last named class in attendance; but it is fair to presume that it is not on account of the day, so much as from a want of proper interest in the great cause which they are designed to promote, for the same lamentable aloofness on the part of the clergy is observable at all the week day meetings of the temperance societies. But not so, as we have seen, with laymen. Many of them have come to entertain and practice upon more liberal views of privilege and duty, with respect to the reform movements of the age; and it is from the ranks of such that truth must expect to secure her truest votaries, whether in the investigation of the science of mind, through the fact-based theories of Phrenology, standing directly opposed to the closet theories of the metaphysicians, as they do; or of any other reform that comes in collision with the interests of the exclusive few, and proposes to elevate and bless THE MANY, through some unauthorized and less formal process than that previously insisted on by those occupying the "high places" of the world.

66

"I confess to considerable sympathy with the new association above noticed, for the very reason that will probably prejudice some others against it, and keep them from it, namely, its NOVELTY. Novelty, of itself, I confess, would be a poor recommendation for any movement; but I have such an utter dread of the STAND STILL system-Conservatism,' as it is commonly called-that any thing which proposes to keep the elements of society gently agitated, is pleasing to me. Nay, I would rather witness a very THUNDER STORM OF REFORM, occasionally, than the sickly stagnation which so generally prevails. It would act not unlike the electric storms that are common to our summers, purifying the social elements around us, and giving new vigor to the intellectual and moral manifestations of our lives."

MODERN DEFINITIONS.

HIGH LIFE-Low feelings and actions, sprinkled with gold-dust and varnished with fashion.

INDEPENDENCE-Firing powder crackers and patriotic orations on the "glorious fourth," yet worshipping servilely whatever is imported from KING-doms, such as manners, opinions, books, gentlemen, ladies, and even fashions and broadcloths.

Sub-definition.—Thinking so much more of men AFTER they have been to Europe than before.

PRACTICAL WISDOM-Making ourselves slaves to amass money for our children to spend in making themselves fools and lunatics.

LEARNING-Knowing all about the times and discoveries of Aristotle, but nothing of the nineteenth century.

PHILOSOPHY-Lauding the ancient, but despising all modern reforms and

improvements.

O. S. FOWLER, Esq.:

"PHRENOLOGY WILL OUT."

BARNESVILLE, Belmont Co., Ohio, July 2d, 1847.

DEAR SIR-Some twenty years ago I had the pleasure of an introduction to you, in Pittsburgh, Pa., at which time you, or rather a gentleman who accompanied you, examined the heads of two of my children. Of these, one was pronounced as possessing developments which marked him out for a mechanic of no ordinary skill. How true was the declaration! for, having, of his own choice, learned the business of a watchmaker and jeweller, he is now able to make whatever he sees. In a word, he is a first-rate mechanic, residing in

Shelbyville, Ky. To the head of the other boy were ascribed professional developments; he is a physician. Whoever knows any thing about the true principles of Phrenology, must advocate it as a sublime science; it is the ignorant only (I mean such as have not studied it as a science) that judge and speak unfavorably of it.

I have taken the liberty to enclose a prospectus.

With respect,

N. R. SMITH.

NOTE-The utility of knowing the phrenological developments of children, and shaping their occupation and education accordingly, is invaluable.-ED.

NOTES ON FASCINATION

BY JOHN B. NEWMAN, M. D.

Since the publication of "Fascination," I have been much pleased by the perusal of “ Mesmerism in India,” the London edition of which I received a few days since. There is in it a perfect confirmation of many of the views I have advanced. So great is the author's reputation, and so candid and convincing his statement of facts, that many eminent English physicians (and, among others, Dr. Forbes, of the British and Foreign Medical Review) have assented, for the first time, to the truth of a Mesmeric influence, and its power for good.

Dr. Esdaile gives a detailed account of seventy-three painless surgical operations performed while the patient was in the Mesmeric trance; and, also, eighteen medical cases successfully treated by the new method. But I principally value the work as corroborating my opinion of the heathen priests' supporting their religion by fascination. Dr. E., giving an extract from his Journal of June 9th, 1845, says, I had, to-day, the honor of being introduced to one of the most famous magicians in Bengal, who enjoys a high reputation for his successful treatment of hysteria, and had been sent for to prescribe for a patient of mine, but came too late, the success of my charm (Mesmerism) having left him nothing to do. Baboo Essanchunder Ghosaul, deputy magistrate of Hoogly, at my request, introduced me to him as a brother magician, who had studied the art of magic in different parts of the world, but particularly in Egypt, where I had learned the secrets of the great Sooleymann from the moolahs and fuqueers; and that I had a great desire to ascertain whether our charms were the same, as the hakeems of Europe held the wise men of the East in high estimation, knowing that all knowledge had come from that quarter. "I proposed that we should show each other our respective charms; and, after much persuasion, he agreed to show me his process for assuaging pain. He sent for a brass pot containing water, and a twig with two or three leaves upon it, and commenced muttering his charms at arm's length from the patient. In a short time he dipped his fore-finger in the water, and with the help of his thumb, flirted it in the patient's face; he then took the leaves and commenced stroking the person from the crown of the head to the toes, with a slow, drawing motion. The knuckles almost touched the body, and he said he would continue the process for an hour or longer, if it were necessary; and it convinced me that if these charmers ever do good by such means, it is by the mesmeric influence, probably unknown to themselves."

Dr. Esdaile expressed his conviction of the efficacy of the magician's charm and desiring to show his own, persuaded the latter to lie down; after getting him in a recumbent posture, he commenced making the passes, chanting, as he tells us, to give due solemnity to the proceedings, the chorus to the "King of the Cannibal Islands." The magician became considerably affected, and roused himself with much difficulty, acknowledging, however, the Doctor's power.

That there are magicians in other places besides India, at the present time, can be seen in an extract from the columns of the Christian Intelligencer, of June 3. The China missionaries, writing home an account of their proceedings, tell us, among other matters, of the preparation of two new tracts. "One of them gives an account of the Cristian's peaceful death. The other contains two subjects; one is the way in which the true God is to be worshipped, and the other is an exhortation against putting confidence in a class of deceivers called Tang-che, who pretend to be able to cause the gods to enter their bodies, and who, while under the excitement of this deification, give efficacious charms and prophetic sayings to the people." That the perusal of Fascination" would be useful to the missionaries I entertain little doubt, as it would convince them not only of the existence of such a state, but also of the proper method of exposing the undue pretensions of those who practice it. If the tract treats the Tang-che as mere impostors, it will probably do more harm than good.

66

In the "New York Medical and Surgical Reporter," I saw an extract, a few weeks since, from a life of Franklin, giving his unfavorable opinions on the subject of Animal Magnetism. Had a little more examination been bestowed upon the matter, I do not think it would have been published. Franklin was one of a committee appointed in 1784, by the Royal Academy in France, to examine the subject; it is to be wished that he had given his personal attention to it; as it was, he did not. The report of this committee is generally referred to as proving the falsity of the pretended science, but no opinion can be more erroneous; they adınitted the facts, but denied the existence of a peculiar fluid. The celebrated Jussieu, who belonged to the committee, and had paid ten times more attention to the subject than any of his coadjutors, agreed with them in many of their conclusions, but differed in believing that he saw proofs of the existence of an agent which could pass from one person to another, and exert upon the latter a sensible influence. So strong were his convictions on this point, that he refused to sign the report presented by his colleagues, and pre pared a separate one himself. In 1826 the same Academy appointed another committee, who, after spending five years in close and earnest investigation of the subject, reported in 1831, not only endorsing the minority report of Jussieu, but going far beyond him in their conclusions. The Academy considered it proved that "a certain number of well-established physiological and therapeutic phenomena appeared to depend upon magnetism alone, and were never produced without its application." 'During the state of somnambulism (the existence of which is indubitably proved, (there is indeed clairvoyance, intuition, internal prevision, insensibility, and sudden and considerable increase of strength," etc.

66

66

Phrenology and Physiology are at the foundation of all human science. A thorough knowledge of them is absolutely necessary to a full understanding of the mind and the laws which regulate it."-Phrenological Almanac for 1848.

OHIO SCHOOL JOURNAL.

This excellent publication has been removed to Columbus, where we hope it will receive from the people, if not from the Legislature, the support it so well merits.

The following resolutions, passed recently, we find in the Oberlin Evangelist: Resolved, That in our opinion, theological seminaries, colleges, and high schools, together with editors, ministers of the Gospel, and professional men generally, fail to discharge their high responsibilities to God, the world, and their country, unless they deeply interest themselves in behalf of common schools. Resolved, That it is a fact to be deplored, that while our leading religious periodicals have ample space for all other schoolisms, they have none for common schoolism.

It is our desire to see the people of this State becoming zealous in respect to this ISM. Let us have mass conventions, stump gpeeches, and spirited, well supported journals, devoted to this noble cause, and Ohio will soon go forward in the work of school rerfom, till our common schools shall become, in fact, the people's colleges, and be prized among our chief blessings: the pride and boast, instead of a reproach of our citizens, as they now are.- -Cleveland American.

P. S. A similar journal has recently been commenced in Ann Arbor, Michigan. May they accomplish the worthy object to which they are devoted. We regard them as beacons of light, which will soon remove the clouds of inental obscurity now hanging over the visions of a vast portion of the HUMAN

FAMILY.

From the Water-Cure Journal

HOME FACTS IN WATER-CURE-LETTER FROM J. A. SPEAR.

BRAINTREE, March 17, 1846. There are many in this vicinity who are in favor of both warm and cold water as a medicine. More than twenty years ago, a very wealthy and influential man in this town (as the story is told) was sick of a violent fever; he plead for water a long time, and was denied. At length, being entirely out of patience with the doctor and all who took care of him, he called a servant-man into the room where he was, who he thought would be the last one to disobey him, and ordered all the others out of the room. Now, said the Major to the servant, go to the distillery and get such a tub, and place it by the side of my bed. It was done. Now, said he, bring in four buckets of water, and set them by the side of the tub. That was done. He drank freely, ordered a board laid across the tub, and demanded assistance in getting upon it. Now, said he, pour those four buckets of water on me. When he had received two of them, he made all possible haste for the bed, without assistance, and escaped the other two. The result was a powerful sweat, and an end of the fever. If people in this vicinity are at any time too much alarmed about a little water, they at once have the above fact sounded in their ears, which serves to calm their troubled fears not a little.

Two years ago last autumn, being unavoidably exposed, I took a violent cold. First symptoms were pains in back and hips, violent pains in my head, sickness chilliness, and langour. I went to bed, taking some things to produce a sweat that night, but failed. The next day took what is called a sweat, which was continued a number of hours, and then gradually allowed myself to become cool; drank cold water all the time freely. About midnight found I had strong fever symptoms. Another sweat was forced soon, and continued till seven or eight in the morning; it was then suffered to abate. Soon found I had all the symptoms of a settled fever upon me. Then took a shower bath, and sweat from eight to twelve hours. As for laying any longer then, it was out of the

question; I had lain as long as I could endure it. The remedy was worse than the disease. I wrapped in blankets and sat in a chair until morning. Pain in my head continued, but flesh cool, and pulse more calm. Was urged to lay down, but the bed and I had not settled our difficulty so quick. With faltering steps I made for the potatoe field, thinking to labor a few minutes; I accomplished considerable labor by night, and felt the better for exercise. Pain in my head abated a little. This was Saturday. Monday night was out a little too late, and brought on a relapse. Tuesday morning the pain in my head was violent. I was then past labor for the present. The inflammation in my head increased all day. The veins in my temples were swollen and throbbing. There was some talk in the family about my being distracted. I was sane, however, but judged I should not be so long, if the pain and inflammation continued to increase. I called for a tub of warm water for my feet; I placed three chairs together, and lay down in them upon my back, with my feet in the tub of warm water, while my hand rested on the edge of the further chair, so as to let the water run from it into another tub, which was placed there to catch it; from the nose of a pitcher I received a stream of cold water upon my forehead, nearly one half of the time, from six until eleven o'clock. When the cold had become so intense that I could bear it no longer, I would rub my forehead half a minute, during which time the water was not poured. After showering in this way ten or fifteen minutes, I would sit up in my chair about as long, and then take another showering. During the whole time, my feet and legs were immersed in warm water, eight or ten inches deep, and the warmth increased, as fast as I could endure it. At about eleven my head felt relieved, and the disease cried for quarter.

To O. S. FOWLER:

Yours for suffering humanity,

J. A. SPEAR.

SIR-While preparing to order a few more books, the thought struck me that it might not be uninteresting to you personally to hear some particulars in relation to the rise and progress" of Phrenology, Mesmerism, etc. etc., in this sequestered place; but, on short reflection, I came to the conclusion that you are daily receiving, from abler pens than mine, more matter of the kind than you can attend to; and, being but an illiterate farmer, I should not have presumed to trouble you thus far, were it not for the deep interest I feel in the cause of human reform, and the very efficient aid which it derives from you. The strongest opposers here (as, I believe, elsewhere) are just the ones who ought to be first in aiding every good work-viz.: religionists, and especially professed ministers of the Gospel. There are now settled within two miles of me a Baptist and a Presbyterian minister, both of whom use their influence against Phrenology; and the consequence is, not a member of either church subscribes for the Journal, or pays any attention to the subject. But there is a minister of each of the above denominations-one living five, the other eighteen miles from here-who have subscribed, through your humble correspondent, for the Journal, and are doing much good by fearlessly promulgating its sentiments in their respective spheres, where they will probably form clubs another year. Home education versus the sit-on-a-bench-and-say-A system, is exciting some interest here, and I hope to see it continually encouraged and defended in the Journal, as prudence may dictate; for on this mainly do I depend for a renovation of public morals.

We have no society formed here yet, and I am only a self-constituted agent; but we have had some talk of trying to procure the services of yourself or brother, the coming fall or winter, to deliver a course of lectures and assist in forming a society. If it were practicable for you to meet such an arrangement, or if it were not, a line from you would be thankfully received.

Yours in the cause of reform,

*****