EFFECTS OF THE IMAGINATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
Ignorance of it has given rise to many superstitions.--Experiments of Mesmer and Deslon in Paris.--Singular developments.--Trials at Dr. Franklin's house.--Children uninfluenced by mesmeric operations. --Magnetizing a tree in Dr. Franklin's garden.--Experiments upon two females.--Effect produced.--Experiment upon a female by Dr. Sigault.--Practice among the Chinese.--Girl frightened to death by a Gypsy.--Practice among the New Zealanders.--Killing others by incantation.--Intercourse with departed spirits.--An account of Perkins's metallic tractors.--Their supposed influence in various diseases.--Suspicions concerning them.--Experiments with wooden tractors.--Result of these experiments.--Statements of a modern mesmerizer. 29
This ignorance a cause of many superstitions.--Case of a person who slept in a bed room supposed to be haunted.--Skeleton seen by moonlight.--Apparition seen by Dr. Gregory.--Case related by Dr. Conolly.--Ship's crew frightened by an apparition.--Young lady supposed to have been murdered by pirates.--Cases of impressions connected with bodily disease.--Phantasms in febrile diseases.--A farmer frightened to death by a light in the road.--A figure like Death striking a lady in her side with a dart.--Illusion of sight and hearing.--Case of a lady who saw her absent husband standing by her side.--Countenance of a friend seen in a mirror.--Tunes heard.--Inverted objects.--Visions of the world of spirits.--Case of Baron Swedenborg.--Case of a lady in Boston, who saw her deceased grandmother.--The phantom ship seen in New Haven.--The science of optics.--Of nauscopy.--Cases of mirage. 38
God the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.--The natural world governed by regular laws.--Sign of the howling of a dog under the window.-- Lucky and unlucky days.--Sir Matthew Hale's opinion.--Early laws of Connecticut.--Superstition of sailors.--Timidity of Voltaire.-- Peace and happiness on all days.--How procured. 50
A witch as regarded by our fathers.--Compact or agreement with the devil.--Carried through the air on brooms and spits.--Anointing their bodies with a magical ointment.--How to prepare the same.--Singular ceremonies at the meetings of witches.--How they afflicted others. --The bewitched pins shown to Grace Greenwood.--Mode of examining and trying witches.--Witch catcher in England.--How he was arrested and condemned.--Singular record on a church book in Scotland.-- Notice of the Salem witchcraft.--How such superstitions are to be done away.--Witches and wizards of modern times. 53