_To hold four Knaves, or four Kings, in your hand, and to change them suddenly into Blank Cards, and then into four Aces._
You must have cards made for the purpose of this feat, half cards, as they may be properly termed, that is, one half kings or knaves and the other half aces. When you lay the aces one over the other, nothing but the kings or knaves will be seen. Then turning the kings or knaves downwards, the four aces will be seen. You must have two perfect cards, one a king or knave to cover one of the aces, or else it will be seen; and the other an ace to lay over the kings or knaves. When you wish to make them all blank cards, lay the cards a little lower, and by hiding the aces they will all appear white on both sides. You may then ask the company which they choose, and exhibit kings, aces, or blanks, as required.
Select any twenty cards, and having them shuffled by any person that pleases, lay them in pairs upon the table, then desire several persons (as many as there are pairs on the table) to look at different pairs, and remember what cards compose them. You then take up the cards in the order in which they have been placed, and replace them with their faces uppermost upon the table, according to the situation of the letters in the following word.
M U T U S 1 2 3 4 5 D E D I T 6 7 8 9 10 N O M E N 11 12 13 14 15 C O C I S 16 17 18 19 20
These words, which have no particular meaning, contain ten letters repeated, or two of each sort. You, therefore, ask each person which row or rows the cards he looked at are in; if he says the first, they must be the second and fourth in that row; these being the only duplicates in them, if he says the second and fourth, they must be the ninth and nineteenth, and so of all the rest. This amusement, which is very simple, and requires very little practice, will excite considerable astonishment in the uninformed.
_Method of receiving the Electric Shock from a Cat._
Put the left hand under the throat, with the middle finger and thumb slightly pressing the bones of the animal’s shoulders, then gently passing the right hand along the back, sensible electrical shock will be felt in the left hand, and very distinct discharges may be obtained by touching the tips of the ears, after applying friction to the back; the same may be obtained from the foot.