Abstract of Researches on magnetism and on certain allied subjects : including a supposed new imponderable / by Baron von Reichenbach ; translated and abridged from the German by William Gregory.

  • Reichenbach, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von, 1788-1869.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Abstract of Researches on magnetism and on certain allied subjects : including a supposed new imponderable / by Baron von Reichenbach ; translated and abridged from the German by William Gregory. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the root, the stalk to just below the crown, warm, the invo- lucrum warmer, the umbel itself cold. A ripe gourd and a melon were cool above, near the rudiments of the flower, and cold below at the junction of the stalk. 254. Since no universal polarity could be traced in plants, but on the contrary the positive and negative conditions varied at different points, while yet like members, and within these like named points possessed like conditions, it was necessary to study individual organs, and without en- tering here into the details, we may state the general result. 255. The roots are warm or positive ; the upper end of the leaves cold or negative. The point of the stem belongs to the negative division, since it is resolved into leaves and buds. We may therefore say, generally, that, in the descending- stem, positive, in the ascending, negative, influence prevails. This, however, is only true with great limitation. But we can perceive that where nature is least active and vigorous in construction, the result is negative ; and where she ex- hibits propulsion, it is positive. Thus those parts of the leaves where growth chiefly takes place are positive, and vice versa. It would appear as if nature, when engaged in formation, must be associated with the positive forms of all the imponderables, as light, heat, electricity, and the new influence ; the prevalence of the negative forms being hostile to vitality. 256. To turn now to the animal kingdom. How infinitely important the part is which is played by the new influence in animal life, is best shewn by the profound and enigmatical phenomena of somnambulism. But here that subject is not discussed ; we only notice certain effects produced in our patients by animal life. When any living animal, however small, such as a gold beetle or a butterfly, was placed on a copper leaf, connected with the hand of M®. Maix by a long wire, the author was astonished to see that she instantly dis- covered it, without seeing it. A cat produced a very strong sensation. The hands of the author laid on the plate, over- came the effects of these, as miglit be expected from tlie for- mer experiments. This effect of animals could be con- ducted through bodies : it is warm on contact, but the wire gives out a cool aura, like most dead matter. 257. The author’s hands being raised and directed towards Beichel, she felt, even from a distance, the left hand streaming forth warmth, the right coolness, like a distant magnet. Atzmannsdorfer felt the same still stronger. The author’s whole right side was cool and negative, the left warm and positive. The head appeared to the patients