupportedbyGorres,Eschenmeyer,andothermenofcharacterandreputationinGermany:itissaidtohavehadanimmensesale。SheresidedinthehouseofKerner,atWeinsberg;
andbeingweakandsickly,wasveryeasilythrownintoastateofsomnambulism。“Shebelonged,“saysKerner,“toaworldofspirits;shewashalfspiritherself;shebelongedtotheregionbeyonddeath,inwhichshealreadyhalfexisted。***Herbodyclothedherspiritlikeathinveil。***Shewassmallandslightlymade,hadanOrientalexpressionofcountenance,andthepiercingeyesofaprophet,thegleamsofwhichwereincreasedintheirpowerandbeautybyherlongdarkeyebrowsandeyelashes。Shewasafloweroflight,livinguponsunbeams。***Herspiritoftenseemedtobeseparatedfromherframe。Thespiritsofallthings,ofwhichmankindingeneralhavenoperception,wereperceptibletoandoperateduponher,moreparticularlythespiritsofmetals,herbs,men,andanimals。Allimponderablematters,eventheraysoflight,hadaneffectuponherwhenshewasmagnetised。“Thesmellofflintwasveryagreeabletoher。Saltlaidonherhandcausedaflowofsaliva:rockcrystallaidonthepitofherstomachproducedrigidityofthewholebody。Redgrapesproducedcertaineffects,ifplacedinherhands;whitegrapesproduceddifferenteffects。Theboneofanelkwouldthrowherintoanepilepticfit。Thetoothofamammothproducedafeelingofsluggishness。Aspider’swebrolledintoaballproducedapricklyfeelinginthehands,andarestlessnessinthewholebody。Glow-wormsthrewherintothemagneticsleep。Musicsomnambulisedher。Whenshewantedtobecheerful,sherequestedKernertomagnetisethewatershedrank,byplayingtheJew’s-harp。Sheusedtosayinhersleep,“Magnetisethewaterbysevenvibrationsoftheharp。“Ifshedrankwatermagnetisedinthismanner,shewasconstrainedinvoluntarilytopourforthhersoulinsong。Theeyesofmanymenthrewherintothestateofsomnambulism。Shesaidthatinthoseeyestherewasaspiritualspark,whichwasthemirrorofthesoul。Ifamagnetisedrodwerelaidonherrighteye,everyobjectonwhichshegazedappearedmagnified。
Itwasbythismeansthatshewasenabledtoseetheinhabitantsofthemoon。Shesaid,thatontheleftsideofthemoon,theinhabitantsweregreatbuilders,andmuchhappierthanthoseontherightside。“I
oftensee,“saidshetohermagnetiser,“manyspiritswithwhomIdonotcomeintocontact。Otherscometome,andIspeaktothem;andtheyoftenspendmonthsinmycompany。Ihearandseeotherthingsatthesametime;butIcannotturnmyeyesfromthespirits;theyareinmagneticrapportwithme。Theylooklikeclouds,thin,butnottransparent;though,atfirst,theyseemso。Still,Ineversawonewhichcastashadow。Theirformissimilartothatwhichtheypossessedwhenalive;butcolourless,orgrey。Theywearclothing;anditappearsasifmadeofclouds,alsocolourlessandmistygrey。Thebrighterandbetterspiritswearlonggarments,whichhangingracefulfolds,withbeltsaroundtheirwaists。Theexpressionoftheirfeaturesissadandsolemn。Theireyesarebright,likefire;butnoneofthemthatIeversawhadhairupontheirheads。Theymakenoiseswhentheywishtoexcitetheattentionofthosewhohavenotthegiftofseeingthem。Thesenoisesconsistofsoundsintheair,sometimessuddenandsharp,andcausingashock。Sometimesthesoundsareplaintiveandmusical;atothertimestheyresembletherustlingofsilk,thefallingofsand,ortherollingofaball。Thebetterspiritsarebrighterthanthebadones,andtheirvoiceisnotsostrong。Many,particularlythedark,sadspirits,whenIutteredwordsofreligiousconsolation,suckedthemin,asitwere;andIsawthembecomebrighterandquitegloriousinconsequence:butIbecameweaker。Mostofthespiritswhocometomeareofthelowestregionsofthespiritualworld,whicharesituatedjustaboveouratmosphere。
Theywere,intheirlife,grovellingandlow-mindedpeople,orsuchasdidnotdieinthefaithofJesus;orelsesuchas,inexpiring,clungtosomeearthlythoughtoraffection,whichnowpressesuponthem,andpreventsthemfromsoaringuptoheaven。Ionceaskedaspiritwhetherchildrengrewafterdeath?’Yes,’repliedthespirit,’
thesoulgraduallyexpands,untilitbecomesaslargeasitwouldhavebeenonearth。Icannoteffectthesalvationofthesespirits;Iamonlytheirmediator。Iprayardentlywiththem,andsoleadthembydegreestothegreatSaviouroftheworld。ItcostsaninfinityoftroublebeforesuchasoulturnsagaintotheLord。’“
Itwould,however,servenogoodpurposetoextendtogreaterlengththereveriesofthismadwoman,ortosetdownoneaftertheotherthenamesofthemagnetiserswhoencouragedherinherdelusions——beingthemselvesdeluded。TowadethroughthesevolumesofGermanmysticismisataskbothpainfulanddisgusting——andhappilynotnecessary。Enoughhasbeenstatedtoshowhowgrossisthesuperstitionevenofthelearned;andthaterrors,likecomets,runinoneeternalcycle——attheirapogeeinoneage,attheirperigeeinthenext,butreturninginonephaseoranotherformentowonderat。
InEnglandthedelusionofmagnetismmayforthepresentbeconsideredasfairlyexploded。Takingitshistoryfromthecommencement,andtracingittoourownday,itcanhardlybesaid,delusionthoughitwas,thatithasbeenwhollywithoutitsuses。ToquotethewordsofBailly,in1784,“Magnetismhasnotbeenaltogetherunavailingtothephilosophywhichcondemnsit:itisanadditionalfacttorecordamongtheerrorsofthehumanmind,andagreatexperimentonthestrengthoftheimagination。“Overthatvastinquiryoftheinfluenceofmindovermatter,——aninquirywhichtheembodiedintellectofmankindwillneverbeabletofathomcompletely,——itwill,atleast,havethrownafeebleandimperfectlight。Itwillhaveaffordedanadditionalproofofthestrengthoftheunconquerablewill,andtheweaknessofmatterascomparedwithit;anotherillustrationofthewordsoftheinspiredPsalmist,that“wearefearfullyandwonderfullymade。“Ifitservenootherpurposethanthis,itshistorywillproveuseful。Trutherenowhasbeenelicitedbymeansoferror;andAnimalMagnetism,likeothererrors,mayyetcontributeitsquotatowardstheinstructionandimprovementofmankind。
THEENDofVolumeThree