will and his reason can man save his automatic nature from the dominion of matter. Even then he will fail, if the vitality of the organism becomes weakened. The perfect man, then, is a perfect mind, controlling, for the divinest of purposes, a perfect body.

Now, as the mind supremely active over the organism constitutes the man, it follows that to resign this and to become passive is to resign our manhood.

Finally, As the mind only can be the free, thinking, responsible agent, the organism is only a machine. To resign, therefore, the mind, to become passive, as is required of those who would be "mediums," is to become an unthinking, irresponsible machine. In so far as persons become "mediums," they are mere automatons.

CHAPTER XIII.

Further consideration of the influences that have operated in the production of present phenomena - Observations upon the laws of nervous epidemics-Law of specific cerebral impression - The character of the epidemic according to the specific cerebral impression — The present demonstrated to be a nervous epidemic-Singular facts of man and nature developed at the present day—What is developed in an individual case of nervous disorder may be exhibited as the type of a general contagion, but always by a cerebral impression.

652. It is quite impossible to understand the causes of our present phenomena, without taking into consideration the peculiar influences that surround the "medium," those that have been made use of in every circle for the purpose of eliciting the phenomena. We have already seen, in the preceding chapter, that persons have been inducted into the state of mediumship by the direct use of pathetism or mesmerism, by inducing the state of trance. We might have added hundreds of other instances. What we would now draw attention to is the influence of the same class of means in effecting the state of mediumship without the trance.

653. It is the impression of many persons, who believe in the spiritual origin of the present phenomena, that, in the case of those mediums who have the phenomena without the trance, there is no dependence upon a peculiar nervous condition effected by the influence of pathetism; whereas the opposite is the fact in every instance. There is not a "medium" who is not made such by specific pathematic influence. It is this agency that brings the nervous system into rapport or relation with the mundane power. It is this agency also that brings the brain into

relation to the objects affording the means of intelligent representation. This is not a hasty conclusion, but the grand fact exhibited in every circle, and wherever the phenomena are evolved.

654. It is to be remarked here that, in this respect, we have the same difference in our present phenomena that we do in those usually termed mesmeric or pathematic; namely, that state of the brain and nervous system wherein there is action without the controlling influence of the mind, and, consequently, without its consciousness, whether in or out of the trance. Says the editor of the Magnet, "I have known some in whom I can produce what is called the clairvoyant state while they are perfectly awake! It is just as easy to bring out results from persons in a waking state as from those asleep; and this I have fully and repeatedly demonstrated."

The same thing has since been demonstrated in England and in this country by innumerable operators. Professor Gregory, in his letters, refers to several gentlemen who have confirmed the above observation of Mr. Sunderland. Professor Bucannan, of Cincinnati, in his experiments, has exhibited the same fact.

Thus it is demonstrated that, in a state of wakefulness, a condition of the brain is produced by the influence of pathetism, by assertions, &c. &c.,- wherein it becomes subject to odylic propagations, without the controlling action of the mind.

655. It is also to be observed, that this can be effected in neither case only in certain organisms,- only in those organisms highly susceptible to external influences,- only in those whose nerve-centres can be made to act readily without the mind's control. Thus, again, we find the socalled animal magnetism or pathetism, and the so-called spiritual manifestations, meeting in the same centre.

656. Again both require that the subject should be passive to the foreign influence, that the mind should not control the cerebral powers in those things wherein the external influence is to control the nervous system.

* See Magnet for Jan., 1843.

657. Now, whether a person is made choice of for the purpose of eliciting the modern phenomena, or the usual phenomena of pathetism, one thing must, in both cases, be effected, in order to obtain the general phenomena; namely, an impression must be made upon the brain of a SPECIFIC CHARACTER; and it will always be observed that the phenomena evolved will, in their general character, exhibit the exact specific character of the impression made upon the brain. This law is not only seen in the present epidemic, and in the phenomena of animal magnetism, but in the history of every nervous epidemic of past ages,-in the Tarantalia of Italy, the St. John's dance of Germany, the St. Vitus' dance of France, the preaching mania of Sweden, the witch mania of Salem and Europe. The same is seen when a pathetizer makes a specific impression upon the brain of one of a company of susceptible subjects; the others exhibit the same general phenomena, in which will be seen the same specific characteristic.

Specific cerebral impress is, therefore, the grand law of all nervous epidemics.

658. Again we have seen that, whatever phenomenon is developed under an accidental derangement of the nervous organism, whether effected by the action of a drug, or by a mechanical force, by the invasion of disease, or by a sudden emotion, may assume the form of a general epidemic by cerebral impression. For example: a person whose organism becomes invaded by disease of the digestive organs may, by the sympathies of the nervous system, be finally attacked with epilepsy; or this may take place by a lesion of the brain; and others, who are susceptible, on seeing the spasms, or hearing them described, shall fall into the same fits, and exhibit all the general phenomena of the first. So, whatever phenomena the nervous system, under derangement, is capable of exhibiting, may be, at any time, developed in the form of a nervous epidemic.

659. In the case of Angelique Cottin, and in that of the Seeress of Prevorst, as well as in other single cases we have noticed, we have seen that, under peculiar conditions of the nervous organism, both the strange sounds and the

movement of bodies were exhibited then. What we have, therefore, at the present day, is but the epidemic character of the same thing.

660. For we have the fulfilment of the law of all nervous epidemics that have ever been known, namely, the law of specific impression upon the brain. This will be seen by the student, on carefully comparing the history of the present phenomena with the history of nervous epidemics in Europe during the middle ages, as given by Hecker.*

In

It will be our object here to notice in particular the origin or commencement of our present phenomena, and trace its epidemical characteristics from that point. this manner we shall best see exhibited the law of specific cerebral impression, of which we have just spoken.

All the friends of the present movement agree that the starting point was in a house occupied by Mr. Michael Weekman, in the village of Hydesville, in the town of Arcadia, Wayne County, N. Y.

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661. "Mr. W. resided in this house for about eighteen months, and left sometime in the year 1847.† Mr. Weekman makes the statement in substance as follows: That one evening, about the time of retiring, he heard a rapping on the outside door, and, what was rather unusual for him, instead of familiarly bidding them come in,' stepped to the door and opened it. He had no doubt of finding some one who wished to come in, but, to his surprise, found no one there. He went back and proceeded to undress, when, just before getting into bed, he heard another rap at the door, loud and distinct. He stepped to the door quickly and opened it, but, as before, found no one there. He stepped out and looked around, supposing that some one was imposing upon him. He could discover no one, and went back into the house. After a short time he heard the rapping again, and he stepped (it being often repeated) and held on to the latch, so that he might ascertain if any one had taken that means to annoy him. The rapping was repeated,

*See Hecker on Epidemics during the Middle Ages.

See History of the Mysterious Communications with Spirits, by Capron and Barron, p. 10.