The Philosophy Which Shows the Physiology of Mesmerism and Explains the Phenomenon of Clairvoyance

The following trite sketch of the Philosophy of Nature, dedicates itself to the most noble Champions of Mesmerism, Doctor ELLIOTSON and Doctor ASHBURNER of London, and Doctor ESDAILE of Calcutta, in compliment and grateful acknowledgment for having rescued from the fangs of ignorance, envy, and self-conceit, the science of health and knowledge--the science of Mesmerism, which unfolds the hitherto unknown wonders of the Animal system; and will unfold the wonders of the entire universe, when the telescope and microscope are familiarly used by the Clairvoyant.

ADVERTISEMENT.

It is not the intention of the present work, that what is herein described should be received as the philosophy of Nature according to the precision of Nature; but, through exemplification, on principles deduced from the Natural Inertia of Matter, to point out the mode by which the philosophy, which should govern all illustration of physical phenomena, is discoverable,--the Philosophy of Mechanical Nature.

JERSEY, July 1, 1848.

CONTENTS.

PAGE DEDICATION iii ADVERTISEMENT v TABLE OF CONTENTS vii MESMERISM AND ESTABLISHED PHILOSOPHY 1 ATTRACTION 10 PHILOSOPHY, EXPERIMENTAL 13 PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTION OF THE SENSES 15 MATTER 23 MOTION 24 MEDIUM OF SPACE 28 MINUS-PRESSURE MATTER 31 FIRE 34 MEDIUM OF FIRE 37 EXPANSION 39 OXYGEN AIR 41 THE USE OF OXYGEN IN PROMOTING COMBUSTION 42 COMBUSTION 43 WATER 47 SOLVENCY 53 GASTRIC SOLVENCY 54 USE OF THE INSPIRED OXYGEN WITHIN THE SYSTEM 56 SPLEEN, ITS USE 59 DIAPHRAGM, HOW RAISED 60 CORRELATIVE ELEMENTS 61 MAGNETISM 62 NATURAL SLEEP 65 COMATOSE FLOW 66 MESMERIC SLEEP 68 VISION 70 TRANSPARENCY 77 OPACITY 77 THE NERVOUS FLUID 78 CLAIRVOYANCE 81 LONG VISION 82 OPAQUE VISION 83 RIGIDITY 86 PAIN 86 MESMERISM, CURATIVE 87 ETHERS 87 REPORT 88 VOLUNTARY DE-ELECTRISATION 91 WILL, THE NATURE AND POWER OF 92 APPLICATION OF MESMERISM 95 CONTINUOUS MOTION 97 ASCENDING AND DESCENDING MOTION 99 CENTRIPETAL FLOW 99 FORMATION OF A PLANET 100 ---- AND USE OF A COMET 103 TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

PHILOSOPHY,

ETC., ETC.

MESMERISM AND ESTABLISHED PHILOSOPHY.

Long as clairvoyance has remained the riddle, jest and wonder of the world, it is questioned by none why the established philosophy of this superiorly enlightened age is incompetent to account for this or any other mesmerically produced phenomenon, or afford the least glimmer of light by which it were possible to arrive at the physiology. Why the philosophy of Aristotle, Bacon, Newton, Des Cartes, Davy, Liebig--honoured names, and most justly, as the ancient and modern fathers in science--can afford no scintillation whereby to lessen the obscurity in which this most interesting subject is involved, should appear strange and unaccountable to all lovers of philosophy. By Professors the question should be answered. To consider it unworthy of being looked into, would be a tacit confession that Professors are indifferent to the natural truth; which proves all such to be but half reasoners, and not philosophers, notwithstanding all their mathematical learning and experimental experience.