Facts in mesmerism, with reasons for a dispassionate inquiry into it / [Chauncy Hare Townshend].

  • Townshend, Chauncy Hare, 1798-1868.
Date:
[1840]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Facts in mesmerism, with reasons for a dispassionate inquiry into it / [Chauncy Hare Townshend]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    669 qui me les faisait clore, et peu a peu je sentis que je n'avais plus la force de les tenir ouverts; mais je n'en conservais pas moins la conscience de ce qui se passait autour de moi; ainsi j'entendais M. Desor parler a M. Townshend, je comprenais ce qu'ils se disaient, j'entendais ce qu'ils me demandaient comme etant eveille, mais je n'avais pas la force d'y repondre, J'essayai plusieurs fois inutilement de le faire, et lorsque j'y parvenais, je sentais que je sortais de I'etat de torpeur ou je m'e'tais trouv^, et qui ra'etait plutot agreable que penible. Dans cet etat, j'entendis le guet crier dix heures,puis sonner dix heures et quart; mais plus tard je me trouvais dans un sommeil plus profond, quoique je n'aie jamais perdu entiere- ment connaissance. J'avais le sentiment que M. Townshend cherchait a m'endormir completement; mes mouvemens me paraissaient lui etre soumis, car je vovdus plusieurs fois changer la position de mes bras, sans avoir assez de force pour le faire ou pour le vouloir reellement, tandis que je sentais ma tete se porter a droite ou a gauche sur mon epaule, et en arriere ou en avant, sans que je le voulusse, et meme malgre la resistance que je cherchais a opposer, et celaa plusieurs reprises. J'eprouvais meme un sentiment de grand bien-etre a ceder them ; and, by degrees, I found that I had no longer the power of keeping them open, but did not the less retain my consciousness of what was going on around me; so that I heard M. Desor speak to Mr. Townsend, understood what they said, and heard what questions they asked me, just as if I had been awake, but I had not the power of answering. I endeavoured in vain several times to do so, and, when I succeeded, I perceived that I was passing out of the state of torpor in which I had been, and which was rather agreeable than painful. In this state I heard the watchman cry ten o'clock ; then I heard it strike a quarter past; but, afterwards, I fell into a deeper sleep, although I never entirely lost my consciousness. It appeared to me, that Mr. Townsend was endeavouring to put me into a sound sleep; my movements seemed under his control, for I wished several times to change the position of my arms, but had not sufficient power to do it, or even really to will it; while I felt my head carried to the right or left shoulder, and backwards or forwards, without] wishing it, and, indeed, iii spite of the resistance which I endeavoured to oppose : and this happened several times. I experienced at the same time a feeling of great pleasure in giving