Electrical-psychology or the electrical philosophy of mental impressions / from the works of J.B. Dods and J.S. Grimes ; revised and edited by H.G. Darling.
- John Bovee Dods
- Date:
- 1851
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Electrical-psychology or the electrical philosophy of mental impressions / from the works of J.B. Dods and J.S. Grimes ; revised and edited by H.G. Darling. 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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![What was my surprise to find that the one gentleman who appeared susceptible was my friend! The experimentalist was aware of his previous scepticism, and of course felt the greater pleasure in having succeeded with him. He gently laid his hands over the eyes of m}^ friend, and said to him, ]!^ow yon cannot open them. A hearty effort seemed to be made, but in vain. The lecturer then said, Noio you can open them ; and he opened them accordingly. I question if ever he had occasion to open them wider. We com- municated looks, testifying our common sense of surprise. We were, in fact, thrown out—he on finding himself become all at once the subject of suspicion to me and others—and I at finding myself called upon to watch one who had hitherto been my associate in the effort at detection. My fi'iend was now requested to hold out his hands, laid palm to palm. Dr. Darling, after a few passes, and pinching the fingers sharply together, said briskly, Now you can't separate them. My friend tried in vain to take them asunder, till, on a nod and a word from the experimentalist, he did at length draw them apart. After a few passes along the limbs, my friend was told that he was fixed to his chair. He strained him'self to rise, using the most violent muscular efforts; but all in vain, till he received permission. He afterwards acknowledged to me that he had felt as if bound down to his seat by ropes. A touch on the lips imposed an involuntary dumbness on my friend. Not till told that he might now speak, could he utter a word. He was then told that he had forgotten his name. He nevertheless pronounced it. The experimentalist performed a few further manipulations, and said emphatically, JVow you can't tell me your name ! Sure enough the word had vanished! Oi;r patient looked up with a blank expression, and then a stare of puzzlement, which I should vainly endeavour to describe. He finally cast a bewildered and pleading gaze upon his fascinator, who calmly smiled and nodded, as if to undo'the spell, when out came the missing vocable, apparently to the no small relief of the patient. Pie was after this fixed to the ground standing. Sway as he might in all directions, not a foot could he move. Dr. Darling also held up his fore-finger, and causing my friend to touch it, told him that he could not draw it away. He accordingly could not. Then, this spell being undone, the lecturer held up his fore-finger, and told my friend he could not touch it. He tried, darting his finger first on one side, then on another—above, below, in all directions but the right one. In short, my friend had become, from a proud sceptic and derider, a perfect victim. He withdrew from the field utterly discomfited. It appeared that he had never been asleep, but continued throughout to possess his usual consciousness. He had really done all he could to resist the commands of the operator; but power had gone from him. He had been absolutely compelled in each case to subm.it. [The narrator goes on to describe further experiments of even a more interesting natui'e, performed on the two ladies who were sus- ceptible subjects.]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21454577_0197.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
