that every man who pretends to mystery or exclusiveness in it is a quack.

"A girl, fourteen years of age, daughter of Mr. Richardson, White Cottage, near the Walker Railway Station, has been afflicted with epilepsy for three years, the fits or paroxysms of which have attacked her violently from six or eight to sixteen or eighteen times a day, and produced a decided tendency to idiotcy. She had not, for more than a year, passed a day without a great number of these fits. Being mesmerised by Mr. Hall, on Monday, the 18th ult., she passed thirty-six hours without a fit. During eight days she had not more than five, and even they were of such a comparatively mild character as scarcely to deserve the name. The last we heard of her was that she had been three days without one, and more clear and intelligent in every respect than she had been for more than a year before.

"The officer at the Walker Station had severe pains across his loins, which rendered him unable to perform his duties without the most acute suffering. Mr. Hall happened to be casually informed of this a day or two ago, whilst waiting for the train, and instantly relieved him by the passes,' to such an extent that he was astonished by the effect, and declared that he could run or leap with ease and comfort were it necessary.

A servant at the Northumberland Arms, North Shields, had been for a long time troubled every morning with violent headache, attended with nausea; Mr. Hall mesmerised her only once, more than a fortnight ago, and she has had no return of the complaint.*

"A few evenings since we had the pleasure of introducing Mr. Hall to a near relative of ours, who had been suffering dreadfully during the whole day, and indeed for the last six months, from a violent spasmodic affection of the side, accompanied by pain in the head. He threw the patient into a deep and calm mesmeric sleep, for about a quarter of an hour, and when restored to

I saw this young woman again six months afterwards, and she had during the whole of that period been perfectly well.

vigilance no pain remained. The sceptical may ridicule this if they choose; but candid men will not repudiate the evidence of their own senses, because others may think it wise and philosophical to doubt."

CASE XXIX.-MUSCULAR CONTRACTION RELIEVED.

About the time the foregoing was published, I was one day sitting in conversation with the Rev. Mr. Campbell, of Newcastle, the Rev. Mr. Benson, of Chichester, and two other ministers of religion, who had called upon me for the purpose of discussing mesmerism, when a poor woman came in with nearly all the muscles of one side sadly contorted and stiff, and presenting a most pitiable sight. She was totally unable to open her hand, lift her elbow from her side, or walk without halting; had been twice in the infirmary for the complaint; once for eleven weeks, and again for eight weeks; had been four times cupped, and otherwise bled, blistered, cauterised, and drugged; and then discharged as incurable. So bad seemed her case, that at first I had no disposition to interfere with it, but at length (partly by persuasion of the gentlemen present), resolved to try the effect of a few manipulations. The result was astounding to those who were strange to such operations. In ten minutes she was deep in the sleep, and I then opened her hand and stretched her arm. In ten minutes more she was awake, and went out of the room lifting her hand to her head, and opening or closing it at pleasure; although, according to her own declaration, she had not seen the inside of it before for more than six years. Either of the two gentlemen above named, or the Rev. T. Pringle, of Newcastle, would, I feel sure, corroborate this statement, if necessary. But what was the result? A lady, who went round the neighbourhood delivering tracts, told the poor young woman's mother that mesmerism was a wicked thing; other discouragements were added; and,

although she kept improving during the time of my stay, I have been told (though I do not vouch for its truth) that she was afterwards again taken in hand by doctors, and became as decrepid as ever. Unfortunately, whilst travelling, I lost that portion of my journal in which this patient's address and case are more particularly recorded; and, in consequence, I should have avoided any mention of it here, but for the high character of the gentlemen to whom I have referred, and the certainty that they can testify to all the material points.*

CASE XXX. -RELIEF OF AN IMPOTENT LIMB IN PUBLIC.

(From the Atlas of Feb. 15th, 1845.)

gave

"On Wednesday evening Mr. Spencer T. Hall a lecture at Nottingham to a numerous and highly respectable audience. At the conclusion, about fifty gentlemen (amongst whom were Mr. Richard Howitt, the poet, and Mr. Ruben Bussey, the artist), remained. to witness the simple mode in which Mr. Hall applies this subtle and potent influence as a curative. During the lecture the audience had been surprised by the speedy restoration of a stammerer to facility and distinctness of speech; but those who remained appeared much more interested by what now took place. The patient was a young woman of the name of Montgomery. She was attended by her father and several

* Let it not be supposed, that in the allusion here made to the report of the patient's relapse, or in what I have said of her previous treatment, it is my wish to excite any public dislike of the Faculty in Newcastle, or its neighbourhood. There, at Shields, and in Sunderland (as now in almost every town of the kingdom), there are some members of the profession to whom all credit is due for the manner in which they have recognised the claims of mesmerism. Whatever abuse-and there has been no little-may have been heaped by the profession, as a body, upon all the mesmerists from Dr. Elliotson downwards, no one is more ready than I am to bear witness to the humanity, skill, judgment, and candour of many of its members. Heaven forbid that I should ever forget the kindness of some of them to me, both before and since my connexion with this question!

friends; but was altogether a stranger to Mr. Hall. Her right arm had been contracted and useless for five years, and she was totally unable when she first asascended the platform to lift it from her side. Without sleep, or the slightest attempt to induce it, Mr. Hall laid one of his hands on her shoulder, and took her fingers in the other for a few seconds, and afterwards made about a dozen passes over the hitherto impotent limb, when it recovered so much power that in little more than five minutes from coming forward she retired able to lift her hand above her head, and to use it in putting on her shawl, amid the congratulations of her friends and the delighted assembly. This young woman had some time before been in the General Hospital fourteen weeks for the complaint, but without any benefit."

CASE XXXI.-REMOVAL OF GANGRENOUS SORES BY DISTANT TREATMENT.

This case has some very curious and important features; and although at present the name of the patient is withheld, I do not think he would have the slightest objection to private reference being made to him regarding it. He is a young gentleman, the son of a highly respectable civil engineer, in one of the midland counties, and is both well educated and deeply read. During my sojourn at Edinburgh last autumn, he wrote me, describing his case, saying that for some years he had been covered from head to foot with the most virulent sores, originating in some mismanagement whilst under the influence of mercury which had never been eradicated from his system, although no means that human knowledge could suggest had been left untried, except mesmerism, to which he was now desirous of resorting as a forlorn hope. The reader will better understand the condition to which he must have been reduced, when told that he was so painfully sore as to be unable to wear his braces or cravat, or to walk from home.

Under the circumstances it was impossible he could travel to Edinburgh; and as it was unlikely that I should return to England for some months, it was resolved that he should be influenced, if possible, at that distance three hundred miles-on the principle that it was as likely for health to travel in a letter as disease.

I expect my statement of this case to meet with much scepticism and some derision: so be it. It is perfectly true, notwithstanding; and its facts are indicative of some benign influence in nature which is as potent as it is subtle, and will survive when the sceptic's laugh shall find no echo.

The object was to use some portable medium that would easily dissolve in water; therefore I took a pill, made up of materials so simple as well as soluble that the chemist smiled whilst he was preparing it for me.* This I held for some time between the palms of my hands, concentrating my mind-my hope-my faith upon the purpose. Then enclosing it in a letter, I gave the patient instructions to dissolve it in a jar of clean springwater, of which he was to drink a portion every day, and to let me know the result about the time it became expended. He did so, and then wrote me, to my inexpressible delight, that most of his sores had disappeared! On my arrival in London, at the commencement of spring, the patient paid me a visit, and showed me numberless scars of the wounds that had been healed by this simple method, only two now remaining open; and his father, being in town on some parliamentary business, he (patient) made it convenient also to stay about a fortnight, during which time I mesmerised him daily, giving him the most refreshing though not unconscious sleep. During his visit he frequently walked several miles a-day, observing the various sights of the city and suburbs, and at parting with me expressed himself in the most delighted and grateful terms; but I begged of him very earnestly to regard

There is nothing more convenient for this purpose than a pill of common gum, dipped in flour and enclosed in a small flat box.