The power of the mind over the body : an experimental inquiry into the nature and cause of the phenomena attributed by Baron Reichenbach and others to a "new imponderable" / by James Braid.

  • Braid, James, 1795?-1860.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The power of the mind over the body : an experimental inquiry into the nature and cause of the phenomena attributed by Baron Reichenbach and others to a "new imponderable" / by James Braid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tionless, but flickered and undulated, or contracted by starts continually, with an appearance as of rays shooting forth. There was no appearance of mutual attraction, or mutual ten¬ dency towards each other of the flames, or from one pole to the other; and as in the case of Mdlle. Nowotny both poles pre¬ sented the same appearance.” Mdlle. Eeichel tested with a straight magnet. “ At the pole pointing to the north, or negative end of the magnet, the flame was larger than at the opposite end; it was sometimes undula¬ ting, sometimes starting, and shot out rays as in the horse-shoe magnet; it was red below, blue in the middle, green at top.” In order to enable the reader to form a correct estimate of what is represented in these several narratives, I have quoted the more important parts verbatim; and by comparing the results recorded by the different patients, no one can fail to be struck with the remarkable discrepancy in their description of what has been alleged as a physical fact. All expected, as I presume, to see light, and they saw light or flames accordingly; but let us remark another result: Mdlle. Nowotny, in her most sensitive state, saw luminous vapour surrounded by rays which were in a constant shooting motion. “ The colour of the light was nearly pure white, sometimes mixed with iridescent colours.” The appearance was the same at both poles; the length of the flames, about one-half or three-fourths of an inch. Mdlle. Maix, in her ordinary state, saw flames (from the same magnet I pre¬ sume,) a hand breadth in height, and when in the more sensitive state they were much larger; and she now saw currents of flame proceeding from the whole external surface of the magnet, but weaker than at the poles. Mdlle. B. Eeichel saw the magnet giving out light, not only when open, but also when closed. When open, the flames from the poles were about eight inches high, those at the joining of the plates of the magnet about a finger’s breadth in length. “ These small flames appeared blue, the chief light was white below, yellow higher up, then red, and green at top.” As with the the others, both poles seemed to have given out similar appear¬ ances of light and flame. This same patient being experimented