fects were to be attributed to one metal so long after another had been employed, as on that occasion. Ultimately it was determined that another experiment should be tried with the nickel, Dr. Elliotson suggesting that that metal, in its magnetised state, should alone be employed.

Mr. Wakley was now again the operator, and before the experiment was tried, he stated privately to Mr. Clarke, that instead of using nickel only, he would not on this occasion employ any nickel; and desired Mr. Clarke to take notice of the fact, that he would put aside the nickel, unperceived by any other person, the moment that it should be handed to him by Dr. Elliotson, and before either of his (Mr. W.'s) hands should be allowed to come in contact with those of the patient. The experiment was then again performed. Mr. Wakley had taken the nickel from Dr. Elliotson, and put it on one side, when it was taken, unseen by any other person, by Mr. Clarke, who placed it in his waistcoat-pocket, and walked with it to the window, there remaining during the performance of the experiment. Mr. Wakley employed both hands, but his fingers were so held that it was impossible for any person, excepting the operator, to know what he was holding. Presently, on applying the substance which he held in his left hand to the right hand of the patient, the pasteboard being again held before the eyes of the girl, Mr. Herring, who was standing near, said, with much sincerity of feeling, in a whisper, but loud enough to be heard at a short distance, Take care: don't apply the nickel too strongly.» Scarcely had these words escaped from his lips, when the face of the girl again became violently red; her eyes were fixed with an intense squint; she fell back in the chair; a more evident distortion of the body ensued than in the previous paroxysm; the contractions of the voluntary muscles were more strongly marked, producing a striking rigidity of the frame and limbs; and the shoulders were thrown back to the utmost, the spine displaying as complete a bow as in an attack of opisthotonos. In a word, the severity of all the syptoms appeared to have undergone a marked increase. Dr. Elliotson again observed, that «no metal other than nickel had ever produced these effects; that they were most extraordinary:» in fact, that they presented a beautiful series of phenomena. This paroxysm lasted during upwards of half an hour, and was admitted by all who were present to be much more violent than the one which had preceded it.

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Mr. Wakley now suggested that the girl should retire into an adjoining room, where her sister was waiting, as he was anxious to make a statement to Dr. Elliotson in her absence. The girl objected to depart, and therefore her sister was called from the adjoining room,

and the gentlemen retired into that room. Mr. Wakley then said to Dr. Elliotson, «that he felt it to be his duty to state that the doctor was entirely deceived respecting the character of the experiments, and the cause of the symptoms. That all present had been witnesses of the violent effect which appeared to result from the application of the nickel to the hand, and had heard Dr. Elliotson state that such extraordinary symptoms could be produced by no other magnetised metal, whereas he had not used NICKEL on that occasion. He had not even approached her with it; but that, on the instant that it was handed to him by Dr. Elliotson, he had put it aside, unobserved, and had merely rubbed upon the skin of the girl a piece of lead and a farthing, which he had respectively held in either hand, but that the metals were so held that he was certain that no person could discover what he was applying."

Dr. Elliotson replied, that «he saw the nickel used; that Mr. W. must have touched her with that metal without knowing it himself; » Mr. W. objected, that he was certain of the fact, and that there was a gentleman present who could confirm the accuracy of his statement, - a witness, in fact, who had the nickel at that moment in his pocket, and had stood with it at the window during the whole of the time that he was applying the lead and the farthing to the hands of the girl.»

Dr. Elliotson again declared that this was impossible, when Mr. Clarke produced from his pocket the piece of nickel, and said that it had really been there during the whole of the experiment, and that it had not been near the girl during the entire trial.

:

After a somewhat lengthened conversation, Dr. Elliotson suggested that the experiment with the nickel should be tried once more. This proposition was consented to and during the performance of the experiment Dr. Elliotson remained in the other room, while Mr. Wakley, Mr. Herring, and Mr. Clarke went to the patient to renew the operation. Again was the nickel handed privately to Mr. Clarke, and the lead and farthing were applied as before, with the pasteboard held in front of the patient's face. In three or four minutes there was a reappearance of the flushed countenance, the starting eyes, the rigid limbs, the bent back, and the distorted frame, although no nickel had been used, nothing, in short, but the lead and the farthing.

A report of these results was conveyed to Dr. Elliotson and the gentlemen who had remained with him, when Dr. Elliotson said that the occurrence was most extraordinary; that he could not at that moment account for it; and that he had no doubt that an explanation would soon be found which would remove all appearance of anomaly in the results. He would, he said, again suggest that the nic

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kel should be reemployed, and as this request was so urgently made, Mr. Herring, Mr. Wakley, and Mr. Clarke again visited O'Key, for the purpose of proceeding with the trial, but, instead of using the nickel, the lead and farthing were again employed, with the same results as before. There was another fit. Afterwards, when the girl had recovered from the apparent paroxysm, Mr. Wakley suggested that the magnetised nickel should be rubbed over both hands freely, on the skin, in different places, but not exactly in the manner in which the lead and farthing had been employed. No effect was produced by this application of the nickel.

On hearing a further report of the effects which appeared to arise from the use of the lead and the farthing, and the absence of effects when the nickel was really used, after the other experiments had been concluded, Dr. Elliotson candidly admitted that he « could not explain how the thing had occurred; it was most extraordinary, but still he had not the slightest doubt that the whole would yet admit of a satisfactory explanation. »

Mr. Wakley, on the other hand, contended that what had been done was, in his opinion, perfectly conclusive with reference to the character of the supposed phenomena, and that he did not consider that a single additional experiment could ever be necessary in connection with such an enquiry.

At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Wakley was obliged to leave the room to see a person on business, and before he could return, Dr. Elliotson, who was pressed for time, left, with Mr. Wood. The doctor took with him the nickel and lead, not knowing, probably, that it was intended to use them again. When Mr. Wakley returned, after an absence of about half an hour, he suggested that, although Dr. Elliotson and Mr. Wood had left, it might be well, for the purpose of presenting a brief report to the profession on the subject, to repeat, with all the necessary precautions against imposition, some of the experiments which had been so often reported in THE LANCET, made with mesmerised water, gold, &c. He then sent to Mr. Garden's for a lump of nickel, and had a musket-ball beaten into the shape of the piece of nickel which had been used in the previous experiments. There were now present, besides Mr. Wakley, who conducted the experiments, Mr. Farr, Dr. P. Hennis Green, Mr. George Mills, and Mr. Clarke. Subsequently Mr. Hale Thomson and Mr. B. Tipper joined the party..

Jane O'Key.

It was arranged that the experiments should commence, on this occasion, with Jane O'Key, her sister being at the time labouring

under the exhaustion of the apparent fit which had followed the use of the metals, and very few observations having as yet been made on Jane. Both sisters were kept in the adjoining room while the experiments were arranged, and thence brought in as soon preparations were severally completed. The new investigation occupied about five hours, and consisted of the following series of experiments : :

as the

Experiment 1.-Six wine-glasses, nearly filled with tepid water, had, a considerable time previously, been placed on a table at a distance from each other, at the end of the room, no person having been allowed to touch or go near them. The whole were unmesmerised. Jane O'Key being then called in, was requested to drink from each of them successively, every person but herself keeping away from the table and the glasses. She complied.

No effect was produced, and she was then requested to retire.

Experiment 2.-The same six glasses, the water in the fourth having been strongly mesmerised, that, is, according to the opinion of the believers in the doctrine, she was again called in, and partook of the water in the whole of the glasses.

No effect was produced.

Experiment 3. The same six glasses remained on the table. On this occasion the fourth glass, which had previously been mesmerised, was placed in the position of the first on the table, and was again mesmerised, the first being carefully shifted to the place of the fourth. All the others remained in their previous positions, and were untouched She was again introduced, and drank from each.

No effect was produced from either, and she withdrew. Experiment 4.- The six glasses remained on the table, untouched and unapproached by any one. After a few minutes had elapsed she was again called in, and drank of the water in each.

No effect was produced, and she withdrew.

Experiment 5. On this occasion the mode of proceeding was changed. The water was now strongly mesmerised in the whole of the six glasses. She partook of the whole.

Not the slightest effect was produced, and she retired.

Experiment 6.-Six glasses were again used, containing fresh water. None of them were mesmerised. She was again called in, and drank from the whole of them.

No effect was produced, and she retired.

Experiment 7.-Six glasses were again used. All six were strongly mesmerised by Dr. Green and Mr. Farr, who for a considerable time kept three fingers of each hand in the water of every glass. She came in and drank every drop from each glass.

No effect whatever was produced, and she withdrew.

It was now considered by Mr. Wakley that nothing could be more conclusive in refutation of the supposed influence of what has been denominated mesmerised water, on Jane O'Key, than the foregoing experiments, and that it was quite useless to pursue them any further. This opinion was shared by every person present. (') The investigation was then directed to the alleged influence of gold.

Experiment 8.-Five unmesmerised sovereigns had long been placed at some distance from each other on the table. One of them had been warmed in water at a temperature of 80 degrees, caré being taken not to touch it with the fingers. Jane O'Key was now again called in, and directed to take up each separately. This she did. No effect was produced, and she retired.

Experiment 9. The whole five sovereigns being suffered still to remain unmesmerised, she was recalled, and desired to take them all up, one after the other, retaining each in her hand until she had taken up the whole. She did so.

When she had seized the whole of them, in this manner, her hand appeared to be spasmodically fixed. This effect having been produced by unmesmerised sovereigns, it was thought right to reverse the proceeding, and mesmerise the whole of the sovereigns on the next trial.

Experiment 10. The five sovereigns were all mesmerised under the influence of all the gentlemen present, by the formation of a « mesmeric battery.» Jane O'Key was then again introduced, and took them up, and squeezed them, one after the other.

No effect was produced, and she retired.

Experiment 11. The five sovereigns were again all strongly mesmerised. She was called in again, and desired to take them up and squeeze them. She did so.

No effect was produced, and she retired.

Experiment 12.-A sovereign, from another table, which had not been touched by the hand for a considerable time, and was completely unmesmerised, was now pushed on the floor, and slightly warmed by placing over it a jug which contained hot water. It should be stated here, in explanation of this experiment, that Jane O'Key, when desired by Dr. Elliotson to pick up a mesmerised sovereign from the ground, has almost invariably become «fixed, as she picked it up, time after time, in a gradation of attitudes, until the supposed in

(') It should here be stated that Jane O'Key, at this time, appeared to be highly sensible to manipulations made in her view. She was repeatedly, during the day, fixed, or sent to sleep, by passes made before her, by pressure on the palms, by the touch of a «mesmerised» gold watch, and by pointing to her face.