The physiology of fascination, and the critics criticised / by James Braid.

  • James Braid
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiology of fascination, and the critics criticised / by James Braid. 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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    exhibited in the waking condition, in what has been so absurdly called “electro-biology.” The whole of these phenomena of “electro-biology,” of “table turning,” the gyrations of the odometer of Dr. Mayo, of the magnetometer of Mr. Rutter, the movements of the divining-rod, and the supposed levity of the human body lifted on the tips of the fingers of four indi- viduals, as described by Sir David Brewster, the fascination of serpents, the evil eye and witchcraft, and the charm by which a fowl may be fixed and spell-bound by causing it to gaze at a chalk line, or strip of coloured paper, or of white paper on a dark ground—all come under the same category, namely, the influence of a dominant idea, or fixed act of attention, absorb- ing, or putting in abeyance for the nonce, the other and great controlling power of the mind—the will. The following is an interesting example of a person becoming spell-bound through a dominant idea excited through the sug- gestion of a second party. The anecdote was communicated to me by a highly scientific friend, as an event which occurred in his own family circle. His grandfather resided in the country, and on going into his orchard one Sunday morning, he descried a boy who had climbed up into one of his apple trees, and w as then in the attitude of laying hold of an apple. At this moment the gentleman addressed the boy in a stern manner, declaring that he would fix him there in the position he was then in. Having said so, the gentleman left the orchard and went off to church, not doubting that the boy would soon come down and effect his escape when he knew the master of the orchard was gone. However, it turned out otherwise; for, on going into the orchard on his return from church, he was not a little surprised to find that the boy had been spell-bound by his declaration to that effect—for there he still remained, in the exact attitude in whick he left him, with his arm outstretched, and his hand ready to lay hold of the apple. By some farther remarks from this gentleman the spell was broken, and the boy allowed to escape without farther punishment.
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