It

This was correct. Mr. Ferrus was anxious to try the same experiment himself. He changed the direction of the hands, and asked the time, without ascertaining previously what it was; he did so repeatedly, and at each trial she told him the time without the slightest error. would occupy too much time to relate all the extraordinary things that this somnambulist told us, and which proved correct; it is enough to have demonstrated the faculty of seeing through other organs than those ordinarily used. This fact I have seen, and caused others to see."

It was a short time after the publication of the article of Dr. Rostan, that Dr. FOISSAC wrote to the Royal Academy of Medicine the letter that I have mentioned in the first part of this work, (see p. 28.) He had previously published a pamphlet on the subject, and addressed it to the Academy of Sciences. His zeal in seconding the views of the committee that he caused to be appointed to investigate the matter, is worthy of the greatest praise; and the work which he published in 1833, is unquestionably the most important that has ever appeared on Psycodunamy. I have largely extracted from it, and that part of my own work which relates the first academical discussions on the subject is a mere translation of his.

After Dr. Foissac, the man whose constant and indefatigable exertions have most advanced the cause of Psycodunamy is Baron DUPOTET. He not only made the first successful experiments ever tried in public hospitals in Paris; but in order to propagate the doctrine he travelled all over France, and even in England, delivering public lectures, that were well attended. The persecutions he experienced in Montpellier, and the cures he performed in that city, have secured to his name a lasting renown. He published, in 1836, his course of seven Lectures on Magnetism, and in 1840 his Magnetism opposed to Medicine. Those valuable works afford numerous evidences of the

great power he possesses as a dunamiser; they manifest also a noble and enthusiastic mind, well calculated to produce instantaneous and striking phenomena.

Dr. FILASSIER, in 1832, presented to the Faculty of Medicine his probatory thesis, the subject of which was Psycodunamy.

Professor ANDRAL, in his course of lectures on Internal Pathology, devotes several to the examination of the Psycodunamic doctrine; and if he does not admit all our opinions, he acknowledges at least the truth of the fundamental principle-viz. the action of man on his fellowcreature by the power of will, independently of the imagination of either,—and the truth of the somnambulic phe

nomena.

Several important works of modern philosophy, particularly those of Count DE REDERN, of Baron MASSIAS, and M. CHARDEL, have attracted considerable attention to the new faculties discovered in man, the existence of which Psycodunamy has demonstrated by producing somnambulism. I ought to mention also the works of Messrs. Frappart, Teste, Despine, Aubin Gauthier, and Ricard, as deserving of particular attention, and containing precious materials for the erection of the scientific edifice of Psycodunamy. But none of them is to be compared, in point of importance, with the work of M. MIALLE, whom gratitude induced to publish a Narrative of the most Remarkable Cures performed by Magnetism in France from the days of Mesmer to the present time, (1774–1826.) Over three thousand well-authenticated cases are to be found there; and without exaggeration, it may be said that the records of the whole medical science contain less numerous and less interesting facts to prove the excellency of any means of

treatment.

28*

CHAPTER V.

PSYCODUNAMIC EXPERIMENTS IN THE PUBLIC HOSPITALS OF

cess.

PARIS.

On the 20th of October, 1820, at a lecture of Prof. Husson, at the Hôtel-Dieu, Dr. Rossen announced a remarkable cure performed on M. Pihan de la Forest, a celebrated printer, who had been suffering exceedingly from sciatic neuralgia, and of a case of chronic cholera, both of which had been successfully treated by the Psycodunamic proDr. Desprez, the operator, was already known by a most unexpected result in a very trying circumstance: his own wife, after confinement, had experienced accidents of so serious a nature that all common remedies had failed; the patient had lost her strength, and, conscious of the imminence of her danger, had uttered the last farewell to her husband, after which she remained senseless, cold, and without the least perceptible breathing. Several of the physicians and friends who were present tried to draw Dr. Desprez away from that which was, to all appearance, a mere corpse. But he obstinately refused, and begged them to leave him alone with her. So soon as they retired, he undressed, lay down by her, took her into his arms, and tried to reanimate her with his own life. After twenty minutes, he could perceive no difference in the supposed dead; but, instead of being discouraged, he redoubled his energetic exertions, and before ten minutes more had elapsed, she uttered a deep sigh, opened her eyes, acknowledged him, and began to speak. A week after, she had completely recovered.

Of the physicians who attended the lectures that during ten years Professor Husson had delivered with the great

est éclat at the Hôtel-Dieu, a great number, feeling deeply interested, begged of him to permit this new means to be tried on some patients of the hospital. He consented, and, on the 26th of the same month, Baron Dupotet, whose Psycodunamic power had rendered him very conspicuous, began his experiments. It was agreed that Dr. Husson should himself choose the patients; that the witnesses should be such persons as Dr. Husson should think proper; and lastly, that no questions but those which he should direct himself should be put to the patients operated upon. M. Dupotet raised no objections, and the room of the Sister of Charity was designated as the proper place in which to dunamise. Dr. Husson held a watch in one hand, and with the other recorded all the particulars as they transpired; the minutes were signed by all the persons present.

The first patient was Miss Samson, seventeen years old, who, after a suppression occasioned by a sudden fright and exposure to a rain-storm, had experienced great pain in her stomach, vomiting, and fever. All kinds of food, and even the simplest drinks, were immediately rejected, and frequently mixed with a large quantity of blood. Her heart beat violently, its palpitations increasing at night. During two months and a half, Dr. Récamier had resorted to bleeding, cupping, and leeching. To applications of ice, which caused hysterical crises two or three times a day, he had added blisters, the potion of Rivière, compression of the abdomen, opium, and an absolute diet during ten days.

Eight months' duration of the symptoms proved how little common medicine could do to relieve the patient. The first trial of the Psycodunamic proceedings caused only a feeble prickling sensation in the eyelids, and general uneasiness. The second time the effects were more evident, and at the third trial the sleep was so deep that it was in vain

they tried to awake her. She was carried back to her bed, where she slept nine hours in succession. The following day she answered the questions put to her by M. Dupotet, hearing his voice alone, and remaining perfectly unconscious of any noise made near her ears. They shook her violently, pinched her severely, without being able to elicit the smallest sign of sensibility; but, upon every repetition of these experiments, she had convulsions. on awaking.

It was not long before Miss Samson began to give, during her somnambulic state, some account of her disorder. She said that her stomach was full of little pimples-some whitish, some red, and grouped near each other as they appear in chicken-pox; she described also near the heart a kind of bag, as big as a walnut, and full of blood; she spoke of a kind of thin thread that caused her heart to beat. She thought at first that the disease of the stomach was past recovery; as to the other, she pretended that she would soon be better. However, after a few more trials of the Psycodunamic operations, she said that she would be cured by it, without using any other remedy. The fact is, that her situation had considerably improved. The vomiting had ceased from the first day of the trial; the palpitations of the heart and the fever had disappeared, and she began to eat.

The

At the tenth trial, Dr. Husson desired the dunamiser to induce sleep without Miss Samson knowing it. In consequence of this, M. Dupotet consented to be locked up in a dark closet, which opened into the same room. patient was introduced and requested to take a seat, which was only two feet from the closet where the dunamiser was hidden. They expressed in her presence their astonishment not to see M. Dupotet coming, and they concluded that probably he was detained and would not come that day. Dr. Husson let a pair of scissors that he had in his