Humbugs of New-York : being a remonstrance against popular delusion, whether in science, philosophy, or religion / by David Meredith Reese.

  • David Meredith Reese
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Humbugs of New-York : being a remonstrance against popular delusion, whether in science, philosophy, or religion / by David Meredith Reese. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    a German Journal of Magnetism complained that Great Britain and America presented a tabula rasa in regard to every thing connected with Animal Magnetism. The reason is obvious why such was the fact. We have had our witches, and prophets, and miracle-mon- gers, and Perkins among them, but their wonders have ceased, and we had thought that their history had been written together with their epitaph. Nevertheless, our German reviewer need complain no longer, so far as America is concerned, for recent events have shown thai this ancient humbug is destined to spread through the land with the rapidity of a contagious fever, sweep- ing before it the last vestige of common sense from its multiplied victims. It is fit therefore that,an attempt to remonstrate against its desolating mischiefs should be made, however unsuccessful such effort may be, by reason of the array of great names, by which the delu- sion is obtruded upon the public attention. Such re- monstrance may, at least, serve to protect the rising generation from the infatuation ; for the history of the times should at least show posterity, that there were some who strove to arrest its progress, and demonstrate its falsity. Very little has been said or thought of Animal Mag- netism in the United States since the time of Perkins, until within the last two years ; and perhaps Dr. Brig- ham, the recent correspondent of Colonel W. L. Stone, in his unfortunate pamphlet, gave the first impulse to the subject here in his book entitled Influence of Religion upon Health, in which he introduces the subject as explaining every thing supernatural in re- ligion ; and accounts for the phenomena of revivals, and the effect of the preaching of eloquent ministers, as well
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