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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SECT. II. SHOWING THE CLAIMS OF MESMERIC SLEEPWAKING TO BE CONSIDERED A PECULIAR CONDITION OF MAN. In the spring of 1837, I went to Cambridge, on a visit to some friends. That I should have succeeded in interesting them, and others of the University, upon the 'subject nearest my thoughts, will not surprise those who have observed that, where science is most studied, new statements respecting natural phenomena obtain the most patient bearing. I did, in fact, at Cambridge, meet with many persons really desirous of witnessing experiments in mesmerism, and even of submitting themselves to the mesmeric influence. CASE III. In my first essay of mesmerism, at Cambridge, I experimented — before seven or eight persons — upon a servant, whom I had brought from Belgium, a man of about 27 years of age, in good health, lively and quick-tempered; able also to speak English. I had attempted to mesmerise him once before, but, at that time, he had advanced no further than imperfect sleepwaking, during which he retained his consciousness, but could neither move nor open his eyes. On the present occasion, after a quarter of an hour's mesmerisation, he closed his eyes, but seemed restless, and, in answer to a question I made him, declared that it was impossible for him to sleep on account of noises in the street and the constraint caused by the presence of so many persons. Scarcely, however, had he said this, when I perceived that his head followed my hand; and, continuing the mesmeric passes for about five minutes more, I again asked him if he felt disposed to sleep. To my surprise, (for I had not expected a perfect result so soon) he replied,— " I am asleep." " Can you rise from your chair ? " I inquired. " Yes, but I had rather stay quiet." When, however, I got up and removed to a s...
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