Mesmerism tried by the touchstone of truth : being a reply to Dr. Ashburner's remarks on phrenology, mesmerism, and clairvoyance / by George Corfe.

Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mesmerism tried by the touchstone of truth : being a reply to Dr. Ashburner's remarks on phrenology, mesmerism, and clairvoyance / by George Corfe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    MESMERISM TRIED BY THE mocks them, saying, “ Cry aloud, for he is a god ; either lie is talking, or he is pursuing, or lie is on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and must he awaked.” And God took vengeance speedily upon these cursed deceivers of Ilis people, and he slew them by the hand of Elijah at Kishon’s brook. You treat Phrenology, too, as a twin sister to Mesmerism. A. B. and E. L., the two dress-makers, are described thus:— “ The one is of a slight figure, above the middle height; of a nervo-lymphatie temperament, with dark hair and grey eyes. The other ” (the prettiest of the two, I presume) “is said to be slightly embonpoint, of middle stature, lymphatic tem- perament, with dark hair, hazel eyes of most interesting expression. She is the intimate friend and companion of the other.” (Mark that, reader.) “ In her feel- ings she is more sensitive than her friend. Both have amiable cerebral develop- ments. A. B. has better constructiveness, size, individuality, music, time, and mirth ; but as a whole, the head of E. L. (the pretty one) indicates causality, com- parison, colour, and other organs of taste and judgment, more than that of her friend. Her head is larger. Both are well formed for affection and the social feelings of our nature. Both have a delicacy of nervous fibre, that produces a highly sensitive condition of mind. Each is susceptible ; both are impressionable.” Again, at page 16, you speak more fully the sentiments of an ultra Phrenologist. “ What parent would deliberately wish to educate a child to become an idiot ? and yet the course of education which leads to a weakening of the reasoning faculties is the race-course to the goal of idiocy. Thanks to that great Power which has so arranged the human brain as to decree the natural alliance between religion, con- science, benevolence, sympathy for our fellow beings, and the reasoning faculties, —the race for the intoxicating cup has not been won, and the world is awakening from the complicated frauds by which it has been jockeyed.” “ The organ of vene- ration is placed on the highest part of the human head ; benevolence, hope, firm- ness, conscientiousness belong to the federal compact over which it presides,” &c. What parent would deliberately wish to educate a child to become a disciple in such antichristian and immoral principles, I would also ask ? You talk of veneration, hope, benevolence, &c., as if they either sprung up like mushrooms in the head, or were brought forth by dint of education. Here you give the plainest contra- diction to the holy words of God and the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England. “ Man by nature is gone very far from original righteousness,” as saitli the excellent Articles of the Church ; his thoughts are only evil continually : “ the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked ;” “ it is a cage of every unclean bird.” He who, as Jehovah, knew what was in man, declares that those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and they defile the man : “ For out
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