• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

f UI-T5 COLLEGE Tufts College Library /ft/ ET HERO LOGY, AND THE PHRENO-PHILOSOPHY OF MESMERISM AND MAGIC ELOQUENCE: INCLUDING A NEW PHILOSOPHY OF SLEEP AND OF CONSCIOUSNESS, WITH A REVIEW OF THE PRETENSIONS OF PHRENO-MAGNETISM, ELECTRO-BIOLOGY, ic. BY J. STANLEY GRIMES, COUNSELLOR AT LAW, FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF THE WESTERN PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY, PROFESSOR OF MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE IN THE CASTLETON MEDICAL COLLEGE, AND AUTHOR OF U A NEW SYSTEM OF PHRENOLOGY." All the known phenomena of the universe may be referred to three general principles, viz., Matter, Motion, and Consciousness. REVISED AND EDITED BY W. G. Lb DUO. BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE: JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY. LONDON: EDWARD T. WHITFIELD. 1850. Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1850, by J. STANLEY GRIMES, the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 7303 STEKEOTYPED AT THE B08TON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. 2\1 CONTENTS. SECTION I. Page. Synopsis op Etherology, 17 SECTION II. History op Etheropathy, 39 Ignorance of the Ancients concerning the Causes of Ethe- rean Phenomena — Witchcraft — Divination — Magic — Discoveries which led to a Scientific Knowledge of Ether- opathy — Van Helmont — Mesmer — His Career — D'Es- lon — Adverse Report of the French Commissioners — Foissac and the Academy of Medicine — Their favorable Report — Gall — La Place. SECTION III. Nature of Etherium, 62 Theory of Light — Of Heat — Of Electricity — Of Magnet- ism — Of Gravitation — Newton's Conjecture — Rev. Mr. Townshend on the Mesmeric Medium — Animal Electrici- ty — Electric Fishes. 4 CONTENTS. SECTION TV. Oxygen, 89 SECTION V. Sleep . 93 Liebig's Error. SECTION VI. Organ of Consciousness, 100 Infusoria — Immortality — Rationalism. SECTION VII. Inter-phreno Senses 118 External Senses — Internal Corporeal Senses — Cousin's Criticism upon Locke. section vm. Motion, 126 All Motion communicated — Nothing originates Motion but God — Sympathy is same Motion. SECTION IX. Etherean System of Phrenology, 132 Summary of the Philosophy of the Etherean System of Phre- nology. CONTENTS. 5 SECTION X. Etheropathy, 136 Credencive Induction — Imitativeness — Credenciveness. SECTION XI. Etheropathy, continued, 165 Clairvoyance. SECTION xn. Etheropathy, continued, 176 Abnormal Sleep — Manifestations of uncommon Strength — Conferring Power on Medicine, "Water, &c. — Reading Character — Discoveries in Phrenology and Physiology by Fowler and Buchanan. SECTION XIII. Etheropathy, continued 200 Neurology — Buchanan's Discoveries. SECTION XIV. Etheropathy, continued 205 Phreno-Magnetism, Pathetism, and Hypnotism. SECTION XV. Communion with Spirits, 227 1* * 6 CONTENTS. SECTION XVI. Abuses or Etheropathy, 233 Immoral Induction — Local Induction. SECTION XVII. Rules for Experiments, 239 Credencive Experiments — Experiments during Somnambu- lism — Upon Diseased Persons. PREFACE. While hundreds, and perhaps thousands, are en- gaged in repeating old experiments, and trying new- ones in Mesmerism and Clairvoyance, no successful attempt has hitherto been made to explain the phe- nomena upon scientific principles, and to show their consistency with previously known truth. In philosophy, facts are useful only as far as they lead to a true theory ; and a theory is only a method of showing the true relation which exists among the facts. When a theory is, or seems to be, well established, any fact which appears to militate against it is apt to be disputed, or received with caution and incredulity. For this reason, mankind have been disposed to oppose new discoveries and innovations, which render a change necessary in their theories, creeds, opinions, or habits. It is not because they are unfriendly to improvement, but because they doubt the reality of the discovery, or the real practical importance and utility of the proposed change. It rather demon- strates their love of truth, for they, like St. Paul, verily believe that they are doing their duty by resisting the introduction of error. But if the new truth can be made to harmonize with the old opin- ions, it is then cordially received into the family of 8 PREFACE. admitted facts, which go to constitute our favorite theories. The facts of a science may be compared to the scattered and broken bones of a skeleton, while a theory is the method by which they can be put together, and proved to belong all of them to one animal. The facts in Mesmerism call to mind a collection of strange bones once found in England, which apparently belonged to animals of a different kind from any that had ever been known to exist on earth. Some very learned and sagacious men at first denied the existence of the bones ; but when they were dragged to light, and protruded before them, so that they could no longer avoid acknowledging their existence, they declared that such enormous limbs must have a supernatural origin, and that they were undoubtedly the bones of fallen angels ! Upon fur- ther examination by scientific men, it was found that they were bones of whales and other marine animals, that had been ages ago " in the deep bosom of the ocean buried," and that the place had been afterwards raised to eminence, like classic Delos, upon the shoulders of an ambitious and aspiring volcano. The facts in Mesmerism are exceedingly numer- ous, and some of them of a most wonderful and monstrous character. They have been denied again again, even by those who have witnessed them and ; and when admitted to be true, they have also been ac- for referring them to a supernatural origin counted by ; but the time has come when these facts should, like the facts in Geology, Chemistry, and Astronomy, be PREFACE. 9 wrested from the hands of superstition, mystery, and quackery, and moulded into symmetrical forms of scientific beauty. This is a most difficult and labori- ous task, and any one who undertakes it may fairly claim some indulgence for the imperfections of his performance. I am desirous to do for Mesmerism what my friends claim that I have done for Phrenolo- gy — to reduce it to a scientific system. When the doctrines of Phreno-Magnetism and Neurology were announced, and were making con- verts by thousands, and multitudes of new organs were daily discovered by these means, so that my favorite science was threatened with an overwhelming inun- dation, I was forced to take up this subject in earnest. Almost every friend I met asked my opinion of the new doctrines and new organs, and seemed surprised at my scepticism. This has led me to the deter- mination of publishing this volume, that I may thus at once justify myself, and vindicate what seem to me the true principles of Phrenology. If I am mis- taken in any of the positions which I have assumed, there will doubtless be enough to correct me, and I shall acknowledge the correction with gratitude. I have several times given the substance of this work in public lectures, and the approbation with which it has been received, especially at West Point and at Union College,* far surpassed my most sanguine hopes. The plan which I have adopted for this work is, to present first a brief outline or summary of the whole, * See Appendix to Phreno- Philosophy. 10 PBEFACE. comprised in a few pages, and then to take up each important topic, and treat it separately. It appears to me that this method will assist both the understand- ing and the memory of the reader. In regard to other authors, I have made use of their language wherever I adopted their ideas, provided I found them suitably expressed ; and in such cases I have given all due credit. Wherever I differ from others, I have quoted their expressions sufficiently to do justice to their real meaning, and then freely and frankly given my own opinion, and exposed what appeared to me to be their errors. There have been so many new doctrines advanced within a short time, both on the subject of Phrenology and Mesmerism, that I must necessarily assume the office of a critic in speaking of the performances of others. I am aware that I shall be liable to the charge of arrogance ; but at the present time, scarcely two Phrenologians, or Mesmerologists, can be found who agree any one, ; therefore, who treats upon both these subjects at once, with the design of producing an harmonious system, must seem to assume that he is wiser than all others, and capable of filling the chair of grand master of the fraternity. No modesty of expression, nor respectfulness of style, can shield him from this imputation. Under these circumstances, I have deemed it best to " speak right straight on," regard- less of the apparent egotism, and to " utter my thoughts " with entire independence of every thing but truth and justice. J. STANLEY GRIMES. INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION. The lively excitement awakened in all the principal cities of the United States, during the past winter, by lectures upon Mesmerism, and its offshoots, Pathetism and Electro- Biology, renders necessary the republication of a book the very existence of which is unknown to most persons ; and yet it seems to be the only philosophic explanation of that series of wonderful facts which have been accumulating in the world's history, since the Pythian priestess raved upon her tripod. Physical and mental phenomena have been pre- sented, which have astonished thousands of intelligent wit- nesses, and even staggered their confidence in the evidence of their own senses. These phenomena are so out of the course of our ordinary experiences, that scepticism is not only to be expected, but is allowable especially we ; when know that the deceptive jugglery practised by many public lecturers, who are more desirous to amuse an audience than to establish the truth, has led the public to regard with sus- picion and contempt both the science and its advocates.

Load more

  384

Copy Link