66 MESMERIC EXPERIENCES. BY SPENCER T. HALL, AUTHOR OF THE FORESTER'S OFFERING," RAMBLES IN THE COUNTRY," ETC., 39 66 H. BAILLIERE, 219, REGENT STREET, MACLACHLAN AND STEWART, EDINBURGH; WILLIAM LANG, GLASGOW ; 1845. [ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.] TO THE FRIENDS WHO HAVE STOOD TRUE TO HIM IN THE HOUR OF TRIAL, THIS LITTLE WORK IS INSCRIBED, WITH THE UNDIMINISHED ESTEEM AND GRATITUDE OF THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. MAGNETISM and MESMERISM are analogous in their derivation, and, as scientific terms, are alike purely conventional. The first, according to tradition, is from Magnes, a shepherd of Mount Ida, who, discovering the adhesion of loadstone to the metallic end of his crook, made the fact known to mankind, and gave his name to the principle. Mesmer, a modern German physician, having observed the manifestation of a similar principle in the affinity of animal bodies, and shown how one may through this agency be imbued with the qualities of another, has in like manner transmitted his own name with his theory-the practice independent of theory having been common in all ages. The Author's reason for adopting the term Mesmerism in preference to that of Magnetism, is merely that it has, from the circumstances named, a more specific signification, and is, from its frequent use by writers on the subject, become more popular. If, however, an |