Electro-biological phenomena considered physiologically and psychologically / by James Braid, M.R.C.S.E.

  • Braid, James, 1795?-1860.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Electro-biological phenomena considered physiologically and psychologically / by James Braid, M.R.C.S.E. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    A similar class of phenomena have also lately been exhibited in Edmbiirgh, Glasgow, and various parts of Scotland, by another American named Dr Darling. These exhibitions have excited great interest at Edinburgli and Glasgow, and have enlisted in the dis- cussion the pens of Sir David Brewster, Professor Gregory, Professor J. Hughes Bennett, Mr Robert Chambers, and other ge'ntlemen of the highest character and scientific attainments. Amongst the contribu- tions which have been published on the subject, I have been quite charmed by an article which appeared in the Number of Chambers' Edinburgh Journal for the 8th of last month, entitled Experi- ments on Electro-Biology. The analysis therein given of the nature, causes, and tendencies of scepticism m mankind generally, and in certain coteries in particular, in reference to probationary sciences, is an admirable picture by a first-rate artist, which merits the candid study of the whole human family. The writer of the article alluded to had been a decided sceptic, and had accompanied a gentleman of his acquaintance, who was equally sceptical as himself, to a seance in a private family, where most of the company assembled consisted of persons in the upper ranks of society. The said friend offered to submit to the trial on himself, for the purpose of proving the fallacy of such pretensions; however, the result was very different from his anticipations, for the proud sceptic and derider was converted into a complete victim. Two ladies of the party, also well known to the writer of the article, were likewise proved to be equally susceptible. Collusion and fi'aud being out of the question in all these cases, the writer was constrained, through the force of such unexceptionable evidence, to renounce his scepticism. From what has been stated by Professor J. Hughes Bennett, it appears that several members ot the Medical Society of Edinburgh, Avho were most sturdy sceptics, were also victimised upon submitting to such trials. In short, there is now abundance of evidence of the fact that such phenomena may be produced in perfectly good faith in some subjects, in the waking condition, and consequently the chief point remaining to be deter- mined is the cause of these remarkable phenomena;)?? oy. s The ingenuous and manly confession of the learned author regarding the scepticism of himself and his friend, and the interesting narrative of the immediate cause of their conviction as to the reality of certain phenomena manifested at the seance depicted by him, is just a tran- script of my own feelings and experience in this depai'tment of science. I beg, therefore, to submit the following remarks for your considera- tion, with the hope that they may tend to the elucidation of truth, and the overthrow of that unreasoning, uninquiring, dogmatic scep- ticism which Chambers' correspondent has so ably combated. H , Nine years ago I entered upon the experimental investigation of mesmerism, believing, from what I had read and heard of it, that the whole was a system of collusion or illusion. I very soon disco- vered, however, that there was a reality in some of the phenomena, notwithstanding I had reason to differ from the mesmerists regard-