Qass_ Book. X istrict of michigan. > '•. #% %0|s\rict. ov Michigan, ss.— Be it remembered that on this twelfth day of Decem- ber, A. D;»one thousand eight hundred and forty-four, Joseph H. Bagg, of the said \ District, hdfy depostied in the office of the Clerk of said Court, a hook the titie of which is in the words following, to wit-, "Bagg on Magnetism, or the doctrine of Equilibrium," being designed to prove that not only the health of vegetables and animals, but all systems and principles in nature depend upon an equilibrium of action between two extremes, and that} the $ impulse or force by which they are produced, as well as destroyed, is owing to the magnetic fluids which operate both at the same time on the same object or principle. The proper study of man- kind is man." In two parts, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor, in conformity with an act of Congress, entitled "An act to amend the several acts respecting copy rights*" In testimony whereof I have hereto subscribed my name and affixed the — a seal of the said court, this twelfth day of December, A. D. eighteen hun- **■ B ' dred and forty four. JNO. WINDER, Clerk. By GEO. G. Bl XL, Deputy. •fi DEDICATION. To those who are not blinded by prejudice; have the desire to attempt, patience to continue, and' wish to in-* vestigate the laws of nature, and dare view her as she really is, without reference to beaten tracks or the com- mon highway of the schools, and have the firmness to sustain the result of their convictions, whether practicing the healing art, or are engaged in any operations of mind with matter, the subsequent pages are with respect inscribed by the Author. J. H. BAGG. PREFACE, The origin of the following pages may be attributed to an universally confessed and acknowledged want of general principles to guide us in the practice of the heal- ing art. From witnessing, in a more or less extensive practice, for tne last twenty-five years, all kinds of dis- eases attempted to be cured by one kind of medicines, and one kind of disease cured by all kinds of medicines, the diseases, being as different from each other as the poles, and the remedies, many of them, apparently also opposite in effect, with as numerous a corresponding va- riety of advocates for each, we were led to believe, that, all, operated in one uniform manner, agreeable to some general law hitherto not understood, and the result of our investigations has justified our most sanguine anti- cipations. The cause of animal life and the law by which it is governed, has never as yet, been satisfacto- rily ascertained, much less demonstrated. While one class of phylosophers have accounted for it on mechan- ical an other has on chemical principles; a third has attributed to the union of the two, while a fourth has denied the whole, and contend that the vital principle is peculiar to itself and dependent on neither. The ob- ject of this work is to prove that not only all absolute mechanical force and'chemical affinity, but all other mo- tions, actions, and effects in nature, in compositions and decompositions, as well as the vital principle of vegeta- bles and animals is owing to one and the same cause and governed by the same law — the magnetic fluids by the 1* VI PREFACE. law of attraction and repulsion. While engaged in the investigation of the cause of animal life, we found mat- ter, although so diversified in nature by her various combinations, as to produce an almost endless variety, yet reduceable to a few elements, and all, whether found in the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdoms, whether solid, liquid or asriform, whether of mind or matter, all indebted to one principle and governed by one immuta- ble law, and only differing from each other by a differ- ent arrangement of their ultimate atoms or elements in the compound; and that man differs from the rest sim- ply by being the engineer of his own destiny, and there- fore not only stands highest in the scale of being in the chain of animals, but forms the connecting link between mortality and immortality. Like an adventurer then who starts only to explore an island, but discovers a whole continent, in our examination into the cause of animal life, we have not only succeeded but fortunately disco- vered that the cause as well as the law by which it is governed, is the cause and law of the whole universe. Instead then of being obliged to become a perpetual book-worm, and crawl through all the musty volumes of antiquity, as well as those of modern ingenuity, and wade through a mass of more than useless rubbish, spending the greatest share and best part of our time reflecting on the imaginations of those who never ob- served for themselves, or groping our way through the dark labyrinth of uncertainty, culling isolated facts for ourselves, or take them on hearsay from those who pre- tend to have discoved and chronicled them, and thereby overburdening the memory with an illimitable minutia, and thus like children playing "blind harry," now blun- dering against this object and now against that, some- times guessing right and sometimes wrong — we give a general principle, which, when understood will be found to be so plain and simple in its nature and so easy of ap- plication, but yet so general and universal, that all can PREFACE. VII readily see. understand and appreciate. If generaliza- tion in any science be its essence, this general principle will constitute the very essence of all science. It would indeed seem to constitute the very golden ladder itself. of the patriarch of old, on which to climb from nature up to nature's God — man situated between the extremes of brutes and angels. It will constitute a perpetual men- tal compass, to guide those who attempt to investigate any subject, system, or principle of nature in any science or art, and stands the same relation to these, in gui- ding the mind to truth, that the compass needle does to the adventurer in an immense wilderness, or the mari- ner in the trackless ocean to guide him to port. Our main purpose is to adapt the principle to the more perfect practice of the healing art, give a clear and ra- tional theory of that condition of man upon earth term- ed somnambulism, as well as every other stage of mag- netism, prove its truth, show its phenomena, mental and physical, prove the truth of Prenological science by the latter, and come to the rescue of the Homoeopathies, by giving in addition to their numerous collection of facts, a general principle, as a perpetual light to encourage them onward toward the perfection of the only true sys- tem of practice in phylosophy, and establish their two general principles on which their whole system is based — the doctrine of Similia-similibus, in the application, and the exaltation of the powers of some remedies, be- yond the fear of contradiction. As these comprehend the science of man, it became necessary to examine him in connection with the external world, or those objects on which he acts and is operated upon, and will form our only apology for generalization. It will therefore be found in addition to these, to be more or less benefi- cial to all, particularly to those engaged in the study, teaching or use of rhetoric and logic, as it is but nature developing herself in the most eloquent manner by her own arguments. Our self-esteem is net so prominent a* Vlll PREFACE. to induce us to believe that we can write the whole book of nature in a work of three hundred octavo pages, which would form a universal history or system of itself, or that we have exhausted, or scarcely commenced to exhaust in detail, the particular branches which is the de- sign of this work. What w r e have said however, we know to be true, and feel confident that enough has been said to attract a portion of the scientific to an investiga- tion of the subject. We anticipate then, from the sim- plicity of the rule, the universality of its application, the collection of interesting cases of cures effected by mag- netism direct, together with those produced by the ex- altation of remedies, with the most numerous and inter- esting collection of cases of clairvoyance ever yet giv- en to the public, with the proofs of the truth of Phreno- logy, all of which are from our own experience during the last three years, with the utility that must flow from each, aside from all other subjects and considerations, will claim for it a favorable reception. Animal Mag- netism and Phrenological science are about to revolution- ize the world, of mind and matter. Both are true, ba- sed upon phylosophy, must be believed and will prevail. The time is not far distant and they wohld ere this have been believed, applied to the cure of disease and the sup- pression of vice, immorality and crime, but for the erro- neous and unfortunate, but honest report of the illustri- ous Franklin at the Court of Versailles. But no matter how high the source, or powerful the engine by which truth is crushed to earth, it ultimately rises and becomes predominent. Will it not then commend itself to the at- tention of an intelligent and thinking public, or is our po- sition like the gentleman of Philadelphia and the Chi- nese farmers'? They plow their fields with a crotched stick. An adventurer from Philadelphia on an occasion observed the great loss of labor from its use upon the farm of his friend and on his next trip surprised him with the presentation of one of our best modern plows, be- PREFACE. IX lieving that thereby he would subserve the interest of humanity, and his friend, and further gain upon his es- teem and friendship. But witness his astonishment and chagrin, when it was absolutely and peremptorily refu- sed. What, said he, "looking daggers," and with eve- ry hair erect, do you think that I would exchange my plow for this? Do you think that I am wiser than my ancestors] My grandfather plowed with this plow. My father plowed with this plow, and I plow with it. Do you think that I am wiser than they? No barbarian, I will still plow with the plow of my fathers. To that portion of community who believe with the Chinese, that our first parents were all wise as well as all happy, and that it is not only unwise but sinful and useless to attempt to improve, this work is not intended. We leave such to the enjoyment of their quiet and neg- ative state of bliss without molestation. But to those on the contrary who believe it to be a duty to investi- gate the laws of nature, discover truth and strive to im- prove the condition of man upon earth, this volume is offered as a tribute to their respect and esteem and our mite to the general contribution. The coincidence of that part of this work that endea- vors to establish the identity of the imponderables, with the " New Phylosophy of Matter, 7 ' a work published some time last year, by Mr. Geo. Brewster, is a circum- stance which goes to establish its truth, as the conclu- sions of both were conceived of, and arrived at by dif- ferent motives, manners, and courses of reasoning and investigation. So far as we are concerned, it is well known to our friends that that part of the subject was in manuscript as early as 1839, and that in 1840 we pub- lished, in the recommendation and prescription of a ho- moeopathic pill which was circulated not only through- out this, but other States, the following: " This pill and its operation is based upon the principle, that human life is produced and continued by attraction and repulsion X PREFACE. from magnetism, that galvanism, electricity, magnetism and oxygen are identicle, that good health is the result of a certain or due degree of action or motion, from that principle, that it forms the secondary soul of the universe and pervades all bodies, and that the above diseases arise from a want of this due attraction, and repulsion, which operate both at the same time, in the same space, or on the same object." On further investigation and as we progressed, we were, from our convictions of its truth, obliged to add light, caloric and oxygen, with hydrogen gasses. Throughout w r e have endeavored to tax our own resources, and have studiously avoided the beaten track of others, except to occasionally exhibit them in contrast or confirmation. We shall give no credit whe- ther borrowed or purloined except to them, as not know- ing where w T e get our ideas. Did we attempt it we should perhaps be worse off in our blunders, by robbing Peter to pay Paul, than to stand convicted of the crime. Instead of stringing the beads of others, we have man- ufactured our own, although our bump of order in the arrangement may not be sufficiently developed to so please those of greater manifestations, as to elude criti- cism. We make no apology for the matter or manner as it is the very best production under the circumstances, from the novelty of the subject, want of time, occupation and habits, we are able to give, but such as it is, we ush- er it forth to the world, w 7 ell aware of the old but trite saying of those who seek for revenge, " that mine ene- my had written a book." PART FIRST- CHAPTER I. The knowledge of Magnetism of the ancients was so narrow and contracted, and their view^s so limited, that they defined it to be that force which in iron under cer- tain circumstances, when left free to move like the com- pass needle, turned to the poles of the earth. This was the result of their labors, the extent of their observa- tions, and definition of the principle. But from the ex- periments of Franklin upon the electric machine, and those upon the Galvanic battery and Voltaic pile, by Gal- vani and Valta, together with the labors of Wallaston, Arago, Prout, Brewster, Sir Humphrey Davy, Harvey, and a variety of others, both in Europe and America since their day, and last, not least, recently in our own country, the efforts and exertions of Davenport and Cook in their application of the principle to the propelling ma- chinery, and Dr. Sherwood of the city of New York to the cure of disease, with our own observations and re- flections, we have come to the deliberate conclusion that instead of their being in nature as taught in the schools, five imponderable fluids, that there are but two, the Mag- netic fluids, and that Galvanism, Electricity, Light, Ca- loric and oxygen with hydrogen gasses, are but the dif- ferent effects upon the corresponding five senses of the body, produced by one principle — the Magnetic fluids, and are therefore identical. That the seeming differ- ence between them upon the mind and upon matter is owing to the construction of our organs, to the different mechanism of the senses, and not to the principle, and BAGG ON that these different sensations, like the five different wit- nesses in a court ot justice, all tending to one point to give correct testimony, to establish truth, are but the different modifications of the Magnetic fluids themselves, one and the same, one in principle, action and effect. That God, although thus manifold in his varieties is yet simple in his primary principles, and that these seem- ingly different imponderable agents, are but so many twinsisters of sensation, belonging to the one common parent Magnetism. And first, with regard to Galvanism and Electricity. The only seeming difference worthy of remark between these fluids, is that more power can be got up on a Gal- vanic battery than an Electric "machine, and that they differ in the manner of collecting and concentrating the power, one being excited into action by chemical affini- ty, and the other by friction. In matter they are the same. They are both governed by the same law, and produce the same effects, both upon animate and inani- mate matter. Galvanism is of two kinds, positive and negative. So is Electricity. Electricity has in matter a constant tendency to an equilibrium, so has Galvan- ism. Galvanism is at all times repulsive towards its fel- low, and attractive towards ponderable matter; so is Electricity. The mechanical effects of Electricity con- sists in motion produced by attraction and repulsion ; so does Galvanism. With Galvanism in matter, attraction takes place between two substances charged, one with positive, and the other with negative Galvanism, and re- pulsion with two substances filled either with both pos- itive or both negative Galvanism. Precisely so with Electricity. Electricity will compose substances that will not unite without its agency and influence, and de- compose those already united by chemical affinity; so also with Galvanism. The best conductors of Galvan- ism are also the best conductors of Electricity. Non- conductors of one, are also non conductors of the other. MAGNETISM. 3 The effects of electricity or its intensity are in an inverse proportion to the square of the distance; so with Galvan- ism, The effects of Galvanism upon animate matter the living system is to produce motion, sensation, thought and heat; so also with Electricity. Electricity has been successfully applied to the cure of disease; so has Gal- vanism. Nothing can resist the decomposing influence of Galvanism; the same may be said of Electricity. — Galvanism will produce a sudden extinguishment of life; Electricity will produce instantaneous death. In a word, they are the same principle, the same fluids, and never for a moment would have been thought dissimilar, but one was produced, or excited by chemical affinity, and the other by friction, or in other words the equilibrium was broken in the former by chemical affinity, and in the latter bv friction. CHAPTER IL MAGNETISM AND ELECTRICITY COMPARED. The force between two magnets of attraction and re- pulsion, or between their poles at different distances, varies in an inverse proportion to the square of the dis- tance. So does the force of the electric fluid vary in the same manner and proportion from an electric body. Magnetism is of two kinds, austral and boral, positive and negative. Electricity is also of two sorts, vitreous and resinous, positive and negative. In both, these two principles of positive and negative, are diametrically op- posed to each other in effect, and in both, those of the same names as positive and positive or negative, and negative repel one another, while those of diffe rent names as positive and negative, or negative and positive attract each other. The principle in both has a constant ten- dency to an equilibrium in matter, and are at all times 2 BAGG ON governed by an immutable law — attraction and repul- sion, a law governing no other principles or fluids. The objections as to the identity of Electricity and Magnet- ism, and the reason why they have been taught to be different in the books, are, say they, Electricity is capa- ble of being excited, communicated or transferred from one body to another, and Magnetism cannot be. The directive properties of the magnet North and South, as well as the declination, dip, and annual and diurnal vari- eties, together with the different intensities in different parts of the earth, are peculiar to the magnet, and do not appertain to electrified bodies. These objections are triumphantly and in wholesale answered,byadmitting the fact by us asserted and partly proved as above, by their general and minute analogy in their laws of government and their being one and the same fluid or principle and effect. For it will be readily perceived that admitting them to be one and the same fluids, or the electric flu- id?, to be the magnetic principle, it only shows that iron, nickle, and cobalt, are so effected by the electric fluids, that when left free to move like the compass needle, points North and South, and so far from proving them to be a distinct principle, it only shows a characteristic trait of the electric fluids when applied to these metals. Should we follow up this idea by the light of this princi- ple, we should find that the effects of Magnetism or Elec- tricity are as varient throughout matter, as they are dif- ferent in density, shape, color, and texture, and that their being excited into action by friction, percussion, chemical action, oxydation, the suns rays, and chemical affinity, was the reason why they have hitherto been considered and treated as two distinct principles. We might here cite the alkalies and acids, the me- talic oxides, oxygen and hydrogen gasses, and the whole class of metals, and show their union and color to be the effect of this principle, but forbear, and will add but one other argument which will for' ever put the matter at MAGNETISM. 5 rest and beyond a doubt. If we connect a piece of iron or steel, bent in the form of a horse-shoe, wound with copper wire insulated by being covered with silk or cot- ton, and unite their terminations at each end with the wires or poles of an electric machine, galvanic battery, or leyden vial, in operation or charged with fluid, the piece of steel or iron will immediately become a mag- net. That end of the magnet that is connected with the copper plate of the battery or the positive wire of the electric machine will become the North pole of the magnet, and that of the negative wire of the electric machine or the wire attached to the zinc plate will be- come the negative or South pole of the magnet, and when communicated by induction to steel needles left free to move, will point to the poles of the earth, its po- sitive pole to the South, and its negative one to the JNTorth. When strong magnets are thus charged, they are made by a rotary wheel set in motion by attraction and repulsion, and so constructed as to pass through thimbles of quicksilver at each quarter section of the cir- cle, to throw off an electric spark like the prime conduc- tor of an electric machine or leyden vial. Thus then, showing and proving at once, r in this small compass, the identity clearly of all the imponderables. The com- mencement of the action of the galvanic fluids from the battery was caused by the decomposition of water w r hich is formed of hydrogen and oxygen gasses, together with the action of the acid upon the mettle. When the flu- ids passed along the wire from the galvanic battery we will term them, for the sake of illustration, 1 the gal- vanic fluids. When they passed spirally around the bent piece of iron upon the covered copper wire, we will call them magnetic ; when they were made to reassume their lost equilibrium, or their chain was broken t up, by passing through the cups or thimbles of murcury, they were electricity, as was shown in their being given oil in sparks. These sparks were made sensible to the ear b BAGG ON by an audible cracking noise. They were intensely hot to the touch, which showed they were coloric, and these same galvanic, magnetic, hot, shocking sparks, produced upon the eye from its construction, the sensation of light. The sound, and the light and heat, together with the contraction and expansion or attraction and repulsion which produced the spark, were all produced by one and the same principle, operating upon the mind through its different sentient organs. Do we not then clearly see, that the electric fluids di- rectly excites magnetic phenomena, and the magnetic fluids produce electric effects, proving clearly and beyond the fear of contradiction, both to be identical, one and the same, and reduced to a demonstration so certain that they need only to be stated to be assented to. For one 7 is as clearly proved by the other as addition is by subtraction, or multiplication by division, and vice ver- sa. In this manner, by the galvanic battery alone, can magnets be made that will lift tons, and may be increas- ed without doubt, to almost any extent. We might here add were it necessary, numberless ob- servations and experiments both by land and sea, of the effects of lightning or electricity, upon the compass nee- dle during thunder storms, as well as upon the tools of silver smiths, rendering them useless, the one by the re- version of its poles, and the other by converting them in- to permanent magnets, as well as the effects of the Auro- ra-borealis or Northern lights upon the human system, producing electric phenomena, so as to be able to give off sparks, but conceive it not necessary, after what has been said upon the subject. In conclusion, we observe that every subtance or principle that is governed by the law of attraction and repulsion must be magnetic. Elec- tricity is governed by no other law whatever, in any of its operations. Electricity then, must therefore be the magnetic fluids themselves. MAGNETISM. 7 CHAPTER III. OXYGEN WITH HYDROGEN G ASSES. Having, as we believe, not only established success- fully by analogy, but by positive proof, the identity of electricity and magnetism, we pass on to the considera- tion of oxygen and hydrogen gasses. The former of these, according to Sir Humphrey Davy and all our best modern chemists, has never been obtained free from light. Oxygen gas then, is a compound of oxygen and light, and is so subtle that it must be judged of by its ef- fects only. We find that this material is necessary for exciting the magnetic fluids from the galvanic battery, eliminating] the same from the electric machine, and is always combined with iron ore, to form a natural mag- net. In the first, the water is decomposed as w 7 ell as the zinc and copper oxydized. In the second the rubber as proved by Dr. Wallaston, is an oxide of metal, and the latter when found natural in the earth, is invariably an oxide of iron. It would then appear that after the strictest scrutiny, we possess no means to get up, show and make sensible, the phenomena of electricity, galvan- ism or magnetism but by the use and agency of oxygen gas. And when we take into consideration the fact, that oxygen gas, forms at least one fifth part of the atmos- pheric air of our globe; that it unites with every simple substance in nature in one or more proportions, forming with them all compounds, varient in proportion to its quantity ; when we reflect that the seeds of vegetables will not germinate without its presence; the plant grow and thrive without its influence; that its color is owing to its effects; that it is one of the causes of animal life; that no animal can live in an atmosphere without it; that it is the cause of, not only the color of arterial blood, bat all other substances in nature; the cause oi % heat light, sound, motion, and sensation, that it is one of the causes of combustion; that it forms a component part of all wu 8 BAGG ON eat and drink; that it is united in one proportion with nitrogen to form atmospheric air; in another with hy- drogen to form water; with all the metals to form ox- ides, and with each to form different compounds of the same metal; with the metalic bases^of one class to form al- kalies; with another to form acids, and with the same in different proportions, to form different acids of the same class, we are struck with its illimitable diffusion, its ever varying combination, use, and presence in the material world. If oxygen gas unites with any combustible, light is thrown off and heat becomes sensible. In a word, it is so universally diffused and combined with every ma- terial substance in nature; its presence so necessary, ac- tive and decided, that we are constrained to believe, and therefore assume, that oxygen gas is a compoun of oxy- gen and positive light or the fluid of positive magnetism. CHAPTER IV. HYDROGEN GAS. Hydrogen, like oxygen gas, forms a component part of almost every material substance in nature. It is the lightest as well as the most combustible of all material substances known. From these and other characteris- tics, it would seem that like oxygen gas it is a compound ol hydrogen and light, and that its imponderable part bore so large a share in the proportion of its compound, that it is made up of almost latent, or if the expression were allowable, of condensed light itself. It was prov- ed by Sir Humphrey also, and confirmed since his day t>y the most able modern chimists of both Europe and America, that hydrogen is always found in a positive state of electricity or magnetism, and that it has a great- er affinity or attraction for oxygen gas than any other known substance (except potassium.) Like oxygen gas MAGNETISM. I) it is ever varying in its combinations as well as its uni- versal diffusion, and like that substance sometimes it ex- ists in a solid or liquid, and at other times in a gaseous state, and when united with oxygen gas in a state of perfect neutralization or equilibrium forms w T ater. It also unites with that substance in another form in a different proportion to form a class of vegetable products such as gums, sugar, starch, &c. In another class where the oxygen is in excess to form a class called acids, and an- other class where the hydrogen preponderates, to form a class of compounds which are the most combustible of all vegetable products, such as oils, resins, and alcohol It forms also the base or enters largely into all the com- pounds of the most combustible substances known. We therefore assume that hydrogen is united with an im- ponderable base similar to oxygen which is light, and that this light is the positive magnetic fluid. CHAPTER V. TWO KINDS OF LIGHT. It will be perceived by what has been said, that we make but two kinds of light, the positive and negative, and that these constitute and form the magnetic^ fluids themselves. Indeed the beautiful transparent form, and appearance of water itself, would, simply presented to the sense of vision, go far to establish the truth of this position, without farther proof. It looks like latent or condensed light itself, held together in a liquid form by the mutual attraction and repulsion . between their basis and other constituent elements. That light enters into all and every substance in nature, is ^absorbed and be- comes latent, will not be denied. The different colors of different material substances in nature agreeable to the Newtonian theory proves it. Decomposition, chemical 10 BAGG ON action, friction, percussion, and combustion demonstrate it. Were it necessary to still further confirm it, we would merely mention that it forms a component part of all water whether, in the ocean, seas, lakes, rivers, bays, the vapor of atmospheric air or surface of the earth. — Being thus universally diffused it would not be material whether they were united with oxygen or hydrogen or not. Certain it is however that both, and all, are so equal- ly diffused, present and existant that the idea of their identity is hardly seperable. It has been mentioned that oxygen and hydrogen do not always present themselves in gasseous forms, as they are the constituents of an un- limited number and variety of substances both solid and liquid, therefore each may exist like the two electricities and be obtained in an attractive state without the phe- nomena of light, heat, and motion, but like the two principles when brought together, and united by attrac- tion they give out by repulsion these fluids with such powerful action, and in such a condition, that motion, * heat, and light are produced. The appearance of light, heat, motion, and detonation of a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gasses, in the proportion to form water, by compression, heat, or any other means, are analagous, to the phenomena of an electric shock from a machine, or thunder and lightning from the storm cloud. They are the same in principle and effect, and only differ in form. The rationale of their action, as well as every at- tribute or effect is the same, to wit: an effort of the mag- netic or electric fluids to regain their lost equilibrium. Although light is made apparent or produced by friction, percussion, electricity, decomposition, combustion, and chemical affinity, its original great source is the sun's rays. They consist of two kinds distinguished by two primary colors, the red and the blue. In w 7 hat manner they are produced, emitted and repelled from the sun and" attracted to our earth, we shall not now stop to in- quire. It is sufficient for our present purpose to know, MAGNETISM. 11 that such is the mutual action between the sun and this earth, that two distinct kinds of light, alike as to illumi- nation, but different in some other respects, are convey- ed to this earth, and produce by their joint action with each other, and upon ponderable matter, that illumina- ting sensation upon the eye called light, and upon mat- ter, such effects both animate and inanimate, organic and inorganic, as to entitle them to the appellation of the vi- vifying principle or that of life. CHAPTER VI. LIGHT THE MAGNETIC FLUIDS. That the ravs of light aie the magnetic fluids we in- fer from their being the animating, stimulating or invig- orating principle of nature. From their appearance and presence on every electric • r chemical action, combus- tion, or composition. From their being with oxygen and hydrogen the cause of all the variegated colors in nature. From their be- ing governed by the same laws that govern the magnet- ic rluids; from their rendering iron and steel magnetic, simply by the exposure of those metals to their influ- ence. From their being the cause of what is called ca- loric or the matter of heat, and from the effects of the electro magnetic machine, as described and explained in chapter second of these lines. That they are the ani- mating principle of nature, is apparent from their being the magnetic fluids themselves, as no vegetable or ani- mal ever lived, thrived, or grew without action or mo- tion of its vessels necessary to its nutrition and assimu- lation, and as there is no motion in nature except by magnetism, as we shall show at its proper time and place. they must grow from the action of these fluids and no other, therefore their being the magnetic fluids is an ar- 12 BAGG ON gument of their being the animating principle. Why do not vegetables thrive and grow in winter as well as sum- mer ? Is it not owing to a deficiency of light? Why do they not grow as well under the frigid as the torrid zone? Is it not light and heat that stimulate all nature into ac- tion in the spring by the more concentrated action of the rays of the sun upon this earth? What is it that stimu- lates the blade of grass to shoot forth, as well as the bear, the dormouse and the myriads of creeping things and flying insects into action in the spring? It is the genial rays of light producing a motion and action upon the whole face of nature. All vegetables are attracted towards the light. All flowers in nature are attracted by light and follow the sun in his course during the day and to his retreat, and in the mrrning meet his rising- lustre with the same unerring law. The leaves of plants are changed in position during the day by this principle. Plants that grow in the shade or dark, are pale, sickly, and without color, such as cabbage, celery, potatoe vines, &c. Vegetables that grow beneath stones, or places devoid of light, are well known to be w r hite, soft, and aqueous. Thus then, their color is owing to light. Not only their color but their taste and odor are deri- ved from it also. Light contributes greatly to the ma- turity of fruits and seeds. Under the burning sun of Af- rica, vegetables are more odoriferous, of a stronger taste and more abounding in resin. Animals also in general, droop, become unhealthy, and sometimes die when de- prived of light. Persons confined from light become sickly, sallow, feeble, and watery pustules bi^eak out up- on the skin. Worms, grubs, and catterpillars which live in the earth, or in wood, are of a whitish color, being deprived of light. The parts of fish exposed to light, as the back and fins, are uniformly colored, but other parts which are not exposed to light are white. Birds which inhabit tropical climates, have much brighter plu- mage than those of the North. The feathers upon the MAGNETISM. 13 back and breast which are exposed to light are colored and more bright than those not exposed. Rabbits and weasels in the North become white in winter from want of light, and change back to brown in summer. In the mineral kingdom the effects of light are not less striking. Metalic oxides become combustible when exposed to light, as w r ell as a mixture of oxygen and clorine gasses. "From their appearance on electric action and combus- tion, as well as chimical affinity." If we charge an elec- tric machine or galvanic battery, and bring the wires within a certain distance of each other, an equilibrium is formed, an attraction takes place, followed by repulsion, and heat, and light is produced, and the machine is dis- charged. The atmosphere of this earth is said to be healthy when, besides its due proportion of oxygen and nitrogen, the two electricities are in a state of equilibri- um. But that these are occasionally interrupted, and vary from this equilibrium, none will deny. All have witnessed thunder storms, which are nothing but an ef- fort to restore this lost equilibrium between the electri- cities. The result is characterized by a noise called thunder, and a series of illuminations termed lightning. Now we know that the causes are attractions and re- pulsions between the electric or magnetic fluids, and are seen by the eye to be light, and heard by the ear to be thunder. If it strike us we could have felt it. It pro- duces in the air an odor not unlike sulphur, and if con- ducted to our mouths might be tasted, as shown by ap- plying the wires of an electric machine to our tongue, when one pole is presented, the taste is an acid one, yvhen the other, it is alkaline. Thus then, the magnet- ic fluids are seen as well as heard, felt, smelled ana tas- ted. Like so many witnesses in a court of justice, A, is sworn first, then B, next C, then D, and E. The eye is the first witness, simply from its peculiar construction, and to that the organ of vision, the magnetic fluids, gave the sensation of light. To the ear, the next witness 14 BAGG ON these same fluids from the same impulse, gave the im- pression of sound, called thunder, and owing to its con- struction, the impression was subsequent to that of the eye. The shock or heat, had it been felt, would have been next, and then taste, and last smell. These seve- ral sensations, were all produced as we have before said, by one and the same principle — the magnetic, or what has hitherto been called the electric fluids. In chemical affinity and combustion, to say nothing of friction or per- cussion, these magnetic fluids are seen to be light. In chimical affinity, where the attractions and repulsions are powerful, as in the union of oxygen and hydrogen gasses, or of potassium with oxygen from water or ice, these fluids are seen to be light, and will be acknowledg- ed. In combustion, which Sir Humphrey Davy defined to be a series of powerful electrical attractions and re- pulsions, they are invariably seen to be light. No pro- cess then, of combustion takes place, from that of a burn- ing taper, up to Mount Vesuvius or Etna, but lightjs evolved and becomes more or less luminous and abund- ant. Indeed such has been the ingenuity and persever- ence, of some of the French chemists, in the last five years, that they have at length succeeded in producing and continuing a constant and uniform light from elec- tricity or galvanism, and at so cheap a rate, that it is less expensive than the common gas lights. So successful have been their experiments, that at this moment they are lighting the streets of Paris in that manner. The following is copied from a Washington paper, on the sub- ject : "A letter from Paris dated Oct. 21st, gives the following account of the first public trial of an experi- ment w r hich has been more than four years in prepara- tion for fixing at a given point the electric fluid, and ma- king it applicable to the purposes of lighting the streets and private houses. On one of the bases of the statues called the Pavillion de Lille on the Place de la Concor- de, a glass globe of apparently twelve or thirteen inch- MAGNETISM. 15 es diameter, with a moveable reflector, was fixed in con- nection with a voltaic battery, and a little before nine o'clock was thrown into it by a conductor. At this time all the gas lights of the place, about one hundred in num- ber, were burning. As soon as the electric light ap- peared, the nearest gas lights, had the same dull, thick, and heavy appearance as oil lamps have by the side ot gas. Soon afterwards the gas lamps were extinguished, and the electric light shone forth in all its brilliancy. — Within one hundred yards of the light it was easy to read the smallest print — it was in fact as light as day. The astonishment of the assembled multitude, was very great, and their delight, as strong as their astonishment. The estimate made by scientific persons, who were pre- sent, was, that the electric light, was equal to twenty of the gas lamps, and consequently, that five of these lights, would suffice to light the whole Place, most brilliantly. As regards the expense of production, nothing positive has transpired, but I think I may safely assume, that it would be considerably less, than that of the generation of gas, whilst the first outlay for machinery and conduc- tors, would not amount to one twentieth part, of that re- quired for gas works. There would be also another great advantage in the electric light. It gives out no bad smell ; it emits none ofthose elements, which in the burning of gas, are injurious to health, and explosion would be impossible. The only danger that would arise, would be at the battery itself, but that would be under the control of competent persons ; and even in this re- spect, there would be no danger, even to unskilful per- sons, with an apparatus of moderate size. Internal light- ing would be as practicable as external lighting, for by conductors, the fluids would be conveyed to evjeiy part of the house. The experiments performed last night, was with a voltaic battery of two hundred pairs, composed as follows: 1st, an outer globe of glass ; 2d, in this globe a cylinder of charcoal open at both oiuU 3 16 • BAGG ON arid plunged into the nitric acid, contained in the outer globe; 3d, in the cylinder of charcoal a porous porcelain vase, containing acidulated water with sulphuric acid, this replaces the cloth in the common battery ; 4th, in the porcelain vase a cylinder of amalgam of zinc and cop- per, plunged in acidulated water. The pile was on the Pavillion de Lille, the two copper conductors from the two poles and pointed with charcoal, lead to an empty globe from which the air had been exhausted. The two fluids on meeting, produce a soft, but most intense light. I understand the experiment was considered highly suc- cessful by the authorities, who were present, and that it is to be repeated on a large scale. Should the thing work, as well in a general way, as it did last night, and the cost be less than that of gas, which it must be, there will be a dreadful revolution in gas works. I have heard it asserted by persons, who are acquainted with M. Ach- ereau, the gentleman who performed the experiment last night, that a company for the supply of the electric light, would realize a handsome profit, on charging only a sixth, of what is now paid for gas. The strength of the electric light, did not appear to me, to exceed that of the hydro-oxygen; but is much more simple in the ap- paratus required, and much less costly in the expense of the production. The hydro-oxygen light requires a double, and more expensive apparatus, and is only ap- plicable to a few localities. The electric light, may be applied externally, and internally, in any place. Thus then, art has succeeded at length, in so imitating the at- tractions and repulsions between the sun and earth, be- tween the poles of the two magnets, or galvanic batte- ry, that an artificial, constant, luminous, atmosphere in all respects like that of day, is produced and kept up. — Need then, any thing more be said to prove the identity with the electric or magnetic fluids ? Do we not see that the sensation of light is owing to the peculiar con- struction of the organ, and not to any difference between MAGNETISM. 17 what has been termed light, and the magnetic fluids. — We have said that the law of government for one, was that of the other. Magnetism obeys no other law but a ttract ion and repulsion ; neither does light. Magnet- ism converges to a point, in the centre of all objects, and diverges from the centre in all directions, towards the circumference. The former is produced by attraction, the latter by repulsion. Light is attracted or converged by a denser medium, and separated or dispersed by a er one : so are the magnetic fluids. The former as before is produced by attraction, and the latter by re- pulgion, in both instances, in both fluids. The absorp- of light is effected by attraction, and reflection by m, precisely the law of magnetism. In a word, refraction, dispersion, the correspondence and equality of the angles of incidence and reflection, as w T ell as the different colors of objects governing light, are produced by the well known and established law of magnetism, attraction and repulsion, and are but different terms to express the operations of the same law of both light and magnetism through different media. Well may the schoolmen declare, that light is polarized, when it is go- verned in all its varied operations by no other law T than that of magnetism, the great characteristic of which con- sists in nothing else but motion, produced by an antag- onizing principle, the extreme points of which are term- ed poles. To go further into the subject, would carry us into optics ; which is inconsistent with our present limits ; our only object, being at this time to prove the identity of magnetism and light. CHAPTER VII. MAGNETS FROM LIGHT. We have said that light was the magnetic principle, 18 BAGG ON and in the former chapter, have made an attempt to proye it. In addition we would observe, that magnets from steel have been made, both in Europe and Ameri- ca, by exposure to the direct rays of the sun. Dr. Mor- V" rischini, a respectable physician of Rome, discovered this remarkable property in the violet rayg. Prof. Play- fair saw the experiment by Dr. Carp, in the absence of Morrischini, before a party of English and Italian gen- tlemen, an account of which was published in the Edin- burgh Journal of science. In one hour's exposure, the -h needle had acquired polarity, and when put upon its / point, traversed with alacrity, and attracted and suppor- ted a fringe of iron filings. The extremity of the nee- dle that was exposed to the violet rays, repelled the North pole of another magnet, or compass needle. This effect was so distinctly marked, as to leave no doubt in the minds of any who were present, that the needle re- ceived its magnetism from the action of the violet rays. The subject remained in this situation, when Mrs. Sum- merville directed to it her attention, and succeeded in about two hours, of rendering the needle magnetic. The exposed end, acquiring North polarity, from the violet rays. This experiment was often repeated, and always with the same result. By a similar process she ascer- tained that the indigo rays, had nearly as great effect x , as the violet, and that the blue and green rays, produ- ced the same effect, though in a less degree. Mrs. Sum- merville applied the same method to watch and clock springs, and they were found to receive a stronger de- gree of magnetism, than the needles. She next expo- sed as before, half covered, to the sun's rays, through — . glass, colored blue by cobalt, $nd they were distinctly magnetic as before. Needles exposed under green glass received the same property. In addition, in corroboration of the above, we would state, that previous to reading any thing upon the sub- ject of the description here detailed, or any other, we MAGNETISM. 19 conceived the idea of the identity of light and magnet- ism, in eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, and procured watch springs, as well as needles, and broke the former into pieces of two inches in length, and exposed them to light behind the windows of our office, suspended by a single fibre of raw silk from the cocoon, in the month of August, and they invariably became magnetic in eight or ten days, and pointed to the poles of the earth, North and South, as w r ell as attracted in a sensible manner, magnets resting upon bits of light wood, upon the sur- ' of w r ater, so as to bring them in contact, as well as to seperate them to the greatest distance compatible with the room, from the vessel containing the water. It remains only to be observed further upon this part of the subject, that from the observations of the most ob- serving and scientific surveyors, as well as mariners, that the needle undergoes a diurnal as well as annual revolution. That is, that it is affected so by light, at different times of day, as well as different times in the year, as to cause a manifest, and marked variation of its course. And more recently it has also been observed, that moisture, fog, vapor, or water, will also produce a variation, thus showing the effect of oxygen and hydro- gen gasses upon the same principle. Thus much for in- ductive facts in support of our position, as to the identi- ty of light and magnetism. CHAPTER VIII. CALORIC OR MAGNETISM IN A STATE OF REPULSION. We next come to the consideration and examination of that principle which produces the sensation of heat, or what is termed in the books, caloric, or the matter of . We have in the proceeding chapters, endeavor- ed to prove the identitv of galvanism, electricitv, tight, 3* 20 BAGG ON oxygen, with hydrogen gasses, and magnetism, and with what success, we leave the reader to determine, not however, without the consciousness, that we have con- vinced some, and at least staggered others, in their for- mer faith in the doctrine, of the variety and multiplicity of the imponderable agents in nature, as taught and inculcated in the books. We labored in chapter seventh to prove, and brought forward many facts to substan- tiate it, that light was absorbed by all ponderable bo- dies. That it is at all times repulsive towards its fellow, and attractive towards material substances, and that they have constantly, under all circumstances, and at all times, a tendency towards an equilibrium in nature. — That in vapor, or gasseous media or substances, when in this state of equilibrium, they invariably produce to the organ of vision, the sensation of light, like that of day, or as that mentioned, produced by the galvanic battery in lighting the streets of Paris, but again being absorbed by, and uniting with imponderable matter, which it so effects, modifies, and controls, that it subjects it to three varieties of form, states, or condition, and but three, so- lid, liquid, and aeriform, or that of gas. Although all ponderable matter is indebted to the influence of these, for its form, color, and nature, yet it in return, so mod- ifies and effects them, as to produce different appearan- ces to the organ of vision, and that of touch, or organ of the sense of heat, in the change from one to the oth- er. These fluids, it will be remembered, are governed throughout nature, by the immutable law of attraction and repulsion, and carry the same arbitrary law into all ponderable matter, on which it depends for its govern- ment, and action. When these substances are ?n a state of attraction, or the magnetic current is strongest from the circumference towards the centre, we term it at- traction, and when the current or force is strongest from the centre towards the circumference, we term it repulsion. It will be readily seen, that in solid substan- MAGNETISM. Si ces, attraction predominates over repulsion. In liquids, as water, they are neutralized, or in a state of equilibri- um, and that in passes or aeriform substances, repulsion prevails. The change from one form or condition to the other, is governed by this invariable law, that where a substance becomes solid, or more dense, attraction or the centripetal force prevails, the temperature of that body is lessened, and where the c entrifu gal force pre- dominates, or that from the centreTo the circumference, (repulsion) is increased. This term temperature then, is the name of a feeling of opposite or antagonizing sen- sations. They are called heat and cold. Heat then, in- stead of being a substance, an imponderable fluid, is sim- ply that change, action or motion, in the sentient organ of sense^from that condition of matter called repulsion, and cold, that sensation produced by attraction. They are opposite in principle throughout nature, and antag- onized to each other. For centuries then, what has been taught by the schoolmen, to be a matter, or an impon- derable fluid, is simply a quality or condition of matter, produced by a change in material substances, by the magnetic fluids, and stands the same relation to the nerves of temperature, which Sir Charles Bell has wise- ly and properly separated from the sense of touch, that light does to the sense of vision, both being simply sen- sations induced upon the mind, through the organ? of body, by this principle, modified by the different condi- tions of ponderable matter, from the particular arrange- ment or their ultimate atoms. Their differing from each other, is owing to the different construction of the or- gans, and not to the principle. The difference in the sensations is caused by the different conditions of mat- ter, produced by the imponderable principle. All sub- stances in nature, while occupying the condition of at- traction, so far as they are tested by sensation, are gen- erally .lark, hard, solid, heavy and cold. Those on the contrary, that are characterized by that condition term- 22 BAGG ON ed repulsion, are generally soft, luminous, light, and hot, Those occupying the middle state or condition between the extremes, in a state of equilibrium, are what may be termed temperate, or neutralized between the two. These then, are the results of different states of the same matter in a state of natnre; but by artificial means, such as the galvanic battery, combustion, or other cau- ses, these may be so changed, that their line of demar- cation is not so perfectly apparent; as they run more or less into each other, from the point of equilibrium to that of the extremes. It appears then, that light or the mag- netic fluids, are absorbed by all material substances, en- ters into their combination, and so operates upon them, as to produce that kind of change which communicates to the nerves of temperature, the sensations of heat and cold ; terms implying a quality of matter, from the change in the arrangement of their ultimate particles ra- ther than a positive substance or principle. Terms, in- stead of being positive in their signification are entirely relative. There is no such thing as positive heat, or po- sitive cold in nature. Both depend upon sensation, and are therefore relative. Both, the names of two extreme points, or poles like the compass needle, of one continu- ous line, the middle of which forms the equilibrium point above mentioned. For not only what appears to be hot, 1 to one person, is to another cold, but to the same per- son, feels differently at different times, but also different to different parts of the same body at the same time. If I immerse one of my hands in water at the temper- ature of one hundred and fifty Fahrenheit, it feels w r arm or hot, and if I also immerse the other in the same man- ner, at the same time, in the same element, at the tem- perature of one hundred and ten, it will feel warm also. But if I now change them from one to the other, the one that was immersed in the fluid at the temperature of one hundred and fifty, feels cold, although the water is still twelve degrees above blood heat and the other MAGNETISM. 23 will become warm; if I again change them, they will be again changed in feeling, and vice versa. The rays of light, or the rays from the sun. although they illuminate the horizen in their passage to the earth, do not produce heat until they are attracted, and enter into atipn with ponderable matter, and are aeain repeilejjL The air is not heated by these rayg in. coming down to us. On the contrary, the nearer we approach the sun. or recede from the earth, the colder it is, which would not be the case were the sun either a large ball of fire, a mass of caloric, or these rays the matter of heat, mi::t up with, and jumbled together, (agreeable to the books) with the calorific and chemical rays. The limits of this work will not permit us to go fur- ther into this branch of the subject, at this time, than to observe, that we object to their being primarily in na- ture, in the solar spectrum, seven colors, but on the con- trary believe, and therefore assume, that there are but two, the red and the blue, from which, with their com- binations with ponderable matter, by reflection and re- fraction, the others are produced, as well as every oth- er variety and shade of color in nature. \Te are induced to come to this conclusion, from the fact, among a variety of others, that the solar spectrum, previous to its analysis by the prism, is absorbed, and twice reflected and refracted, and that in these opera- tions, it meets with other light, at these points of attrac- tion and repulsion, as well as ponderable matter, and that all these dispersions, reflections, refractions, are the result of attractions and repulsions, which presuppose changes, and therefore, that the very means employed to separate them are, from these considerations aione, sufficient to produce the different appearances, of color upon the organ of vision. Added to this, and what has great influence upon our mind, at this time, is the fact, that we have, and can at 24 BAGG ON any time produce them all, in mixture and diffusion in a liquid form, from the red and the blue. Light we know also to be the magnetic fluids, and, therefore must agree with them in their nature, number, principles, laws, at- tributes, and qualities. The whole of nature is a sys- tem of antagonizing principles, and we cannot subscribe to one single exception. Who was ever so acute in perception, as to discover a perfct point or well marked line of demarcation, be- tween blue, indigo, and violet ? Who was ever forci- bly struck with a surprising contrast between orange and yellow? What causes the change of color in the changable silk, or the peacock's tail] It has been show- ed by Sir David Brewster, that the changes which light undergoes by absorption, when viewed through various colored media, will change the cblor of the spectrum, as well as its intensity also. He therefore, from this and other considerations, concludes that there are but three primary colors in nature, the red, yellow, and blue. Dr. Herschel was of opinion, that the point of great- est heat and deoxydizment was outside, and beyond the limits of the visible spectrum, which confirms our posi- tion, that it is the action of light upon matter by repul- sion, that produces the sensation, or sensible effects of heat. Were there distinct rays of caloric, mixed with those of color, it would be preposterous to think, much more to say, that they had more effect w T here they were not, than where they w T ere. Subick and Mellone dem- onstrated, that the point of greatest heat, was depend- ent on the nature of the refracting ponderable medium, which is in perfect accordance with our views, and laws of magnetism. The best, modern writers of the present day divide the solar spectrum into three distinct kinds of rays, the colorific, calorific, and chemical. We have now disposed of the two first, and will make an attempt at the last, when we come to speak of the k MAGNETISM. 25 magnetic fluids, and prove chemical affinity to be based upon them also. CHAPTER IX. THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. From what has been said, it will be seen, that we :e heat and cold, to be the result of the impressions upon the mind, from sensations produced, by the opera- tions upon matter by the magnetic fluids. That from their action, it is constantly varying from an equilibrium to two extremes. That one extreme is produced by at- traction and the other by repulsion ; that one produces one sensation upon the body, and the other an other; that attractio n produces that of cold, and repulsion that of heat, and therefore, what the books term caloric, is a result instead of the cause of repulsion, and at all times, and under all cir< .'instances, directly opposed, and dia- metrically antagonized to attraction. This being the fact, the books on this subject have largely begged the question, and only made the small mistake of putting the cart before the horse, by making caloric a substance, an imponderable fluid, instead of a result of matter, from the operations of the magnetic fluids, and that what Dr. Black labored a whole lifetime to establish, (latent caloric) is nothing but magnetism in a state of attraction, and therefore falls to the ground, as well as all that worse than senseless jargon of the books, such as "caloric of fluidity," " specific caloric," " capacity of caloric/' " conduction of caloric," &c. &c, as well as all the other no less confused, and confusing terms, such as " attraction of gravitation," " attraction ^ of cohesion," "attraction of aggregation," "capilliary at- 26 BAGG ON traction/' &c. &c., and will soon be expunged from the vocabulary of literature as worse than useless. After having removed this mass of rubbish from our path, and established upon its ruins the simple founda- tion, the truth of the identiy of all the imponderables, with the light of magnetism for our sruide, we cannot but anticipate, that we shall be able to show more clear- ly than has hitherto been done, the various operations of nature, and the laws by which they are governed ; and although in our sail into the vast ocean before us, our compass may sometimes oscillate for a time, we trust that it will yet ultimately settle towards the posi- tive pole of truth, and guide us through the dark laby- rinth of nature, as she presents herself in the three king- doms, to correct results. It will be conceeded by all, even by the sticklers for the old theory, that caloric is at all times antagonized to all and every species and va- riety of their family of attractions, from cohesive up, to that of attraction of gravitation. Now is it not a little singular, that for centuries, knowing and acknowledging this fact, authors should have called one of these dia- metrically antagonizing principles, a subtile impondera- ble fluid, and the other a property inherent in pondera- ble matter, such as attraction of cohesion, and attrac- tion of gravitation ] Now to us it would be like yoking a brute with an angel, or which would be about the same in comparison, to yoke a dead body with a living spirit, and look to the span, for results of labor and action. Ponderable matter of itself, w T ould be nothing but a cold, void, sluggish, lifeless mass, without form, color, or action, without the influence of the magnetic fluids. It is to them, and them alone, as we shall see, when we come to speak in the next chapter, more particularly on magnetism, that all ponderable matter, depends for its laws and impulse of attraction, or gravitation, as it is called, as well as repulsion. Believing therefore with Rogers : MAGNETISM. 27 " That very law, which moulds a tear, And bids it trickle fron its souree; That very law preserves the earth a sphere, And guides the planets in their course," we have in our vocabulary, but one kind of attraction, and one of repulsion, and these depending on the mag- netic fluids. The same principle which attracted the sa- line particles together to form the tear, when formed and perfected, attracted the whole as a body, to the earth, that, from its quantity of matter, being the strong- er magnet, caused the tear to approach its surface. — Thus showing in the simplest manner possible, that at- traction of cohesion or aggregation, is precisely the same as gravitation, and governed by the same law. If we take a themometar properly made, the attraction of the mercury will occupy a point, say 32 degrees above ze- ro. If we now immerse the bulb in boiling water, the mercury immediately mounts up to 212. If we now immerse it in a freezing mixture, it is again attracted, and falls to 32. If we again put it into boiling water, it again rises to 212. This example may be taken as a diagram for the two antagonizing principles of all nature. CHAPTER X. MAGNETISM. Magnetism then, is that principle, which not only forms the nature, but is the cause of all the compositions and decompositions, of all material substances. It resides in two imponderable fluids, alike as to illumination, but dif- ferent as to color, and other respects, from each other. One is probably throw T n off from one pole of the sun, and the other from the other. They are mutually at all times repulsive of each other, and attractive towards ponder- able matter, agreeable to fixed and immutable laws. — Whether they find their way down to this earth by re- 4 28 BAGG ON pulsion between themselves, solely, or by attraction from the earth, or both, is immaterial ; certain it is, that they come down to us, stimulate with their presence, are ab- sorbed by opake bodies, and repelled by others, and Have such an effect upon ponderable matter, as to divide it into minute little atoms, magnets or globes, too minute for the naked eye to discover, which are each endowed with a positive and negative pole, and obey the law of magnetism, to which it is indebted for its motion, nature, color, and texture. The minute atoms of matter from this agency, are subject to three varieties of arrange- ment, (chapter ix.) attractive, semi-attractive, semi-re- pulsive, and repulsive. When they arrange themselves with the positive pole of one, to the negative pole of an other, they constitute that condition of matter called at- traction, and solidity and diminution of temperaturels the result. When they arrange themselves with the positive pole of one, or the negative pole of another, to the equatori- al or middle line of an other, they may be said to be neu- tralized, or in a state of equilibrium, and constitute that condition of matter called liquid, and the temperature is generally temperate. When the minute atoms are so arranged, as to have the positive pole of one, correspond to the postive pole of another, or the negative pole of one, correspond to the negative pole of another, they may be said to be in a state of repulsion, and constitute that condition of mat- ter called gasseous or aeriform, and the temperature is increased, and light, and levity is the effect. These three then, are the only conditions of matter upon earth. Although all matter occupies one or other of these states or conditions, and is by nature, and may by artificial means, be changed from one to the other, yet all at the ordinary state of the atmosphere, are not alike, some are found in one state or condition, and some in another. Hence it may be said to be natural for some MAGNETISX. 29 to be in a solid state, others in a liquid, while others, are found in a gasseous state. When a solid is changed to a liquid, the motion of the minute atoms from the change, produces an increase of temperature, and if so changed as to produce complete repulsion, (which produces a gasseous condition,) the temperature is still further in- crersed, and levity is produced, warmth is felt, and light becomes visible. When a gas on the contrary, is con- verted into a liquid, or solid, or both, the very reverse takes place, and cold is the result. If we take any solid substance, iron for instance, or any other metal which is solid at the ordinary state of the atmosphere, and ap- ply to it the magnetic fluids in a state of repulsion, or what is commonly called caloric, the minute little at- oms or magnets are changed in their arrangement, and they are turned half around, and it is reduced from a so- lid to a liquid state in consequence of the change. If we now expose to more magnetism, or caloric, as it is call- ed, they are moved still further around, until they be- come perfectly antagonized to what their first arrange- ment was, and the iron or metal, is thrown into a gas- seous state ; but there being a constant tendency to an equilibrium in matter, with the magnetic fluids, and the natural condition of iron being a solid state, the magnet- ic fluid is radiated, and attracted to the surrounding air, and other objects within the sphere of its influence, and the metal is again attracted back to its natural state, ana becomes solid. This arrangement of the minute parti- cles or ultimate atoms, or magnets, of the metal in its natural state, were the positive pole of one, to the neg- ative pole of the other ; and in the middle state, or when in common language, it was melted, or in the liquid state, either the positive or negative pole of one, to the equa- torial line of another, and in the last or gasseous state, the positive pole of one, to the positive pole of anotho? or the negative pole of one, to the negative pole of an other. 30 BAGG ON That metals, may be melted and thrown into gas, will not be denied, as witness the eruption of volcanoes. The lava rises In the form or condition of gas, and falls dow r n in the form of cinders. This description and elucida- tion, of the different states or conditions of iron, and the detail of its changes, may be taken to exemplify the dif- ferent states, condition, and rationale, of all material substances in nature. It appears then, that the minute particles or ultimate atoms of matter, in either condi- tion, have each a positive and negative magnetic pole, and that the cause of these different conditions, is the angle of these poles situated in the mass, relative to each other, as w r e have seen as above, and that the varieties of nature in material substances of color, nature, tex- ture, and temperature ; are owing to these angles. — This being settled, and these little minute atoms, being magnets to all intents and purposes, having poles like the compass needle, and governed by the same principle, we infer an other general and immutable law of matter —that the law that governs them separately and indi- vidually, governs them collectively, or when attracted or collected into masses, and therefore that the law of the parts is the law of the whole, and conversely, that the law of the whole, is the law of its parts. If I make a magnet of iron or steel, and find and mark its poles, and then cut it into small pieces, as small as the senses can determine) each pi^ce, will still be a magnet, and each and every piece in the order they occupied in the magnet before being severed, will conform with its poles to it The law of the whole then, is the law of the parts, and the law of the parts, is the law of the whole. The same law of motion, that governs my whole system, goverus my arm, and the law that gov- erns my arm, governs my fingers, and the law that go- verns my fingers, governs my arm, and the law that go- verns all, governs the whole system. Again, that law in this country that governs one individual, governs the MAGNETISM. 31 whole nation of individuals. The law then, that go- i verns the whole earth, must be the law of its integrant ' parts. The earth is a large magnet, has a North and a South pole, and being repelled on one side by light, w r hile it is attracted on the other, (as we shall see at the pro- per time and place,) revolves it on its axis, from West to East in such a manner, every tw T enty-four hours, as to produce day and night. It likewise from the same cause, differently applied, revolves around the sun once a year, in such a manner, as to produce the alternations of summer and winter, spring and autumn. In this re- volution around the sun, the angle of the poles of the earth, with those of the sun, is constantly changing, so that in the middle of winter, in this latitude, the poles of the earth, are almost at right angles, with those of the sun, and in midsummer, they are almost parallel with it. Spring and fall, are also produced, in the same manner, and depend upon this angle of the poles with respect to those of the sun. In these alternations, win- ter is antagonized to summer, and spring to autumn. — Winter is the result of the attractions from the earth to- wards the sun predominating over repulsions, and sum- mer by repulsions from the sun, or attraction towards the earth overbalancing the repulsions from the earth. Spring is the effect of semi-attraction and semi-repul- sion, as well as autumn. Now if the whole earth is so effected, by the simple fact, that the magnetic axis of its poles, is differently situated, relative to those of the sun, is it not good logic to infer, that the relative angles, or position, of the ultimate atoms of all matter, in the three, different conditions, solid, liquid, and aeriform, are owing to the same cause, and of all the results, which wc have shown to arise from the different conditions 7 If so, our point is gained, and our coast is clear ; for what warms the whole earth in summer, warms a par- ticular body upon that earth, and is the cause of the heat in a particular compound, and the cause of cold upon 4* 32 BAGG ON the earth in winter, is the same also. Spring and fail . will also correspond to those bodies in which the mag- netic fluids are in a state of equilibrium. We shall then adopt the term attraction for gravity, and repulsion for caloric. The effect of the former, produces the sensa- tion of cold, and the latter heat. There is no absolute weight, or levity, heat or cold. They are changes pro- duced upon mind, and matter, by the magnetic fluids. Weight, or gravity, is simply that condition of matter, which disposes it to approach the centre, or surface of the earth, (attraction) and levity or lightness, that con- dition of matter which disposes it to recede from the centre, (repulsion) which conditions are both entirely de- pendent, upon the magnetic fluids for impulse and mo- tion. The former, the current, from the surface or cir- cumference, to the centre, (centripetal) and the latter, the current from the centre to the circumference, (cen- trifugal). That substance which contains the greatest quantity of matter, being in the condition, or having the proper arrangement of its particles to constitute attrac- tion, is the heaviest, and that substance, w T hich contains the greatest qeantity of matter, having the proper ar- rangement of its ultimate atoms to produce repulsion, is the lightest. This is owing to that universal law, that the greater always attracts the less, and is antagonized to repulsion which is at all times adverse in its opera- tions. The only reason then, why any substance or bo- dy, falls to the ground, and is called heavy, is attraction simply, and why the same substance or body, recedes from the earth and flies into atmospheric air, is repulsion. / This law is the cause of composition, and decomposition, which, are constantly going on, in the great laboratory of nature, and are but other terms to express the same ideas. Chemical affinity, attraction of cohesion, aggre- gation, capilliary attraction, (chapter ix.) and all other attractions, mentioned in the books, are owing to the same cause, and governed by the same law; which mul- MAGNETISM. 33 tiplicity of names and divisions, are productive of no good, but on the contrary perplex and bewilder the rea- der, and by us are therefore discarded. When therefore we speak of any substance, simple or compound, we shall use the terms attraction and repul- sion, without reference to mode or manner, believing that that principle, wdiich holds an apple to the tree, by its stem, is the same that holds its particles together, as well as formed it round, and caused it to fall to the around, when the attraction is overcome in the stem, bv the superiority of its repulsions. CHAPTER XL DIGRESSION — INTRICACY OP THE SUBJECT REASONING FROM EFFECTS TO CAUSES. We have now examined separately, the impondera- bles of the books, with oxygen and hydrogen gasses. — From our reading, and course of education, the great in- fluence of the force of habit upon the mind, together with the intricacy of the subject, the mysterious connection of mind with matter, the effects of imponderable agents upon material substances, the novelty of our doctrine with the prejudices of the people, against innovations upon established usage, the attempt to bring forth and establish a new system of physics and metaphysics, is a task next to Herculean, requiring firmness like the rock of Gibraltar to carry us onward. To stem the torrent of prejudice, of the indolent and ignorant, as well as the interested and designing, who have from habit, trod in the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors, in the beat- en track of their ancestors for ages, for one humble in- dividual, is not unlike an attempt, to stem the cataract of Niagary in a bark canoe. Regardless of these, but trusting to the candor of some, and the charitv of oth- 34 BAGG ON ers, our course is still onward, not exactly like "him" of the poet, where he says, " onward he trudged not knowing what he sought, and whistled as he went, for w 7 ant of thought/ 7 but more like a body, so equally ope- rated upon by the forces, for which w T e are contending that it requires our whole concentrated energies, to keep us momentarily, from flying off in tangents. Our sub- ject being as boundless as the universe, and as variega- ted as nature, we can hardly expect, to do more in our passage through its book, than, to take a passing glance chronicle our observations, and thereby sufficiently in- terest others, to bring them to our aid, in the investiga- tion of the subject. But to the subject itself. There has not yet been found, a substance, that has success- fully resisted, the decomposing energies, of the electeri- zing machine, or the tremendous pow T er of thunder and lightning. Caloric is the great decomposing agent of na- ture, and breaks down all attractions, and forces them asunder. All substances yield up their attractions, and are decomposed by light, by the agency of the convex lens Sir Humphrey burnt the diamond at Gottengien ; and nothing has yet been experimented upon, but what has given way to the decomposing influence of a stream of oxygen wi'th hydrogen gas, through the medium of the compound blow pipe of Dr. Hare. In reasoning then, from effects back to causes, we find them similar, and therefore identicle, one and the same. They are all, the whole family, but magnetism in a state of repulsion, directly antagonized to attraction, and ap- pearing different to the mind, from the different con- struction of the organs of sense which conveys them or their impressions to the brain. MAGNETISM 35 CHAPTER XII. MECHANICAL FORCE OR POWER. From our definition and what has been said, it will be perceived that magnetism is the primary cause of all motion in nature from the leaf that flutters in the breeze, the smallest insect that crawls, up the motion of not on- ly this earth, but of the heavenly bodies themselves. It not onty comprehends, and is the cause of all absolute mechanical force, or power, of chemical affinity, of the growth of all geological formations, of mathematical and all other sciences, but the cause of vegetable and animal life. What are the sources of all absolute me- chanical force or power ] To the superficial unthinking observer, at first thought, there would seem to be many, but on a moment's reflection they are simplified to two, attraction and repulsion. To speak from the simple principles for which we are contending, and in common language, our saw, grist, and other ordinary mills or ma- chinery, are propelled by water falling down hill or tending to the centre, the centripetal force (attraction). Whereas our steam mills, boats, and some other machin- ery, are propelled by a diametrically opposite and an- tagonizing principle, (repulsion), the centrifugal force, or tendency from the centre. Beside these two, there are no other sources of absolute mechanical force or power know T n, except wind power, and that from the elasticity of the spring. And how is wind power pro- duced, but by the agency and influence, of both thest , alternating with each other. The magnetic rays of the sun, are attracted or repel- led, or both, by that luminary, to the earth. Here meet- ing with, and uniting by attraction, with ponderable matter, repulsion succeeds, and water in the form of va- por, is thrown into atmospheric air, and forms clouds. One cloud or portion, becomes positively electrified or magnetized, and the other negatively, or one is char 36 BAGG ON with one kind, and the other, with an other. By a law of the principle, within a certain sphere of influence, they attract each other, and come together, an equili- brium is formed, which changes the position of the mi- nute particles, it becomes more dense, in one part, and more rare in an other, light, or lightning is seen, thun- der is heard, attraction succeeds over repulsion in one part, and repulsion over attraction in an other, water in the form of rain is attracted to the earth, motion is pro- duced, a current of air is set in action, winds are there- by generated, which sometimes blow in one direction, and sometimes in another, which continue, until all the clouds are dissipated, or a perfect equilibrium in atmos- pheric air is produced, which is the cause of force or power from that source. In the elasticity of the spring, it will be readily seen, that both these forces, operate at the same time, one on one side predominates, and then the other. On the convex side, repulsion between the minute atoms predominates, while on the concave side, attraction prevails. Extra of these, there are no other sources of absolute mechanical power or force known, except from magnetism direct, as, the revolving wheels of Davenport and Cook, Brewster, Henry, and others. All other force from weights, as that of clocks, it will be readily seen, is resolvable in that of attraction, as well as that trom chemical compounds, as powder, air, and elastic fluids, into that of repulsion. It will thus be seen, that motion, which constitutes the elasticity of the spring, depends also upon these forces, alternating with each other. It can be explained on no other principle. CHAPTER XIII. CHEMICAL AFFINITY. That chemical affinity, is dependent upon the same MAGNETISM. 37 principle, there cam be no question. No two or more simple substances, unite and form a compound, without one be in a negative state, and the other in a positive. All substances in nature are mixed with two classes, al- kalies and acids. Between these two opposite classes there exists in their natural state, so powerful an attrac- tion, that when brought together, they unite and form an entire new compound, called a neutral salt, differing from either ingredients. It is found on examination, that alkalies are naturally in a negative state of electricity, and acids in a positive state, and that their union, is in consequence of their obeying the law of magnetism, that those of the same names, (chapter x) repel each other, and those of different names attract one an other. Sir Humphrey, demonstrated that electricity will not only suspend, counteract, and control chemical affinity, but that it was the most powerful agent for the decomposi- tion of chemical compounds or compound bodies, that were so powerfully united by attraction, that previously had never been decomposed, and therefore were believ- ed to be simple substances. It was by this agent that he succeeded in decomposing potash, soda, barieties strontites, magnesia, lime, and various other compound bodies. During these experiments he also succeeded in establishing the fact, that alkalies and earths, as well as oxygen gas, was in a negative state of electricity, and acids in a positive state. He found and demonstrated also, that when an alkali, was, by artificial means, put into the same state, (posi- tive) of electricity, as an acid, they would not unite by chemical affinity, but become repulsive of each other, and was therefore believed and considered by him, as the cause of chemical affinity itself, aud the rationale of their decomposition by that principle. He also found, that rendering by electricity, both of the same kind, (po- sitive,) in water, they would not unite, or dissolve in that element. The most delicate tests could not disco- 38 BAGG ON ver in the water, the least particle of either. The cel- ebrated Dr. Lardner tells us in his lectures, that no good reason has ever been given for this, to wit: "That when natural bodies, are under the influence of electri- city, they behave themselves very differently from what they do in their sober senses. 5 ' He thus, tacitly ac- knowledges, that electricity at least, overacts, or con- trols, chemical affinity, aud we conceive it, magnetism, to be a good reason, why they will, and will not unite, the former depending on one's being positive, and the other negative, and the latter, both being positive, or both negative, agreeable to our law of attraction and re- pulsion. Is it not owing to craziness, or want of the so- ber senses of the teachers of phylosophy, themselves, instead of the " natural bodies ?" Are not all bodies in nature, simple and compound, naturally magnetized, or, at all times, in one state or the other, of electricity 1 If so, will it not sufficiently account for this -will, and , won't" principle of chemical affinity? If not, will they please to tell us in w T hat it consists? Whether a fluid, or an inherent principle of matter t If the former, why obedient to caloric, to light, to electricity, to magnet- ism ] If to the latter, why does it submit to be, like a scimeter of two edges, to be w r orked both ways by the magnetic fluids — composed and decomposed — finished, and undone — united, and separated? Should the Doc- tor chance to meet with our views, he will undoubte dly, have to pronounce one of two things, that matter is at all times out of their "sober senses," or that the mind that conceived that chemical affinity was dependent up- on magnetism solely, for its action w r as out of his. He is free to judge. The recent discoveries in taking min- iature likenesses by the daguerreotype, goes to corrobo- rate and establish the principle, that chemical affinity, depends upon electricity for its action and effect Light is the pencil by which it is accomplished, color is the ef- fect of attraction, and shade of repulsion. The outline, MAGNETISM. form, features, and expression, are repelled from the original, and attracted to the plate, where it stamps an image of itself. Light which is the magnetic tluid of it- self, produces the color, by inducing attraction among the minute particles of the iodine or what not, upon the plate, precisely in the same manner, that it commences chrystilization in solutions, by changing the ultimate at- oms, to the condition of attraction, (chap, ix) from their condition of equilibrium in the solution. If a solution of muriate of ammonia, and prussiate of potash, be placed in such a situation, as to let in a ray of light, at any par- ticular point, it will immediately commence to chrystal- ize, from that point, and no where else in the solution. This fact goes to prove, both the identity of light and magnetism, as well as to prove, that the latter is the cause of chemical affinity. The chrystilization of these salts, may be directed at pleasure, by the introduction of IJsfht to any one side of the vessel, or point, of the surface of the fluid. The same results may be obtained from a solution of camphor, it having a great attraction for light. If light will dispose one substance to chrys- talize it will others. The law is general. Light then is the great agent in the chrystalization of all substances in nature, as well as in solution. When a substance is chrvstalizin^ it also throws out li^ht, heat, and electrici- ty, which is the cause of its decreased temperature, and increase of the surrounding medium. CHAPTER XIV. THE EARTH'S FORMATION. Various theories of the formation of the earth, have been brought forward, most of which have had their day and generation, and like their authors, have been 40 BAGG ON consigned to the tomb, and now sleep in oblivion. Of all that have been advanced, but two survive, the Plu- tonic and Neptunian. The advocates of the former, suppose heat to have not only been the cause of produc- tion, but of reproduction also. It also supposes a regu- lar alternation of decay and renovation, and that fire is the great universal solvent of nature. That decay is in- duced by light, air, and other gasses, rain and other wa- ters, upon rocks by which they are worn down, and that renovation depends upon an immense subterranean fire which operates to fuse, and melt and recombine the se- parated materials by sublimation and otherwise. The latter, the Neptunian, that two substances, oxy- gen and hydrogen, w r ere evolved out of chaos at the formation of the earth, in proportions, so as to produce water, which compound was in such quantity, as to hold in solution, all other materials necessary to the earth's formation. Of the materials held in solution, granite is supposed to have been formed first, and in great abund- ance, and that owing to its consolidation, it formed the neucleus, or foundation, of this globe, and that all other primary rocks so called were formed on the same hypo- thesis. It matters not which of these theories be true, or both, or neither, as we have already shown, that heat, fire, or what is called caloric, is nothing but magnetism in a state of repulsion, and a sensation upon the organs of sense, operating in a peculiar manner. If we take the latter, the Neptunian, we shall find, that that theo- ry is also based upon our principles. How could water be formed by the union of oxygen and hydrogen, but by our law of attraction ] How could rocks and other solid substances, such as the supposed neuck us of the earth, granite, be formed but by that peculiar arrange- ment of its particles, necessary to constitute a solid ? — In either case, no matter which was the solvent, or which preceded the other form, solid or liquid. If there had been a solution, there must of necessity have been an MAGNETISM. 41 attraction, and a new arrangement of the particles, so as to have formed a solid, for chrystalization could not have taken place without it. Solution implies a liquid, and therefore there must have been a change. Nothing could have produced it, but the magnetic fluids. We have seen that light produces chrystalization. What are rocks but the chrystalization of matter] What form of matter is chrystalization but a solid. We have seen (chap, ix) that the minute atoms of matter under a par- ticular arrangement of its poles relative to each other, in a compound produced a solid. We showed also, that the law of the parts was the law of the w T hole. The solid parts of the whole earth, then, must be the result of that particular law of magnetism, upon ponderable matter, which produces attraction, and the solvents, whether fire, or oxygen and hydrogen, the effect of that law, termed repulsion, chrystalization shows, in the mean time, that nature has a geometry of her own, which performs her work w T ith the greatest precision, and that the great agent by which it is produced, is light, the magnetic fluids. The uniform, color, shape, and density of the various salts and rocks forming the globe, in such natural lines, speak volumes in confirmation of the fact. It appears then, that the compound substances forming the earth, are made from carbon, hydrogen, ox- ygen, nitrogen, and perhaps a few more elementary sub- stances, by an almost unlimited variety of arrangements of their ultimate atoms, with respect to each other, by the operations and agency of the magnetic fluids. — Whether the earth originally was a neucleus formed from the umbra of the sun, as some suppose, and was propelled into space by the union of the magnetic cen- tripetal and centrifugal forces, disposing it, like the stone from the sling, to fly oflf in a tangent in the form of a comet, and gradually cooled upon its surface, and wound up its tail, or train, by revolving upon its axis, from that continued impulse from these force?, which first gave it 42 BAGG ON motion and direction from the sun, and as it cooled up- on its surface, formed a crust of granite, and condensed the vapor of its atmosphere into water, from hydrogen and oxygen, which so operated upon this granitic crust, as to oxydizc and disintegrate, a sufficient mineral mould or soil, to start to grow grasses first, and then other small shrubs, and then these again decaying, and under- going decomposition, and producing another class of ve- getable productions, and so on from class to class, rising in the scale by what is called "discreet degrees,'' until man was formed in an infantile state, from the decom- position and reorganization of the elements of the noble oak, black walnut, mahogany, or cedar of Lebanon, as well as the little insects, vermin, and creeping things, from other smaller grasses, and shrubbery, agreeable to a minute law of delicate correspondencies of each class of the vegetable producing its corresponding class, in the animal; or whether the Mosaic account be correct, "that the elements were created, and remained void, and with- out form, and that darkness was upon the whole face of the deep/' until God created the great magnet of the universe, the sun, and placed it in the heavens, and brought order out of chaos by the attractions and repul- sions from its influence, and by the same forces also, re- volved the whole, upon its axis from West to East eve- ry twenty-four hours, thus dividing the darkness from the light, the day from the night, and that man was cre- ated out of these elements, an adult or not, one thing is certain, that such is the influence of the sun upon all ' matter, (chap, ix) as to produce life, action, motion and order, and to divide by the influence of its light, all pon- derable matter into three varieties of form, two of which are perfectly antagonized, and the third between the 7\ two extremes, or the point of equilibrium. That these constitute the mass of the earth which is divided into land, water, and air, and that they are constantly chan- ging from one form to the other, which change consti- MAGNETISE 43 tutes its life. Philosophers as well as miners have for centuries observed, that the earth's crust is made up of alternate layers of different materials, such as rocks, soils, and other mineral substances ; that granite com- mences first on the series, or lies nearest the centre, and selenite last, or nearest the surface, with moulds or soils interspersed ; and that each of these layers have uni- formly, when examined, been found to be charged with electricity or magnetism ; that each alternate layer is charged with different kinds, one with positive and the other with negative, like the alternate plates of a gal- vanic battery, and that soils, when ever tested, have been found to be in the same alternate condition, and show the same magnetic results. We have seen (chap, ix.) that the ultimate atoms of all ponderable matter are magnets, had each a positive and negative magnetic pole, and obeyed the laws ot magnetism, to which it was in- debted for its action, motion, form, texture, nature and color. We also adverted to the general principle that similar causes produce similar effects, whether in sim- ples or compounds, and laid down another unchangable rule, that the law of the parts, was the law of the whole, and conversely, that the law of the whole, was the law of its parts. From what has been said, and in light of these prin- ciples, can we not clearly see, that all geological forma- tions, are owing to magnetism '] The earth then, com- posed of these myriads of little magnets, disposed into an almost infinite variety of simple, compound, and com- plex arrangements, composing strata of alternate mag- netic layers, up to the composition of the whole is a magnet/having a North and a South pole, or a positive and negative magnetic pole, and governed by the prin- ciple as a whole, in the same manner as its ultimate at- oms, It has a force from the centre to the circumference, (repulsion) and an antagonizing one, from circumference 44 B-AGG ON to centre, (attraction). These forces both operate at the same time, but sometimes one predominates, and . sometimes the other, and sometimes they are equally balanced. When attraction predominates, the surface of the earth and the atmosphere is cold, as in winter,— When repulsion prevails, it is warm upon its surface as in summer. When they are equally balanced, (state of equilibrium) it is temperate, as in some parts of spring, and some parts of autumn. Although the first part of spring and the latter part of autumn from the change, participate more or less with both, the former with sum- mer, and the latter with winter, yet these general divi- sions are sufficient for our present purpose. These in- ward and outward currents create by their joint action, or impulse, a force at right angles between the two, which we shall for the sake of distinction term the re- sultant force. This is that force or current, which forms a line between the two, North and South, the extreme points of which are termed poles. The rays of light from the sun, upon their attraction and union with ponderable matter, so operate upon the whole earth, as to tend to move it upon its axis from West to East every twenty-four hours, which causes day and night. When these rays, fresh from the sun, first strike the earth, they are , positive, but by their un- ion with ponderable matter become negative, and after having traversed the earth they are repelled, by it, at- tracted by the sun, and return to be renewed, are again repelled by that luminary, and attracted to the earth. thus pulling or attracting it on one side, and pushing or repelling upon the other, which gives it its revolving motion upon its axis. This ceaseless change of attrac- tions upon one side, and repulsions on the other, will ac- count for the diurnal revolution of the earth, in the sim- plest, yet most satisfactory manner. The resultant force from the centre to the poles will also account for the annual revolution around the sun, MAGNETISM, *46 in the same manner, which divides our year, as we hav* before seen, into summer and winter, spring and autumn. I Summer is produced by the attractions from the sun \ overbalancing its repulsions, and winter by the repul- ' sions overbalancing its attractions. Spring and fall par- ticipate more or less with both as we have seen as above. These preponderating attractions and repulsions contin- ue each, for one half the year. In summer and spring the current towards the earth from the sun is strongest. In winter and fall the current is strongest towards the sun from the earth. It is also during the day strongest towards the earth, but during the night the current is strongest towards the sun. That these magnetic rays of light are attracted back, after having been absorbed and traversed the earth, we infer from the following con- siderations. If the sun is obscured by clouds, it becomes dark. The light that was upon the earth, has fled, van- ished, gone. As soon as the sun has set, as it is called, it begins to grow dark, and if clouds obstruct the light from the stars, and there is no moon, it becomes quite dark. — What has become of the light received from the sun du- ring the day 1 Where gone 1 If we then create artifi- cial lights by electricity or combustion with wood. coal, gas, lamps or candles, and suddenly extinguish them, it becomes dark. What has. become of the light ? We answer it is absorbed by all ponderable matter, by which, we are surrounded and wrtn which the earth is formed, traverses it in every direction, and then returns from whence it came, by the immutable law of the principle, of repulsions succeeding to attractions, or those of the same name repelling each other, and those of different names attracting one another. Were this not the fact the sun must have long since become impoverished, aim agreeable to the present theory of the books, the earth must have become a ball of fire, and withered and burnt every thing upon its surface. But the sun is not a ball 46 BAGG ON of fire, but a vast magnet governing the whole planeta- ry or solar systems, by attraction and repulsion, through the agency or by the influence of the magnetic fluids. Springs and brooks are constantly flowing from the cen- tre to the surface, these are partly thrown by repulsion into atmospheric air, and there form clouds, attraction again succeeds over repulsion, and it again descends in the form of rain, sleet or snow, to fertalize the earth, a part of which is attracted or absorbed and flows again to the centre, while the remainder is again repelled into the atmosphere, or flows through streams, rivers or brooks into the ocean, or is decomposed by vegetables and animals, and enters into their composition, or inor- ganized matter and forms limestone, salts, earths, acids, alkalies or other mineral substances, and thus this cease- less roundrof attraction and repulsion, contraction and expansion, composition and decomposition, and recom- bination through and by the agency of the magnetic principle is the cause of all geological formations. If the earth were not a magnet, how could the ocean be traversed by artificial magnetic guides 1 How could the earth's equator, its poles, the latitude and longitude of any place or point on land, or vessel at sea be determined % In what manner, and by what ex- pedient, could continents, nations, kingdoms, states and even farms be bounded, marked, lined, registered and preserved, by contract, deed, mortgage or otherwise ? CHAPTER XV. THE SCIENCE OF NUMBERS, In the days of Pythagorus, that ancient but eminent philosopher, compared the existence of matter to the science of numbers, represented by arithmetical figures. So precise was he, that he even separated unity from rUAGNETI.-M. 47 one. --One says he. appertains to things that can be numbered and may be compared to matter rendered vi- sible by arithmetical figures under a particular form. while unity is an abstract conception resembling prima- ry or incorporeal matter in its general aggregate. Num- ber is not infinite any more than matter, but neverthe- less it is the source of that divisibility into equal parts Which is the property of all bodies." By numbers then. matte* is divided into almost an infinitude of equal parts. The method of reducing them to theii elements, is by analysis, and the rule by which it is governed is called subtraction. The method of aggregating or collecting them in mass, is by synthesis, and the rule by which it is governed is called addition. These two rules then, addition and subtraction form the general and fundamen- tal rules, on which is based the whole science of num- bers. Multiplication and division are but shorter meth- ods of performing these operations, and are therefore secondary in their effect. All other operations and rules are based upon these two fundamental ones. Synth and analysis then, are but other terms for composition and decomposition, and these again but others denoting the particular form or manner by which they are pro- duced, attraction and repulsion. Philosophically speak- ing, what is addition but the natural attraction of the re- presentatives of the particles of elementary matter, to form a mass, compound, or aggregate ; and subtraction but the separation or repulsion of the signs of the par- ticles of the same from each other, in aggregation or masses to reduce them to their elements or unity ° Numbers Vere not any more used as types, signs, or representatives of our mathematical ideas, for elemen- tary matter by this profound philosopher, in his day, than they are at the present. All our best modern che- mists make use of, and teach them, in our best coHej of instruction. Sir Humphrey Davy, the great Newten of that science, taught to his las the ele^ 18 BAGG ON ments of all compounds are in certain definite propor- tions to each other, which ratios may be expressed by numbers, and are at this moment, taught in our text books on chemistry. The revival of this theory was probably owing to Dalton, in his well known and estab- lished doctrine of atoms. No matter, whether determin- ed by measure or weight, by quantity or by the numer- ical proportions and ratios of elements, or ultimate at- oms relative to each other in the compound, the gener- al principle is the same. It is a science expressing the elements of matter, and computing their aggregation, quantities, as well as qualities, by numbers, which is go- verned by two fundamental rules, addition and subtrac- tion. These numbers are but signs, standing for the mi- nute particles, or ultimate atoms themselves, and stand the same relation to each other in compounds, that ideas do to each other in the compound or formation of mind. Both governed by the same law, addition and subtrac- tion, attraction and repulsion. Both showing the same antagonizing principle in each, the one being but the perfect correspondence of the other, which we shall show more particularly when we come to analize the mind, and reduce it to its elements. So also with alge- bra, or that branch of mathematics, in which the quan- tities are represented by letters, and their operations by signs. Although thus represented, the general principle is the same, and performed in the same manner, by these two fundamental rules — the base of all mathematical sci- ence, plus and minus, but other terms for addition and subtraction. It was probably, from the observance of this principle in connection with this science, that lead the celebrated Dr. Franklin to adopt the one fluid prin- ciple, in his theory of electricity ; thereby making the law of attraction and repulsion to depend upon the ex- cess or diminution of one fluid, in ponderable matter, in- stead of two. It will then be conceded, for we shall take it for granted, that all compounds are formed by MAGNETISM. 49 simples, in definite proportions of their elements to each other, and will show a few examples which may be ta- ken as an illustration, for all compound bodies. It is well known that the rusts or oxides of iron and other metals, consist or is made up of a certain quantity or portion of oxygen, with a certain quantity or portion of metal. It is also well known, that many if not all the metals are capable of two or more degrees of oxydation, and are generally distinguished by different colors; like the black and red oxides of iron, the white and red ox- ides of lead, which are all equally oxides of the two same metals, and differ only in the proportions of the oxygen in the compound. Now in whatever proportion it unites in, to form an oxide of one kind, it invariably unites by a multiple or divisor, (addition and subtraction,) of the same proportion to produce every other kind of oxide, belonging to the same metal. It has been discovered that antimony has four different points of oxydation. — The lowest contains four and a half parts of oxygen, to one hundred of metal. The second, eighteen parts of oxygen, to one hundred of metal, which is four times four and a half. The third, twenty seven parts to one hundred of metal, which is six times four and a half. — The fourth contains thirty six parts oxygen, to the same quantity, which is eight times four and a half. Tin has three different degrees of oxydation. It has for its low- est proportion, seven parts oxygen, to one hundred of metal. For its second fourteen, and for its highest point twenty one parts oxygen to one hundred of metal. Iron has but two oxides, the one black, the other red. The first contains twenty parts oxygen, to sixty nine parts of metal, and the last, thirty parts to the same quantity. These metals and their union with oxygen, may be taken as so many diagrams, to explain all other com- pound bodies. They not only unite like these and form compounds in definite proportions, but cannot be made to unite in any other, or in any intermediate degrees 50 BAGG 0\ T between. This law of definite proportions and light as the agent, accounts for, or is the key to the whole hith- erto mysterious science of chrystalography, and gives us the cue to the cause why all salts assume a shape pe- culiar to each class. When we find these oxides, salts or chrystals, we know them to be of uniform strength, as agreeable to the atomic law of definite proportions in compounds, they cannot be made to vary. Showing at such a point we have in the same elements attractions, and at another repulsions, and yet at an other point still higher attractions again, and new compounds entirely different in their natures and action, such as sugar, starch and vinegar, all from the same ingredients but different in proportions. So also with calomel, corrosive subli- mate, and red precipitate. This law of definite propor- tions runs through all nature ; through solids, liquids and gasses, as well in the animal, as vegetable and mi- neral kingdoms. Not only in these but in the formation of mind, friendships, social circles, societies, parties, clubs and juntos. It will also be seen that color depends upon it. The only reason why the black oxide of iron was changed to red, is the addition of ten more parts of oxygen in the compound. " Hence, these proportions though constantly true to their respective series, are di- versified in different substances, their radical figures or numbers may be, and now are, actually employed, and that very generally. They are in perfect coincidence with the system of Pythagorus as the synonims of the simple forms of substances whose progressive they de- scribe. This curious coincidence of ancient and mod- ern philosophy may be regarded as a marvellous proof of the truth of the atomic theory. And it is not the least important of this discovery, that not only in the union of simples, as well as in their separation also, this very theory is applicable and proves true, but in all well known and more complicated compounds, so far as the experimental series have been carried, the elementary MAGNETISM- 51 bodies which enter into them, exhibit proportions equal- ly definite and invariable." Thus affording another proof of close connection be- tween the phenomena of nature, and the occasional de- velopments of revelation, the philosopher beholding now, as did the prophet of old, that the Almighty Architect < has literally adjusted every thing by weight and meas- ure ; that he has measured the waters and meted out the heavens, accurately comprehending the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance." CHAPTER XVL GEOMETRICAL SCIENCE. The science which has for its object the measurement of magnitudes, consists in finding the sum or difference between the extremes of the antagonizing angles, vary- ing from the equilibrium of a right angle. The antago- nizing extremes are called acute and obtuse angles. — The tools or machinery are straight and curved lines. The calculation of aggregation or diminution in the re- duction to right angles, is performed like all other math- ematical operations by the rules of addition and subtrac- tion — plus and minus, attraction and repulsion. The whole science is based upon equality and difference, and therefore as far as regards principles is in the above nut- shell. A perpendicular line drawn so as to stand upon a horizontal one, and cut it at right-angles in the science of geometry, is as much a point of equilibrium between the extremes of the machinery of the circumference and centre of the science, as the equator is to the poles o\ the earth, the middle of a compass needle, or a neutral salt between an acid and an alkali. All right angle- are equal to one another, therefore there is no differ- 6 52 BAGG ON ence. An acute and obtuse angle in due proportion, are equivalent to a right angle. All geometric lines are ei- ther straight or curved. Magnetism moves in straight lines or curves. Attraction or repulsion is performed in straight lines. Both united and operating upon each other mutually, produce a curve. The union of the two forces at all times tend to form a sphere or circle. If we load a cannon with powder and ball, and over- balance the attractive force of the powder by communi- cating to it magnetism in a state of repulsion, or what is called caloric, the repulsive force will project the bail into space, seemingly in a straight line, but the attract- ive force operating upon the ball at the same time, it ap- proaches and lodges upon the earth. Here, when the powder was in a state of attraction, the ball was at rest, but by adding magnetism in a state of repulsion, in ail artificial manner, the repulsive force predominated for a time, but attraction again overbalanced the repulsive force, and it fell to the ground. Had there been no an- tagonizing force to repulsion, and had the ball met with no resistance, it would have continued in a straight line on a line drawn parallel with eternity. But although these forces are antagonized, yet their immutable law is, ■ for first one to predominate and then the other, as ex- emplified in this instance. The ball then, from their united forces described the segment of a circle, like all other bodies operated upon by these united forces. It is these same forces which dispose solid subs tances to crystalize in different forms in nature upon the surface and in the centre of the earth, into spheres, cubes and ' so forth, with geometric precision. From the present state of the science of chemistry, the imperfect knowl- edge w r e have of the atomic theory of definite propor- tions, of crystalography, with the novelty of our doc- trine and the unsettled state of the public mind upon ge- neral principles, from the vast and rapid improvements in every branch of science and art, at this time, we are MAGNETI&Rfc 58 somewhat after all, like the aged prisoner released from the bastile — in darkness, though surrounded by an ex- cess of light. But fi§>m the fact of the evolution of light during crystalization, of its disposing effects to com- 1-mence crystalization in compounds, as well as to break J\ them down and decompose them, can we not reasona- bly infer that light is the great agent by which all forms, figures, colors ancl textures in magnitudes are produced ( The great variety in nature, which are as numerous as the various figures from the successive throws of the calidascope, is undoubtedly owing to some peculiarity in the primary molecule, in the particular class of crys- tals. Can we not. at least imagine that from some yet unknown law, from the primary molecule, connected with the known law T of light, (the angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence) that light, the magnetic fluids, is the cause of all geometric lines, and that the present science is but art attempting to imitate nature I Do we not clearly see that the lines, angles, extremes and point of equilibrium in the science, in comparison, as well as the laws by w T hich it is governed, and rules by which it performed, correspond with the rules, laws and operation of the same lines, angles, extremes and centres in ponderable matter from the operation of the magnetic fluids ? The former performed by addition and subtraction, and the latter by attraction and repulsion I Both philosophic synonyms; the one appertaining to mat- ter, the other to mind, which is but the correspondence of the internal w T ith the external, and therefore is but art mimicinor nature. Crystallization is one of the most beautiful and grand results of the operations of nature, and when understood, will reveal to us wonders hither- to inconceivable. jNature here divests herself of all mystery, throws oil the complicated mantle of intricacy, and undisguised, presents herself as she really is, and leads and assists us to learn her by the light of her own natural science — 54 BAGG ON geometry. Will it not then delight genius to follow her in her devious paths, behold her wonders, and treasure up her knowledge in the great stdTe-house of intellect % Let the wise and reflecting judge. CHAPTER XVII. ELEMENTS OF LANGUAGE GRAMMAR. It has been shown that magnetism is governed by the law of attraction and repulsion, that either move in straight lines, but when both operate together they pro- duce in matter, a circle, curve or sphere. This law is general and regards all motions, or effects, in either the animal, vegetable or mineral kingdoms, and is as appli- cable to the operations of mind, as matter. In the very elements of language, the signs of our ideas, which form the chain of correspondence between spirit and matter, the medium of connection between the internal and ex- ternal, we find this characteristic operation of the mag- netic fluids ; and no matter whether the operation be upon organized or inorganized matter, their effect is the same. The signs of ideas in every written or printed language are formed by direct straight lines, curves or circles, and whether the impulse from the volition of man, be carried to the paper or plate through the extre- mity of the fingers, to make the impression, or by the type or pen, the effect is the same. All signs of our ideas then, printed or written, mathematical, chemical or me- chanical, conform to the same results, and are govern- ed by the same law that governs matter, and correspond with it. The combined effect of the magnetic forces in matter, as we have seen, is to produce a sphere or cir- cle, therefore, the same cause that enables a man to make a cypher, the letter o, or make a tub, forms a globe, or generates a world. The archetypes or symbols of things MAGNETISM. 55 which form language, then, are produced by these for- ces. When formed they are divided into two classes, antagonized to each other, like the poles of the magnet. Orthography teaches two kinds of letters in the forma- tion of words, vowels and consonants, which, when uni- ted (attracted together) form syllables, syllables form words, words sentences, and sentences discourses, which form books. No word can be formed with one class, no more than a compass needle can be made to traverse with one pole — a tune in music without a variation of sound—a galvanic battery to operate with one plate, or a bird to fly with one wing — it would be like attempting to propel a steamboat with all cold, or all hot water, or anticipating a splendid speech from an individual per- fectly and universally palsied throughout one half the body, or making all the signs of our ideas of straight lines or circles. No word can possibly be formed from all vowels or all consonants. It requires both to make them, as much so as it does both magnetic forces, to form an egg or grow T an apple. Syllables then, are compounds of letters — the antagonizing signs of ideas, and in words are philosophically governed by the law of attraction and repulsion. For example in spelling and pronounc- ing the word di-vis-i-bil-i-ty, as well as all others, the sound is divided into distinctions of time, forming a mar- ked contrast between the commencement of one and ter- mination of another. In this point of distinction the vow- el is positive and the consonant negative ; both repel those of their kind, or name, but attract each other, as to produce an effect, and make sense; wiiereas the former cannot be made to make a word, or sense. No word can be made exlusively of all one, or the other, but require both. Thus oo bb means nothing, spelis no- thing, are nothing, but two o's and two b's ; but if we put them together they naturally attract, make sense and spell, and are pronounced ob and bo. So also of the whole of both classes. In pronouncing, the sound m al- 0* 56 BAGG ON so not only antagonized, but the very organ of the me- chanism of the articulate sound also. The sound of the consonant, is made or perfected from within outward, and the vowel from without inward. The machine has two antagonizing extremese of locality, of commence- ment and termination, of sound, as well as two others of manner. The two former the mouth and throat, the latter is characterised (as in music) by crascendo and diminuendo. A syllable then is a compound of the inte- grant particles of mind, attracted together so as to form a word. A word is a compound of syllables attracted together to form parts of a sentence. A sentence is composed of words, and are attracted together to form discourse. Discourses form books. These discourses are compounds of the elements of mind or ideas under a variety of combinations of letters forming them, precise- ly like the combinations of the various simple substan- ces of matter, of which they treat, represent, or are the correspondences of, attracted together by the same prin- ciple and governed by the same law. Every law that governs the operations of matter is applicable to that language which expresses the operations of that matter, for the latter is but the representative of the former. — The theory of Dalton is as applicable to the ultimate at- oms or elements of language, (letters) as it is to the ul- timate atoms of matter. They will not unite but in cer- tain definite proportions or combinations, to form sense,, and are multiples, or divisors of each other, and cannot be united according to rule (agreeable to orthography,) in any other manner. In the second part of grammar this principle is also apparent. The main constituents of a sentence are the noun and verb, opposite in nature as the poles, yet to make sense and be grammatical, they must agree with each other in number and person. The one the name of something that exists, the other to be, to do, or to suffer from, or for what does exist. Yet these diamet- MAGNETISM. 57 rically opposite parts of speech to make good language, and pass the ordeal of scrutiny, must be attracted to- gether and agree with each other in number and per- son. Number comprehends one or more ; if one it is called singular; if more than one, plural. Here we find our principle of attraction in the plural, and repulsion in the singular; but other terms lor unity and aggregation; showing like matter, composition and decomposition, and governed by the same law. Person also is antagonized from the same principle — spoken to, and of. In case, we find the same principle ; nominative, possessive and objective. The two, extremes, and the other the line between the two. The one active, the other passive, and the third the equilibrium point. We observe two kinds of conjunctions, conjunction attractors, or connect- ors of the sense, and conjunctions repellers or contrast- ed of the sense. Prepositions are antagonized to each other, as above-below, over-beneath, up-down, to-from, by-of. over-under, before-behind, ofi-on, within-without, Adverbs are also modifiers, or contractors, as once-twice, first-secondly, here-there, anywhere-nowhere, upward- downward, to-day-to-morrow, soon-never, wisely-fool- ishly. Verbs are active, passive and neuter, showing the two extremes, and the neutral point between the two. Even the moods of verbs, as well as tenses, are antago- nized. The imperative with the potential, as he mav go, go thou; the indicative within itself, as he loves, he is loved. In philosophy, there are but three distinct moods of verb? ; the imperative, go tJiou; potential, hi . go; indicative, he ?oes — between the extremes of the two others. The subjunctive and infinitive are but modifications of the indicative, between which the line of demarcation is not to us apparent. So also there are properly but three tenses ; past, present and future. — Here we have the extremes and the equilibrium point of time — the present. The other parts of speech, and some of the above, are but so many substitutes, modifiers, con- V 58 BAGG ON trastors, qualifiers and definers to sustain the substantive and verb, and when examined by our magnetic test, show the same principle running through the whole. — < But we are not writing a philosophic grammar, but show r - ing the universality of the magnetic principle, and that ail sciences and arts are based upon it, and governed by the same law that governs the matter, which is the sub- ject of those sciences and arts. CHAPTER XVIII. LOGIC. If we examine into the art of reasoning, or logic, we shall find the same general principle running through that also, or that the filtration of truth from error is produ- ced or performed, by comparing extremes of both, and reducing them to an equilibrium as a test to discover one from the other. " There are three operations of the mind connected or concerned in argument. Simple ap- prehension, judgment, and discourse or reasoning. Sim- ple apprehension is the notion or conception of any ob- ject in the mind, analogous to the perception of the sen- ses. It is either incomplex or complex. Incomplex ap- prehension is of one object, or of several, without any relation being perceived between them; as of skin, from being shrunk and cold, is now dry and MAOHETBMff. 91 bot; the yawnings and stretchings. cease; the pulse, which before was small, irregular and contracted, now r omes full, slower and firm. The brain, although somewhat oppressed, is freer, as well as the respiration. The mind, although not yet restored, is relieved in pro- portion to the other symptoms of the body; the ideal begin to start and language to flow; he becomes elo- quent, and combinations are formed which constitute a kind of delirium, the brain, however, is more or less oppressed, until now an equilibrium is formed between the magnetic fluids, perspiiation comes on from the union of oxygen and hydrogen gases, w T hich continues until a perfect equalization takes place, and the patient is relieved, and returns toward the standard line of health, and but for the debility from the exhaustion from these alternating extremes, from and back to an equilibrium feels comparatively well. During the ii- ity and predominacy of first one of thdse forces and then the other, the resultant force, or that of the bow- rfectly impeded, hrt rid sometimes in- verted, as vomiting in either case is hot an infrequent occurrence^ so much so thafmed , — ^ven on tl fsion of the fit, sear i bi made to operate, although quadrupled in quantity, until the ilibriutn is restored. So i se paroxisms, teTnaticns of attractions, repulsions andequilinriums, me on many times, when left alone, at just such an hour of the day, or just such a point of time r da}\ or at such a time twice a day, or times every three days, which shows them an I 56 forces to be under the effect and control of plan- y influence, or that of the sun. That the human em is subject to and liable to planetary infloeBoe, no novelty. The effect rff the seasons shows it as v,t I: as day and night, for there is as much a diurnal revolu- tion of the body as there is of the eartii. The feelingt the mind, the body, and the pulse prove it s Doing g< 9* 92 BAGG ON rally five or six more beats in a minute in the evening than in thr morning. We are active during the day in exercise, and expend something which we lay down at night to accumulate. What is that something? It is the magnetic fluids, light, the spirit of animation, the nervous fluid, the spirit of life itself. It is absolutely as necessary to sleep and rest at night, as it is to be active during the day, hence the body is more or less under the influence of the sun, the great magnet and luminary of the universe. Sacred and profane history both concur in giving testimouy to establish this position. From the days of Josephus down to the present period, the east wind has been regarded as one that not only blew locusts and other insects, but mildew, pestilence and famine. An attentive, observing practitioner, while treating diseases both acute and chronic, will never fail to disco- ver the effect of what is called the weather upon his pa- tient, in diseases of both body and mind. In nervous dis- eases as they are called, and such as rheumatism and dyspepsy, he will find during cold, damp, moist, and dark foggy days, his patient always worse, but in good dry weather, with a brilliant light from the sun, that he is always better. Do not influenza's, catarrh's, colds, coughfs, dysentaries, diarrheas, as well as diseases of the skin and fevers, become epidemical in certain years, and atdifferent times of the year ? If so, what influences the state and condition of the atmosphere but planetary influ- ence? The author himself in 1823 in the north part of the State of New-York, saw in his own practice a re- lapse of thirty cases of fever and ague on a certain day in the month of January, after they had been treated with success in the fall by quinine and bark, on the pre- valence of an easterly w r ind that blew uninterruptedly for five days in succession. Before the cholera made its appearance on this side the Atlantic, the wind blew constantly and uninterruptedly fresh, for the space of MAGNETISM. 93 twenty days amongst us. After it had commenced its ravages, its virulence was modified by a western or south-western wind, and heightened again by an eastern direction. The black death, which many years since, devastated the best parts of Europe, was the result of planetary in- fluence upon man, through the medium of the atmos- pheric air. After twenty thousand poor Jews had been put to death, for the jealousy and suspicion, that they had poisoned the fountains of water, the faculty and French philosophers, and others met at Paris to investi- gate its cause, and after great and grave deliberation, they pronounced it to be in consequence of the influence of some stragling planet (which I now disremember,) in conjunction with the sun, and thus affecting the earth, and so published it to the world, and thus saved the re- maining Jews. An observing, nervous dyspeptic, in this or any other country, can tell by his feelings when an east wind prevails before he rises from his bed, and has no difficulty after he has gone forth. It never fails to repel from the surface and produce the centripetal force, producing dulness, inactivity, sluggishness in the well, and hightening all the symptoms in the sick. Now, whether it be the east wind that produces this effect or not it is difficult to determine, certain it is that they both appear together ; the one upon the atmosphere, the oth- er upon the human system. Whether it be the wind that produces the repulsion from the surface and attrac- tion to the centre, or whether the same planetary influ- ence that produces a curront from the east towards the the west, produces a current from the surface to the centre of the system, is not in the present state of our knowledge known, but we hazard the opinion that both are produced by negative magnetism, let what will pro- duce them. We have said (chap, xix) that no vegeta- ble enlarges and grows without the repulsions prevail over the attractions ; neither will a child. From that 9i BAGG ON period to forty five, the repulsions taken as an aggre- gate prevail over the attractions, but after that period, the attractions prevail over the repulsions and he still continues to grow but in a contrary direction — down hill. This is general, for the whole surface of the body becomes shriveled and shrunk, the hair comes off, the teeth drop out, he goes into dotage ; hence the saying that once a man and twice a child ; thus showing in the duration of human life itself, two extremes and the me- ridian or equilibrium line. CHAPTER IV, THE MUSCULAR CIRCLE, MEMBRANES, AND GLANDS. The muscles are active and moving powers of the bo- dy. The greatest number are situated upon the surface of the body, forming what is termed the flesh and cov- ering of the bones, and perform what is called locomo- tion. Others are situated within the cavity of the body, and instead of performing locomotion, perform most im- portant functions of the system ; such as the heart and arteries, the gullet, the stomach and bowels, which are termed hollow muscles ; they are however, composed of muscular fibres. Although their appearance is nearly the same, they differ in situation and function. Of the locomotive muscles there may be reckoned four hundred and thirty six, which, like the nerves are antagonized to each other and arise in pairs. Hence we have the ad- ductors and abductors, the flexors and extensors, the le- vators and depressors, the ascendens and descendens, the superior oblique and the inferior oblique, the perpendic- ular and transverse ; in short, they occur throughout the system like the nerves, in pairs, and are antagonized to each other. They are the moving powers of the body, and produce this effect by contraction and expansion, e MAGNETISE* 95 (attraction and repulsion). When we move the arm or leg, the muscles on one side contract, while the other expand, as may be seen or felt by the most common ob- server. From their origin and insertions, or their ex- tremities or extremes, being inserted or attached to cer- tain fixed points in the bones, by the brain, through the medium of the nerves by attraction and repulsion, are the immediate cause of all the motions of the body. — They are composed of fleshy bundles of fibers formed according to Sir Everard Home and others, by minute little globules, arranged generally parallel to each other, and separated by cellular membrane which connects them together, and favors the distribution of numerous blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves, with which they are supplied. These minute fibers are sometimes arran- ged in one direction, and sometimes in another. Some- times they run in direct lines parallel the whole length of the muscle ; they are then called straight muscles. — Sometimes, although parallel, they run in an oblique di- rection and the muscle is called oblique. Sometimes they take a circular motion, as in those that surround the eye and mouth ; they are then termed orbicular mus- cles. Thus much of this class. The hollow muscles, such as the esophagus, in addition to its glands, mucous membrane, villous coat, or cellular membrane, are com- posed of a muscular coat of two layers ; one set are ar- ranged longitudinally and the other circular, with a cen- tral membranous lining. By the agency of the brain, through the medium of the nerves upon these, is the ac- tion of swallowing produced. The operation of these two forces from, or of the magnetic fluids, upon this structure or machinery, or arrangement of fibers, agree- able to the laws of mechanics, would be, and is, to pro- pel the food onward to the stomach. The several mem- branes as intermediate substances, as we shall show at the proper time, contribute also to assist their operation. The stomach, the next portion of the alimentary canal. 96 BAGG ON is a large and expanded portion, likened to a bagpipe, largest towards one end and tapering towards the other, its situation is we 11 known. It is connected above with the esophagus, and below with the intestines. Its struc- ture is like the esophagus, composed of three coats or layers. The outer coat is composed of a serous mem- brane which is a reflection of the peritineum. Within it, and connected by cellular substance to it, is a layer of muscnlar fibers, forming the muscular coat. This muscular coat like the esophagus, is made up of two sets of fibers, one longitudinal and the other circular. The next or internrl coat is the nervous coat. The mucous coat is connected w r ith the muscular by cellular sub- stance, which is sometimes termed the nervous coat. The stomach has numerous blood vessels and absorbents, and receives its nerves which are very numerous, from the great sympathetic and par vagum. It is also studed over its surface with numerous glands. The intestines commence from the pyloric orifice of the stomach, and their being the same, we shall describe their structure, (which is only here intended) without going into that ar- bitrary division mentioned by anatomists. The struc- ture of them then, is made up of three coats, like the stomach, though varying somewhat in the length, thick- ness or sparseness of their muscular fibers ; a serous coat, a muscular coat with two sets of fibers, one longi- tudinal, the other circular, and a mucous coat. The muscular coat differs somewhat in different intestines or portions of this canal. In the small intestines there are but few longitudinal fibers. In the colon they are dis- posed in three bands, to facilitate its division into cells. In the rectum they resemble those of the gullet. The in- ner or mucous coat of the intestinal canal is important, for on this membrane it is that the action of the intes- tines, v or preparation and separation of chyle depends. It is very voluminous and its surface increased by nu- merous doublings and puckerings, or what are called val- MAGNETISM. 5*7 vula conniventes. The intestines are abundantly sup- plied with blood vessels, absorbents and nerves; part of them arise from the par vagum, but they are mostly sup- plied by the great sympathetic nerve. Between the mucous membrane and muscular coat, there are found a large number of glands, both single and compound, or solitary, single and conglobate. " The intestinal ca- nal possesses amotion backwards and forwards, or a wa- ving motion, to subject and expose its contents to the action of the exhalents and lacteals that open on the sur- face of the mucous folds. This is called the peristaltic motion of the bowels. The food after being mastica- ted in the mouth, passes through the gullet into the sto- mach, where it is retained till it is reduced to a pulpy mass commonly called chime, from which in the pelvic portion of the stomach the chyle begins to be separated. The chylification is completed in the duodenum, and while the alimentary mass is traversing the small intes- tines. The greater part of the chyle is taken up by the lacteals, while the more solid and excrementitious part passes through the colon and rectum to be evacuated by the anus. Thus we have touched upon the muscles of the body, the object is apparent ; to show from their an- atomical structure, use and action, that they occur in pairs and are antagonized to each other, and must of ne- cessity have a corresponding antagonizing principle or force for giving them impulse and motion, and that this principle is the magnetic fluids. In addition to these, and the other circles touched up- on, and partly explained in the preceding chapters, wo rind a vast membraneous and glandular system no less adapted by their formation and extent to assist in the galvanic or magnetic operations of the system. The former are comprised of three distinct membranes. The skin which covers the external surface of the body; the mucous membranes which lines all the internal part* that communicate with the externals and the serou? 98 BAGG ON membranes which lines all the periphery of the internal cavities. These membranes, their use and action, are so well described by Dr. Sherwood in his admirable li- tle work on motive power, that we avail ourself of its details. " On viewing the human system we find it co- vered with a complex membraneous structure, called the skin. Besides three membranes classed under the gen- eral term skin or integuments, there are found in it an innumerable number of minute globular bodies called pa- pilliary glands. These little globate bodies, are found to be highly organized, having minute arteries termina- ting, and minute veins commencing in their structure. They are found out by means of magnifying glasses of great power, to have minute ducts issuing from them ? and terminating every where with open orifices on the surface of the skin. On examination of the organs as the brain, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, cystes, uterus, stomach and intestines, we find them all without an exception covered with a kind of skin called a serous membrane, in which is enclosed an incalculable number of minute glands or elementary organs, with ducts ter- minating in open orifices on the surface of their mem- branes, like those of the common covering of the body. The glands of both structures are formed on examina- tion of the orifices of these ducts to secrete an aqueous or watery fluid, by which these surfaces are constantly maintained in a humid or moist state. The great quan- tity of this fluid seen running off* from the skin, and its accumulation in the cavities containing the organs, when these glands are excited to inordinate action attest both the perfection of their mechanism, and their fitness for their specific use. If we now proceed to examine the membrane which lines the internal parts of the body, we shall find it with slight modifications, characterized by the same structure as the serous membranes. This modification principally consists in its having what is called a villous, instead of a serous surface, like the se- MAGNETISM. 86 rous membranes. We find tne whole track of the ali- mentary canal, including the mouth, esophagus, stom- ach, and intestines, lined with this membrane, as well as the internal parts of every organ, including even the ven- tricles of the brain. On a minute examination of the structure of the mucous membrane, we find them like the skin and serous membranes, enclosing numerous lit- tle round or oval glands or villi as they are termed, ha- ving like the papilliary glands of the skin, their appro- priate arteries, veins and ducts, terminating with open orifices on the surface. They are further characterized by numerous little cavities, crypts or follicles, as they are called, which have more or less a spheroidal shape, and which also open upon the surface of these mem- branes. These ducts and follicles are found to be filled with a semi-fluid or mucous, which is constantly issuing from them, and which spreads upon these membraneous surfaces. In pursuing this subject, we have thus found two different kind of surfaces disposed in two different ways, and thus covered by two different kinds of fluids* These are extraordinary results of our investigations thus far, and will encourage us to proceed in them, for it is easy to see that there must have been some object in this order and dispostion of these different kinds of matter. On investigating the nature and qnahties 6i these fluids, it is found that the excretion from the skin and serous membranes are more or less acid, and those from the mucous membrane more or less alkaline. They are sometimes so strongly acid and alkaline, as to ex- cite the curiosity of the most common observer. Tin. acid is found to be muriatic, and the alkali soda or mu- riate of soda or common salt. The acids and alkalies which possess the most directly opposite properties and have at the eame time the strongest affinities for each other, are universally diffused in the earth as well as in the vegetable and animal kingdoms. They constitute two great and principle divisions of matter, one of which 10 100 BAGG ON the acid for the sake of distinction is called negative mat- ter, and the alkali positive. Now it is satisfactorily as- certained from repeated experiments that each of these different kinds of matter gives out constantly an innate and different kind of force. It is also ascertained in the same manner, that the alkaline or positive matter gives out the magnetic force, and that the acidified gives out the positive. The positive matter then, on the internal surface of the body and organs, is constantly giving out the negative force, and the negative matter on the ex- ternal surfaces of the body and organs, the positive force. On a further examination of the human structure, we find four hundred and twenty-six muscles of different iorms disposed in different ways for the purpose of pro- ducing motion. We know that they are formed for this purpose, for we can see that some of them expand and others contract when we move the limb or limbs. For when we bend our arm, we find that the muscles on the out side of it expand, while those on the inside contract. On extending the arm we find this order reversed, for then the muscles on the inside expand, while those on the outside contract with equal force. One end of these muscles is attached to the lower part of the bone belong- ing to the upper part of the arm, called the humerus, and the other ends are attached to the lower ends of the bones of the lower part of the arm near the wrist, call- ed the radius and ulna, so that while the lower part of these bones is pushed on one side, when the muscles of that side is extended, it is pulled at the same time on the opposite side, when the muscles on that side are contrac- ted, and thus motion is produced by the simultaneous action of these muscles. Now it is a remarkable fact that every one of these four hundred and thirty -six mus- cles which thus produce motion in different parts of the body, is covered with a membrane the outer surface of which has a serous, and the inner side a mucous surface; hence these membranes are called muco-serous mem- MAGNETISM. 101 branes ; all these different surfaces then, like those of the skin and membranes of other parts of the body, are covered with different kinds of matter, presenting to- gether immense surfaces, from which constantly issue two forces of different kinds." The reader who has seen a common galvanic battery, cannot fail to observe that this arrangement of surfaces corresponds with that of the different metallic surfaces of the battery. He will also notice that these forces thus maintained on these surfaces, exactly correspond with those necessarily main- tained on different surfaces of the battery. The two forces are conducted from the two metalic surfaces of the poles of the battery, by two metalic wires, and if we can now find conductors to convey the forces from the skin and different membraneous surfaces to the poles, the resemblance will be complete and satisfactory. In pursuing this subject we find numerous minute threads called nerves, penetrating the little glands of the skin surfaces and mucous membrane, and every fiber of a muscle. On tracing these nerves, we see them uniting together and increasing in size, in proportion to the dis- tance from these surfaces, and at length conjoining with the spinal cord. The spinal cord is formed into four co- lumns, united first with a broad base and then with the brain. These forces are therefore conducted from the skin and membraneous surfaces and concentrated in the brain to form poles or a motive power, to put in motion this apparently complicated yet really simple machine- ry. This structure, arrangement and order of the dif- ferent parts of the human body, was well known to Mal- pighi, Ruych, Haller, Hunter and Bichat, and are rec- ognized by every anatomist of the present age, and now present to our view a galvanic battery altogether supe- rior to any other constructed by the ingenuity of man. The forces collected from the surfaces, the mucous and serous membranes, including the skin, and conduct- ed to the brain, are identicle with those collected from 102 BAGG ON the surfaces of these circles of copper and zinc, and con- ducted to the poles oi the battery, as seen in the follow- ing article copied from the Medico-Chirurgical Review, for January 1837. On the chemical properties of the secretions in health and disease, and on the existence of electric currents in organized bodies induced by the acidity and alcalinety of their different membraneous surfaces, M. Donne, whom we have repeatedly occasion to mention with praise, is the author of some curious statements on this subject. All that we propose to do, is merely to present to our readers the leading results of his inquiries. They are contained in the following corrollories : 1. The whole of the ligimentary surface, secretes an acid humor. It is however to be noticed that the sweat instead of being as generally stated more acid in the ax- illa and around the organs of generation than in other parts, is frequently of an alkaline character. 2. The alimentary canal, from the mouth to the an- nus, (except the stomach, (the gastric juice of which is strongly acid, as ] has been proved by Prout, Tiedman, and Gemelin, I secretes an alkaline mucous. Thus the saliva and also the mucous of pharynx and oesophagus, as far as the cardia, and of the intestinal canal from the pylorus to the anus, are alcaline in health, and becomes acid only in consequence of disease. 3* The serous and synovial membranes secrete an al- kaline fluid, in disease it sometimes becomes acid. 4. The external acid, and internal alcaline membranes of the body, represent the two poles of a galvanic pile whose effects are appreciable by a galvanometer. For if one of the conductors of this instrument be placed in contact with the mucous membrane of the mouth, and the other conductor be applied to the skin, the magnetic needle will be found to show a deviation of 15 to 20, or even 30 degrees ; and the direction of the needle proves that the mucous or alkaline membrane indicate a nega- MAGNETISM. 103 tive electricity, and the cutaneous or acid membrane, a positive elect?ricity. 5. Independently of the two great surfaces, exhibiting opposite electrical states, there are other cognate sys- tems, which are similarly opposed. Between the stom- ach, for example an4 the liver, we may discover ener- getic electrical currents. 6. The acid humours of the system may beconne al- kaline, and the alkaline may become acid in a state of disease. 7. The abnormal acidity is usually the result of a phlegmasia, and this change may take place in an organ at a distance from an inflamed part ; thus the saliva be- comes strongly acid in gastritis. 8. The acid developed during the existence of in- flamatory disease appears to be most frequently the hy- dro chloric. The presence of this acid may very pos- sibly determine the coagulation of the albumymous part of the lymph, or serosity which abounds in all inflamed structures, and we know that this coagulation is the cause of thef alse membranes, of specks and opacities of the cornea, and of the induration and hypertrophy of many parenchymatous organs. Purulent matter is pro- duced by the action of an acid upon albuminous lymph. It is a species of combination of acid and albumen. Al- though we cannot always discover traces of a free acid in inflamatory effusions, and although pus does not al- ways reden, the blue paper of turnsol, we are to re- member that by far the greatest number of the humors of the animal body in health arc strongly alkaline, and that in this way the generation of acid in disease may be masked or concealed for some time, in consequence of the neutralizing of the original or primary alcali. 9. The operations in the chemical nature of the se- cretions must react on the different functions of the sys- tem. They will be found to constitute an interesting group of lesions, or svmptoms hitherto but little regard- 10* 104 BAOG ON ed, and the diligent investigation of which may very possibly lead to some important theraputic results. — i These changes will probably be found to induce certain modifications in the electrical cui rents, which exits be- tween the different organs of the animal economy." Thus it will be seen, that the needle obeys the forces of these different surfaces of the copper and zinc in the battery. When the body is lightly charged with the forces, strong poles are sometimes formed in the ends of the fingers, which the needle obeys like the poles of the magnet. Here then, we discover in the anatomy of the membranes this same antagonizing principle produce our opposite principles, generating opposite forces. By tes- timony as we have quoted, we obtain facts that these forces are the magnetic ; that they are measured and tested by the magnet itself ; that these currents of elec- tricity varied the needle to the extent of fifteen, twenty and thirty degrees. Thus not only in addition to our other facts, positively proves them to be the magnetic fluids, but it also goes to prove the identity of electrici- ty and magnetism. The structure and natural arrange- ment of these membranes are perfectly analogous to the galvanic battery. The currents are shown to be elec- tricity, and by the magnetic attractions are proved to be the magnetic fluids ; thus adding further testimony to the identity of these fluids or principles, but also estab- lishes the fact of correspondencies, to wit : That alkar lies correspond to the positive pole of magnetism, and that acids correspond to the negative pole, as the forces are shown to flow from these states or conditions of matter. It now only remains for us to examine the brain nerves and some few other organs, when we shall pass to the consideration of nutriment, or the food of man. MAGNETISM. 105 CHAPTER V. THE BRAIN AND NERVES. The brain is the centre of all the other circles and systems of circles of the whole system, and communi- cates with, influences, and controls the whole, through the medium of the nerves. It is not only the organ of mind, of sensation, but volition and muscular motion. The nerves are its appendages or machinery. The brain and nerves are so intimately connected and asso- aiated, that they might with propriety be termed a w r hole, for one is as necessary to the other as the mental is to the physical system. The brain, although depend- ent relatively upon the whole system for its healthy state and action, and particularly upon the assimulating and circulatory, for nutrition and support, stands like a monarch to every other part of the system, sight, sound, touch, taste, temperature and smell, are an reflect or ehanges upon the brain through their several nervous organs. They may be compared or likened to so many avenues or windows of the organ of mind, towards the external w r orld, through which the brain communicates with external objects and internal agents. It is divided into two hemispheres, one on either side; originating from which are two sets of nerves, one from each hem- isphere, arising in opposition to its antagonist. Thus the brain and nerves, as well as the general system, are double, the reason of which will be explained in the sequel. All the organs of sense, (chap, xix,) as well as muscular motion, are also double. The nerves are long slender threads, which branch out and ramify into such an infinitude of little fibrils, and are spread so upon the internal part of the body, as well as upon the skin, that the point of a needle can not be touched to the skin, but they will be disturbed, and yet each has its antago- nist. The brain, in its operations, is characterized by two fundamental laws, sensation and volition. The 106 BAGG ON combinations of the two produces association. Sensa- tion is that change that takes place in the organ from objects that are external to it, and commences in the circumference, and terminates in the centre, (chap, vn.) Volition, on the contrary, commences in the centre and terminates in the circumference or extremities. The former we term the centripetal, the latter the centrifu- gal force of the brain. The former is produced by attraction, the latter by repulsion. If I prick my finger with a pointed instrument, the brain, through the me- dium of the nerves, instantly feels it, which begins in the extremity and ends in the centre. But if I will to raise my hand or finger, the change or force commences in the centre and terminates in the circumference or extremity. With the first, sensation was painful; in the last, motion was upward. Thus we have seen that the nerves are long slender threads which arise from differ- ent portiQus of the brain, and are radiated in every direction, so as to communicate and form a connection with every part of the system. As they arise they are arranged into pairs. Anatomists have discovered and noted thirty-nine, nine of which arise from the great dimensions of the brain, called cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata, and the remainder from the spinal marrow. These nine are chiefly diverted, but not wholly so, to the local senses, the remainder, thirty pair, are distributed over over the body to produce the fifth sense of touch and feeling. There is another part of the nervous system, which is the sympathetic or intercostal nerve, which, although not distinct, is so pe- culiar as to claim almost the term of system of itself, a circle between the two other circles of cerebral and vertebral influence. It is connected with both. It is an offsett from the six pairs of nerves- of each side, and in its passage receives branches from the fifth, and all the vertebral. From this union it is studied with numerous ganglions or integements like brain, of which there are MAGNETISM. 107 not less than three in the neck, " alone tinted'' by an addition of cineritious substance, a large number in its line through the chest, and others as it descends still deeper, independently of various confluences of smaller branches, that unite and form extensive networks. Having reached the hollow of the oscocygis, it meets its twin from the opposite side, which has pursued a similar course, and received contributions. Thus equal- ly enriched with the nervous stores of the brain and spinal marrow, it sends off radiations as it takes the course of the aorta, to all the organs of the thorax, abdominal and hypogastric regions to the lungs, the heart, the stomach and intestines, the bladder, arteries, and testes, and thus becomes an emporium of nervous commerce and elargement of general sympathy, and what is of infinite importance in so complicated a frame as man, furnishes to the vital organs streams of nervous, supply from so many anastomosing currents, that if one or more than one should fail or be cut off, the function may still be continued. To this it is owing, in a very considerable degree, that the organs of the upper and lower belly exhibit that nice fellowship of feeling which often surprises us, and that most of them are apt to sympathise in the actual state of brain. As the brain consists of three general divisions, besides that of hem- ispheres, it might seem, at first sight, that each of these were allotted for some distinct purpose, different from the other : but anatomy, by the hand of the dissector, shows differently, as both nerves of general, as well as particular purposes, arise from the same portion of brain. Thus the cerebrum gives rise to the nerves of vision and smell, as well as the occulorum motorii, which serves for the purpose of muscular motion. So the cerebellum gives rise to nerves that convey motive as well as sen- sile power. While from the medulla oblongata, originate the auditory, the par vagum, and lingual. The first a nerve of hearing: ; the second of feeling ; and the third 108 BAGG ON of motivity. At the same time that many parts of the brain maintain an interunion with other parts by means of ganglions commisures, and decussations of nerves, whence injuries on one side are often accompanied with loss of motion or feeling on the other side. Thus then, a sensorial communication is kept up between some part of the brain and every part of the body, and that this communication is conducted by the nerves is unques- tionable, from the following facts. If we divide, tie, or cut, or merely compress a nerve of any kind, the muscle with which it communicates becomes almost instantly palsied, and if the cerebrum, cerebellum, or medulla oblongata be irritated, convulsions take place all over the body, chiefly, however, when the irritation is ap- plied to the last of the three mentioned parts. From the best sources of information within our reach, from such men as M. Bauer and Sir Everard Home, and others, as well as from the assistance of the best micro- scopes, the substance of the brain appears to be made up of a delicate fibrous tissue of minute globes, or globules, precisely of the size of those of the blood w T hen deprived of their coloring principle or matter. It appears then, that the brain is naturally divided into two hemispheres or portions, and from these, and cor- responding with them, are two distinct sets of nerves, antagonized to each other, but connected after their universal ramifications and radiations upon the skin and internal parts, together by the great sympathetic nerve, besides their general distribution all over the system. Anatomists and physiologists attribute this connection, as well as the brain and nervous system, to the wisdom of the great architect, as a provision to guard against accidents, or the reason why it was made double, was the necessity of a substitute, in case one side or set should happen to be injured so as to become useless, the deficiency could be supplied by the other. Were this true, we should be led to believe that in following up MAGNETISM. 109 the principle, in the economy of nature, certain individ- uals that have appeared upon the stage of action, and evidently intended by Providence to perform great ex- ploits, would have endowed them, not only with double organs, but with triple and quadruple. We should be led to believe that such men as Moses and Sampson, Cromwell and Bonaparte, Washington, Jefferson, Jack- son, and others, would have had at least four sets of organs, for fear others might have, from action, been incapacitated ; but the argument is not tenable, not sup- ported by fact, or any plausibility of truth. It is too week and feeble for moro consideration. On the contrary, the great reason for man, as well as other animals, being formed double, with two sets of muscles, nerves, &c, is from the very nature and cause of his existence itself. The whole system is but a gal- vanic battery, an electerizing machine, a great magnet, or like the solar system. Who ever got electric fluid from a machine without a rubber? Who ever saw a magnet with but one pole 1 Or who ever saw an effect from a galvanic battery with but one plate, either the zinc or copper, separate from the other ? On the con- trary, it is well known that no appearance of light, or heat, or motion, or effect, ever takes place from the poles of a galvanizing or electrizing machine, unless the poles be brought within a certain sphere of influence or contact. But that the eleatric, or galvanic, or magnetic fluid passes up the wires before we can see or feel it, or any sensible effect is produced, we know, because we test it with a compass needle. If we apply it to the wires separately, before the battery is charged, or before the acid commences to operate on either plate of metal, it will point lengthways, or in a line with the wires ; but as soon as the process commences, it will stand and point across it at right angles ; and as soon as we have brought the poles together, and an equilibrium is obtain- ed, and a spark is seen, it will again become lengthways 110 BAGG ON or point in that direction. The reason why it was ne- cessary then, to form man and other animals double, was to give them action and life, which they could no more have had without having been thus constructed, than could an electric spark have been obtained from one plate and pole of a galvanic battery, or of an elec- trizing machine. Thus then, one hemisphere, as well as one side of the whole system, secretes, excretes, and puts into opera- tion positive magnetism*, while the other puts into action negative magnetism, and by the operation of which, by attraction and repulsion, like the galvanic battery, pro- duces heat, motion, sensation and thought. This we conceive to be the simple and only cause why man was made, in his organs of sense, volition, and muscular mo- tion, double, as well as accounts more particularly and clearly for the peculiar construction, formation and con- nection of both sides, or systems of nerves, through the medium of the great sympathetic. We observed when upon matter, (chap, x.) that the minute atoms of all ma- terial substances, were in the form of globes, globules, or magnets, and that they were liable to a change of their poles, and that the varieties of matter were owing to this law, and that this change was produced by the influence of the magnetic fluids. What is the structure of the brain? Of what com- posed? What its form and shape ? It is spherical They are so loosely put together by a delicate cellular sub- stanceor tissue, so tender that it will scarcely stand the force of a syringe, the mere suction of which is suffi- cient to derange and reduce them to a chaotic mass. , Sir Everard endeavored to show, by these and other' disclosures, that muscular fibres are formed by an at- tachment of one globule of blood to another, as well as granulations by pus, which M. Bauer confirmed. Dr. Philip showed that spirits of wine, applied to the posterior part of the naked braiu of an animal, had the MAGNETISM. Ill same effect upon the heart as when applied to the heart itself. The anatomy of the brain then, beneath the knife of such eminent dissectors and anatomists, shows the very elements of the composition of the organ of mind to be globes, spheres, or magnets, and therefore, instead of our theory being hypothetical, it is establish- ed by fact, for if the ultimate atoms of the brain be globes or magnets, none will doubt but what its opera- tions, in its sensations and volitions, reflections, judge- ments and associations, from simple notions or impres- sions up to the compounds of discourses, is the result of the operation of the magnetic fluids. Can there yet be those who intrench themselves behind the breast- work of ignorance, notwithstanding the light of estab- lished well known facts, turn up their noses in mock wisdom, with their interesting countenances drawn to an angle of forty-five degrees towards the horizon, from the organ of self-esteem, and exclaim that the vital principle is beyond our conceptions and past finding out'l What looks more reasonable, clear and convinc- ing, than that those quick perceptions, thoughts, motions and actions of lightning speed, are performed by light- ning, electricity, magnetism, operating upon those little magnets, and producing action by the law of attraction and repulsion, like the motion of all other matter in nature. The animated system only differs from matter by its having heat, thought, sensation and motion. These are its grand characteristics. Now all motion in nature is either chemical or mechanical. Have we not clearly demonstrated that all absolute mechanical force and chemical affinity, are dependent upon this principle for their motion, action and effect] Who then knows of any other kind of motion but from this principle I Have we not shown that the action of these two forces in nature was agreeable to all philosophers, the laws of mechanics, and observation, to produce a sphere, a ring, p/ % 112 BAGG ON a tube ? What other force or forces can produce this effect? Are not, in fact, all substances spherical or round ? How is it in both the animal and vegetable kingdoms'? Who ever saw a plant that was not circu- lar in some form or other? Did any one ever notice a square apple, potatoe, or any other fruit, seed or root? Are not all the organs, vessels and functions of animals round, circular or sphericle,.more or less? Are not the very component particles of the blood, which in sacred history is termed the "life of the animal," made up of little globules or magnets, as well as the ultimate atoms composing the brain itself? Is not blood made from the food by these forces, as well as the brain also? These forces then, in every sense in which they may be con- sidered, are shown to be the cause of life ? The seeds of all plants, and the eggs of all animals ars spherical, as well as the plant when growing, and the animal when living. We have the authority of Sir Isaac Newton, that the form of all the planets is owing to these forces. We then again repeat, that every thing is globular or spherical, from a dew-drop up to a world, by the action of these forces. That rain falls in drops, melted lead into shot, water into hail, and that water crystalizes ii} atmospheric air in the form of the planet Herschel, and falls to the earth m the form of snow, as pointed out by Sherwood, from Blackwood's Magazine. Do not the two forces revolve a machine, like Brewster's or Daven- port's, in a circular line ? Does not the cannon ball describe a segment of a circle when propelled by these forces? Is it not projected by repulsion, and drawn to the earth by attraction? If we apply the north end of a magnet to the north end of a compass needle, it repels it, and attracts the south pole, so as to reverse them. These poles now, in this motion of reversal of their extremities, perform a perfect circle : this circle we will take as the diagram for the operation of the magnetic forces in all matter in nature, and the law by which MAGNETISM. 113 they are governed. Is it derogatory to nature to believe thai by the union and operation of these forces from one magnet, she can make and perfect one of the same kind, or by a little modification of them, to make one of a different kind ? In fact, is not this the philosophy and rationale of all propogations \ Some of the lower order of animals have neither brain or nerves, and how are their muscular motions commenced and propogated? What their anatomy? They are destitute of a verte- bral column also, as the transparent polypii. When they are examined by the best magnifying glasses, are found to consist of nothing but a congeries of these globules in a granular form, like boiled sago, surrounded by a gelatinous matter. In some tribes they are con- nected, and even in others they are perfectly separate. Now whatever motion or sensation these w r orms possess, must and can not but be from these globules. M. Virey has hence divided all animals into three classes, accord- ing to the nature of their configuration, ; 'lst, those of two nerves, one on either side, or a nervous system and a sympathetic nerve ; 2d, those that have a sympathetic nerve alone ; and 3d, those that have nothing but nervous molecules, as the Echni, Polypii, and infusory animal- cules, corals, madrepores and sponges ; all of which are included in the term Zoophites." Anatomists judge of the use of a part or muscle by its looks, appearance, origin and insertion, which is said to be good inductive logic. Why not judge of these globules of the brain in the same manner ? Their form must indicate their use as well as those of the blood, and the force that made, and when made, moves them also. The nerves in the lower order of animals being, instead of brains and nerves, simply globules, sometimes connected and some- times loose, show to any candid mind, that motion can not be produced in any other manner but by the agency of magnetism or electricity, for there is no communica- tion between them but a loose gelatinous substance. 114 BAGG ON Now as these animals move themselves, like all others, by the will, by this principle (by attraction and repul- sion) is it not reasonable to suppose that the other two classes are moved in the same manner 1 Does not na- ture, through all her works, in all her operations, act by general lawst When was she ever known to act counter to a general principle? It is admitted by all, and has been from Galen down to the present time, that the brain is a gland, and secretes the nervous fluid and excretes it. Darwin called it the spirit of animation. Girtanner believed it to be oxygen, and all believe it to be a subtile impondurable fluid. Philip almost proved, and believed he did quite^ the identy of it with electric- ity. And why is it not, after what has been seen and said, the most reasonable conclusion t Let us look for a moment to another low order of animals, to fishes. There are many animals in the tribe of fish that will J give out electricity or magnetism sufficient to benumb the hand of man so as palsy it completely. We will at this time mention but those that have the most power, such as the Torpedo Ray, and the Electric Eel or Gimnote, which inhabit the Mediterranean, and was once imputed to magic. The ancients believed that when they bit at the hook, they could throw the influence through the whole length of hook, line and pole, so as to palsy the arm, and thereby escape being caught, as described by Oppian, in Greek verse, and translated bv Dr. Good : "The hook'd torpedo, wi.h instinctive force, Calls all his niagie from its secret source ; And through the hook, the line, the taper pole, Throws to th' offending arm his stern control. The palsied fisherman, in dumb surprise, Feels through his frame the chilling vapours rise, Drops the vain rod, and seems, in stiffening pain, Some frost fixed wanderer o'er the icy plain." Indeed, it is believed by naturalists of the present day, ani witnout doubt is true ; and would have such an MAGNETISM. 115 effect if a spear were used instead of hook and line. The influence is voluntary, and can be communicated at will, as the animal will sometimes allow of being touch- ed without exciting or communicating the influence. ^He occasionally loiters on the moist sands of the shore, after the tide has gone out, and buries himself under it. By a brisk flapping of his fins, he seems to fling this material all over him, and in this state he is said to inflict, at times, even through the sand that covers him, a torpor so severe as to throw down the astonished passenger that is inadvertantly walking over it. The voltaic eel is also obviously known and acknowledged to be more powerful than the torpedo. The latter ma- king a series of shocks, of less or greater violence, as from a more highly ..concentrated battery ; and the tor- pedo by a numbness or torpor, whence its name, pro- duced by small but incessant vibrations of voltaism, seldom, excepting in severe cases, amounting in the aggregation of shocks, and precisely similar to what is felt in a limb on applying to it a great multitude of weak shocks or strokes, rapidly repeated, from a Leyden vial. The more formidable power ci the gymnote, enables it, upon the authority of most experimentalists, to give not only severe shocks, both in the water and out of it, when in actual contact vith another animal, but to con- vey them, as we have seen that the Torpedo is said to do, though upon doubtful testimony, through long poles. It is probable that these poles must be wet before they would become good conductors ; for both the Gymnote and Eel arc found to be limited to precisely the same conducting and non-conducting media as are met with tn common electricity. Thus then, in addition to the anatomy of the minute structure of the human system, as well as the lower class of- animals, as well as their double brain, and sets of nerves, muscles, &c*, we have at least two species of animals that not onlv exist, and whose functions of life 11* 116 BAGG ON are carried on by this principle, but are endowed with the power of making it a species of defence against their enemies. But the power of giving out shocks of elec- tricity is not confined to these lower order of animals. The human system is capable, under certain circumstan- ces, of giving out shocks of electricity. The following is from Silliman's Journal. On the 28th day of January 1839 during a somewhat extraordinary display of northern lights a respectable la- dy became highly charged with electricity, so as to give out vivid electrical sparks from the end of each finger to the face of each of the company present. This did not cease with the heavenly phenomena, but continued several months, during which time she was constantly charged, and giving off electrical sparks, to every con- ductor she approached. This was extremely vexatious, as she could not touch the stove or any metallic utensil without first giving off an electric spark, with the con- sequent twinge. The state most favorable to this phe- nomenon was an atmosphere of eighty degrees Faren- heit, moderate exercise, and social enjoyment. It dis- appeared in an atmosphere approaching zero, and under the debilitating effects of fear. When seated by the stove with her feet upon the fender, she gave sparks at the rate of three or four a minute, and under the most favorable circumstances, a spaik that could be seen, heard or felt, passed every second. She could charge others in the same way when insulated, who could then give sparks to others. To make it satisfactory that her dress did not produce it, it was changed to cotton, and woollen, without altering the phenomenon. The lady is about thirty, of sedentary habits and pur- suits, and delicate state of health, having for two years previously suffered from acute rheumatism and neural- gic affections, with peculiar symptoms. Here then, we see that under certain circumstances, the human system like a charged electerizing machine, has been known to MAGNETISM. 117 become a living or walking one, or galvanic battery ; giving out like the electric eel or the prime conductor of a machine, shocks to every thing with which it came in contact. But the human system has always been known as w r ell as other animals to be filled with electricity. In young persons, in dry cold weather, in winter, when the tone ot the system is good, the animation lively, and the circulation quick and energetic, the hair on the head of the young will stand erect, upon end, and become dishevelled, by it in a state of repulsion causing it like the twigs and leaves of the vegetable, or the iron filings upon the " repulsive pole of a magnet/ 7 to separate from each other and stand in every and any direction. Who, when a boy, has not amused himself by the sparks of electricity from the dog or cat's back, on rubbing it sim- ply with the hand so as to break up its equilibrium. This principle is, and can be tested, by every school boy throughout the city, daily, when the atmosphere i-> not too moist, in either summer or w r inter with the pre- ceding results of the body mentioned. If we insulate a person, and then gently pat or rub him between the shoulders for two or three minutes, with fur, and then fetch our finger in contact with any pari of the body thus insulated, a spark precisely like that from the elec- trizing machine will ensue, which will not only be dis- tinctly visible and heard all over the room, but will so contract the part, or produce a shock, as to become al- most insufferable. This may be produced by any one upon an other, at any time sufficiently severe for all medical purposes. Whoever attentively observes the operations of the system both in health and disease, na- tural and excited, cannot but confess its agency in the operations of life. Why do we with the diurnal revolution of the earth, which produces day and night, note a change in our strength and feelings I Why do we lay down at night to rest, to sleep] Is it not to accumulate something was- 118 BAGG ON ted during thejday,? What is this something? We af- firm it to be electricity, magnetism ; that the brain or galvanic battery of the whole system, has expended du- ring the day. Why is it that a high latitude, as well as high lands, are calculated to produce inflammatory dis- eases, while in low latitudes, and low fenny lands pro- duce fever and agues, and other diseases from debility? Is it not owing to more electricity or oxygen in the at- mosphere in the one region, than the other 1 In what consists the great benefit of gestation in the open air, in long journies, for restoring health, but this principle ac- cumulated and changed by the different varieties conse- quent to those journies ? Is not electricity absolutely necessary to life ? Can an animal live in an atmosphere without it ? Why is it absorbed by the Jungs and given out throughout the whole system? Why is it that pre- ceding a thunder storm within a certain sphere of influ- ence, animals breathe with difficulty, and frequently pant laboriously, and after a few claps of thunder, and shocks of electricity or lightning, they can breathe with ease and freedom? It is owing to the want of that equi- librium in the electricities in atmospheric air, in the first instance, being wanting, and in the next place having been accomplished at the time of the shocks or light- nings, which are natures means to reproduce the equili- brium. Since the days of the immortal Franklin, it has been used more or less for the cure of disease. In what manner does it act ? This we shall explain when we come to speak of disease. In conclusion upon this branch of the subject, on reflection from our stock of facts, from the consideration that the whole system throughout, is a set and series of antagonizing organs, performed by an- tagonizing motions, by antagonizing forces, added to the phenomena of electricity produced by the electric eel and torpedo, and upon the human system ; that the whole system and every part of it has an absorbing and secre- ting surface ; that it will accommodate itself to almost MAGNETISM. 119 any circumstance and condition by habit, together with the irregularity of the habits of sleeping and waking, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, poverty and sickness, fulness and inanition. What other principle for a day, yea for an hour, but that principle so mysteriously an- tagonized in itself between its fellow, so as at all times to tend to an equilibrium, and when gained, is as instant- ly broken up, could produce and sustain life 1 Could me- chanics, hydraulics, or chemistry, or all combined pro- duce if? Could any other principle in nature produce it but magnetism? Is there existing in nature any oth- er self moving equalizing principle but this 1 There is no other, or need be, for this is abundantly qualified to produce all the varied operations of nature. It is this principle that runs through all, and regulates and gives to it life and activity. It is that same principle which regulates all matter and all principles in mind as well as matter, and consti- tutes the principle on which is built the system or doc- trine of equilibrium — a doctrine on which depends the health of not only vegetables and animals, but the reg- ulation, health and stability of principles in religion, mo- rals, politics and law, as w^ell as trade and every thing else. There is no principle in nature but what has its poles, or extremes, and oscillates from one to the other, and back to the iquilibrium. Every artificial principle as well as natural, is built upon it. It is the cause of all ex- citements of body as well as mind. Every subject or system has its poles or extremes, and its equilibrium line. All the preaching from the pulpit upon religion and mo- rality may be, or ought to be reduced to two points or poles. There are but two manners or modes of con- verting sinners. The one to attract them to do good for the consolation it affords, by attracting them towards Heaven, by painting and portraying the goodness of God, his benovolence, the beauty of Heaven, its plei ures, consolations and happiness. The other by holding 120 BAGG ON up the vengeance of God, hell, its blackness, torments and horrors, comparing one with the other in the mind; comparing God with the devil, man with both, and show- ing the difference ; the reward of one to induce sinners to repent, and the other course to frighten them to de- sist from evil. This is the base of all preaching. We cannot arrive at perfection ; we cannot act so but we shall fall infinitely below God. We should so act as to rise infinitely above the devil, and thereby elude the ex- treme of what is called " hell." The true course is to keep our positive pole towards God, and our negative one towards the devdl — and in our attractions and repul- sions towards one, and from the other, endeavor to have our conduct so regulated, at least as to attract us to Heaven, from their very affinity, and by the same law repel us from the devil and his so called flaming regions. Thus, virtue and vice both lie the same road, one could never be prized without a knowledge of the other. — They are but the extremes of a continuous line like the compass needle. The lawyer carries up his case to court, the parties are present before the Judge. The plaintiff affirms such and such premises; the defenant denies every word of it. The plaintiff then calls his witnesses to establish his po- sition ; the defendant then calls his to antagonize him in his proof. The Judge after hearing all, reduces them both in his mind to an equilibrium, by comparison, and judgment decides which side predominates in the scales of justice, and the case is thus disposed of. The Physician is called to a patient ; he knows that good health depends upon a just and proper balance of all the vessels and functions of the body, which state is called the equilibrium of the system. He examines the patient, and finds this equilibrium is broken up lst that ei- ther the centripetal or centrifugal force has got the bal- ance, one over the other, that in consequence other less- er equilibriums in other organs are broken up from these. MAGNETISM. 121 He knows what effect should be produced to restore it. He knows what medicine will produce that effect. He s to work, reproduces the lost equilibrium of the ves- or forces in the particular organ, or whole system of organs, and the patient is restored and returns to a state of health. There are upon earth but two kinds of unmixed governments. Where one man governs the whole ; the other where the whole govern themselves. In both cases they are performed by agents. Every other government is but a mixture of these, and there- fore vary from a democracy down to an absolute mon- archy. A government composed of a part of each, like that of Great Britain would constitute an aristocracy. In our own government, a democracy, where the peo- ple govern themselves by their agents, we have certain prescribed rules and regulations for the action of all de- partments, called constitution and laws. These laws are construed by some in one manner and by some in another. Now if these agents, through ignorance, or through party influence transcend the laws, and thereby encroach upon the people's rights, or squander the pro- perty or money of the people, they arise in their majes- ty, one party takes one side, and the other the other ; one party justifies their agents, the other condemns ; one party holds up another agent as better qualified by intelligence, honesty and other requisites to do justice to the people. The friends of one party by eloquence and persuasion attract individuals from the ranks of the oth- er, until it becomes the strongest ; the Ins are turned out, and others are elected. Thus the majority govern, an equilibrium is produced, government becomes heal- thy, and our happy government is thus perpetuated. It will be seen that the equilibrium is formed through the medium of the ballot box, from the extremes of both parties. Parties I say, for parties are as necessary as the questions which create them. Every question has two sides or extremes, a positive and a negative one. 122 BAGG ON From the very nature of things then, there must be a party to correspond to those sides. Questions having philosophically but two sides, no third party can ever long exist. We might go on, and show from the theo- ry of our government, that its formation was philosoph- ically correct from our theory, from its executive, judi- cial and legislative departments, to operate as checks and balances, one as helping the other to restore lost equilibriums, or continue those already produced, but our limits will not permit. Trade depends upon this principle for its healthy action. The prices of all com- modities are ahvays more or less fluctuating from the extremes to a state of equilibrium between the two. — This depends upon two causes only ; the plentifulness or scarcity of the article, on the one hand, and the cir- culating medium on the other, by which it is priced or measured. If the price of an article from want of cul- tivation, bad seasons, or manufacture is raised to an ex- treme above its ordinary relative value and price, the agriculturist, the manufacturer, or mechanic bends his energies to raise, produce or manufacture the article, until it becomes as much too low as it w T as too high. From self interest then, he ceases to produce it alto- gether, or in such quantities, and directs his time and resources to some other object and article, and an equi- librium in quantity and a corresponding one in value and price succeed from these extremes. But the most common fluctuations of prices especial- ly in this country, have been caused by the circulating medium, by which all prices are measured. That cii- culating medium has been paper money, having no in- trinsic value, and therefore instead of producing in trade, health or an annual equilibrium, has contributed, by its manner of operation, to hinder those from taking place; or in other words, has been the direct cause of all our commercial embarrassments from this alone. The manner by which it was produced was from its capa- MAGNETISM. V2U bility of being expanded and contracted from and to the centre, operating like a lever upon the circumference with double, triple, and quadruple force, and there- by producing daily, weekly and monthly, extremes of prices as opposite as the poles ; and thus instead of con- tributing to produce an equilibrium in prices, dei\ their taking place. To day it is said to be worth the face of it, dollar for dollar. To-morrow it is in the hands of a receiver, and declared not worth a groat. Thus then, an equilibrium from simple imitation of intrinsic value, the shadow for the substance, can never take place, is unphilosophical, ruinous to trade, and should therefore be discarded. On the contrary, if the circula- ting medium have intrinsic value, like the constitutional one of the nation, gold and silver, it can never be ex- panded and contracted, made plenty or scarce at will, and therefore raise and depress prices as corresponding- ly sudden. And although there may be slight fluctua- tions during the year from bad seasons, pestilence, wars, bad government, excitements of the people, or the influ- ence from foreign nation-', it will annually produce that equilibrium in prices that constitutes the health of trade. Like water from irs weight and resistance finding its own level, gold and silver, raise and depress the prices of all commodities to its own standard or level, and thus produce that equilibrium in the extremes, on which the health of trade depends for individual and national pros- perity and happiness. In view then, of this principle. and thus applied, it will be seen as a general rule that it we depend upon trade for our living, prosperity and live- lihood that the true course is, when the extremes oi , res are loo low, purchase, and on the contrary when too high, in the other extreme, sell. By following strictly this course or not, agreeable to this general principle will make the difference through life in the pecuniary affairs of an individual or nation, of poverty or riches. These are some of the different principles and subjecta 12 124 BAGG ON in the affairs of human life, in the condition of man to elucidate the general principle, or doctrine of equilibri- um throughout all matter as well as in mind. The cat- alogue might be swelled to almost infinitude, at least to an extent corresponding with the variations and combi- nations of both mind and matter for it is general and universal. CHAPTER VI. FOOD, NUTRITION AND ASSIMULATION. Although there is great variety in the form of the food of man, it is composed of but few elements. By care- ful analysis of the best of our most modern chemists, it is made up of four ^elements or simple substances, oxy- gen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. The three former are the most constant ingredients, for although nitrogen is to be found m such u products as pease, lentils and cabbage, it is not a component of starch, sugar or ba- con." The food after having been masticated and re- ceived into the stomach, is decomposed, which is but a separation of these elements from each other. The de- composition is not completed in the stomach or bowels, but there commences, is not completed till it is mixed with the blood. Throughout the whole track of the al- imentary canal, not only the lacteals absorbents, secern- ents, but in the arteries and veins, attractions and re- pulsions, compositions and decompositions, are constant- ly going on not only between the tissues of the body and blood, but between all the solids, liquids and aeriform substances of the body, external air, and food received. This constitutes the metamorphose of Lebeig and oth- ers ; the former of whose system although rich in facts, is yet so complicated and confusing from the multiplici- ty of his positions that they are of no use except to give MAGNETISM. 125 us facts to corroborate us in our general principle of at- traction and repulsion. We find also that the components of the system, so- lids, liquids and gasses, are also made up of these same elementary substances, together with some few oth- ers. That consequently the blood which is the immedi- ate product of the food as well as other fluids, is also composed of these elements. That they in the form of chyle are poured into, and mingled with the blood, and thrown over the whole system, to every part on which they act, and are acted upon, and then as w T e have be- fore seen, returned to the heart. In the passage of these elements in the form ol chyle, blood, and other fluids throughout the system, commencing at the gullet, they attract new elements or compounds, in the form of sali- va, from the glands and other surfaces, and in return, give out in their course from the blood, these elements for their nutrition and sustenance. Having traversed every part of the system of circles from centre to cir- cumference, what is not attracted for the support of the individual organs, together with what is imparted to the blood in return from those organs (except what is sepa- rated in the lungs, capillaries and kidneys, and repelled and expelled as noxious,) is again returned and again renewed by these elements of food. What effects take place we know not at present, except by the agency of some imponderable antagonized m itself, and so opera- ting upon the whole body that it is endowed with an aptitude or capability of attracting such elements or agents for its use as is needful and necessary, and re- pelling others ; and that every organ being differently constituted in its texture and arrangement of its ele- ments, has the same capacity to attract out of these el- ements, materials, and arrange them into its own organ- ized texture whether solid, liquid or aeriform, and that the three different classes of matter are by these means and operations, constantly changing from one to the oth- / 126 BAGG ON er, and vice versa ; and that sometimes by the union of these and other elements, other and more complicated compounds are produced. What is the peculiar use and effect of carbon and ni- trogen in the system besides contributing to sustain the solid parts, we cannot so well understand, as w T e can ox- ygen and hydrogen, for persons have lived for months, yea for yeais, without taking in their food either. From the experiments of our best chemists, we find that car- bon after having traversed the whole assimulating and circulatory systems, is thrown off, or repelled by the lungs and skin, in a volume in direct proportion to the oxygen received. We know also that the liver secretes bile from the blood which is eighty per cent, carbon, that carbon colors the blood as that in the veins dark, and that oxygen restores its color to a florid red through the medium of the lungs. We know also that venous blood has to pass as it were, through the custom house of the liver, before it is returned to the heart ; and that arterial blood has to undergo the same operation through the kidneys, during which process they attract, secrete and repel, along with oxygen and hydrogen with other salts, nitrogen. Thus then, we see that these import- ant organs or functions of lungs, liver, capillaries and kidneys, as well as all the minor glands, are attracting and repelling surfaces. The lungs attract oxygen gas, and repel carbonic acid. The liver attracts a material from venous blood, and repels bile. The kidneys attract arterial blood, and repel the compound called urine, and the skin attracts arterial blood, from which it repels the venous ; it also like the lungs absorbs oxygen, and repels carbonic acid, water and other acids, in the form of perspiration. — Now as carbon seems to have so great an agency in the motions of the human system by attraction and repul- sion, by its being a constituent of all the food of man as well as of all his organized compounds, solid, liquid and MAGNETISM. 127 aeriform, and as the bile in the track of the alimentary \ canal is reabsorbed and passes again into the blood, and is diffused thereby again throughout the system, it seems with oxygen and hydrogen to have a share in the pro- duction of animal heat. The tissues of the body, as well as the blood and other fluids, are composed of these elements. The blood is composed of them in nearly the following proportions of each, in one hundred parts : Carbon, 51,96 Hydrogen, 7,25 Nitrogen, 15,07 Oxygen, 22 Ashes, 4,42 The tissues vary but a little from this arrangement or proportion from these elements. It will be thus seen that carbon bears a much larger share in the proportion among these elements, in the compound, than nitrogen; for animal albumen is made up of something like in one hundred parts of Carbon, * 53,850 Hydrogen, 6,983 Nitrogen, 16,673 Oxygen, ------ 22,00 This albumen constitutes the serum of blood, and the fibrin which constitutes the hard part of blood or cres- samentum, contains Carbon, 53,671 Hydrogen, 6,878 Nitrogen, 15,72 Oxygen, 23,68 While albumen from eggs contains, in one hundred parts: Carbon, 53,72 Hydrogen 7,53 Nitrogen, 13,60 Oxygen, 23,13 12* 128 BAGG ON And from the yolk of eggs, Carbon, 53,45 Hydrogen, 7,66 Nitrogen, 13,34 Oxygen, - - 25,55 The middle membrane of the arteries contains, Carbon, - - - - - - 53,720 Hydrogen, 7,790 Nitrogen, 15,360 Oxygen, - 23,811 The composition of lactic acid or that of milk, is Carbon, 45,92 } Hydrogen, 6,11 > 100 and no Nitrogen. Oxygen, 48,97 ) The composition of the chief constituants of the urine of man and animals, according to Lebeig, is Carbon, - 36,083 Hydrogen, - 2,441 Nitrogen, .... 33,461 Oxygen, - - - - 28J26 Composition of the flesh of beef, according to Playfair, contains Carbon, .... 52,500 Hydrogen, - 7,886 Nitrogen, .... 15,214 Oxygen, - - - - 24,310 Composition from the buds of germinating potatoes, ac- cording to Blanchet, is Carbon, .... 60,26 Hydrogen, - - - 5,50 Nitrogen, - - - - 1,30 Oxygen, - - - 32,74 Composition of Quinine, according to Lebeig, Carbon, .... 75,76 Hydrogen, - - - 7,52 Nitrogen, - - - - 6,11 Oxygen, .... 8,62 > MAGNETISM. VZ % 3 Composition of hog's lard, Carbon. - - 79,098 Hydrogen, - - 11,140 Oxygen, - - 9.76 Composition of mutton fat, Carbon, - - 79,990 Hydrogen, - - 11,700 Oxygen, - - 9,304 And the composition of human fat, Carbon, - - 79.000 Hydrogen, - - - 11,416 Oxygen, - - - - 9,584 Composition of cane sugar, Carbon, .- - 42,251 Hydrogen, - - 6,328 Oxygen, - - 51,315 Starch, which forms a large share of our vegetable food, is composed of Carbon, - 44,26 Hydrogen, - - 6,70 Oxygen, ■;,.:- - 49,09 This analysis is from wheat, and although starch from the different substances, such as potatoes, peas, beans, lentils, rice, rye, horse chestnut, buckwheat, roots and seeds, vary a fraction: this is the general analysis of starch. The leaves of that shrub called tea, and the seed call- ed coifee, are identical in their constituents of elemen- tary principles, which consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, [Lebeig]. Thus then we find that all food, animal and vegetable^ is either composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen; but that the greatest share of food is made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and that when it does form a constituent, it is in a smaller proportion than the other elements. It ajv pears then, that the human system is made up and com- posed of these simple elements, arranged by the ma£- 130 BAGG ON netic fluids in endless variety, like the various figures of a kaleidoscope, of forms, and that digestion is nothing more or less than a decomposition of these elements of the food, which we have seen are composed of these in almost the same varying ratios, and assimulation and nutrition the carrying to and from the various functions, organs and tissues, whereby their attractions and repul- sions their elements combine and separate and thereby sustain and support the system. Besides contributing to form the blood, juices, and solid tissues of the human system, what is the effect of carbon and nitrogen 1 We find the bile is nearly seventy per cent, carbon, and that the urine contains the largest proportion of nitrogen of ail other compounds. Does the liver secrete the excess of negative mag- netic matter, and the kidneys the excess of positive magnetic matter] In the present state of our knowl- edge, it is hard to determine with regard to these sub- stances or elements. We know that nitrogen forms a large proportion of the atmospheric air of our globe; that it permeates the pores of the skin and membranes, and forms a constituent of the blood and tissues; and that the seeming excess is thrown off by the kidneys. Does it act as it is supposed to do in atmospheric air, to simply give mechanical form or support] or does it in some manner contribute to produce repulsion from its elasticity as a medicine? We know that carbon, besides being a large constitu- ent of the food of vegetables, is absorbed by them during the day and repelled during the night; that it traverses every part of the animal in the passage of the blood throughout the system, and that it is repelled by the lungs, skin and kidneys. Now the unceasing tendency towards an equilibrium of the magnetic fluids, from their extremes, would seem to require a_point or line of union. Does carbon constitute that point? Does it act, as it were, like a mediator, and assist to produce the equi- MAGNETISM. 131 librium between the oxygen and hydrogen gasscs in their equilibrium, in the formation of water! And if so. i to break up that equilibrium, or ■ ! Does not carb«.>n stand at the half of attraction to facilitate or produce an lilibrium, and nil n agent to break it up. a to produce repulsion ! y where presence in the system, and yetable products, as well as in the growth of them. I that we can not make a permanent nu iron, and are obliged to use steel, which is rendered h by the addition and union of carbon with iron. We know that carbon is antagonized to nitr : variety of ways, such as gravity and elasticity, besides many others. We find that every magnet has its j and its equinoctial line. Does c arbo n contribute to this equinoctial line, and nitrogen to the extremes I Carbon and hydrogen are in extremes oi opposition in many compounds. They are in extremes in the principle of volatilization. Carbon is the hardest substance in nature to volatilize, and hydrogen the easiest, and can not be -ed. Although there is an affinity between carbon and hydrogen, and they form many compounds, yet the affinity of hydrogen for oxygen is vastly superior to it, and will take it from certain compounds in certain pro- portions, This great affinity between them, their ap- rance in the compound called water, their refracting powers, and their great influence and agency in the de- composition of all substances through the medium of the compound blow-pipe, thus imitating perfectly and com- pletely the poles of the galvanic battery in effect, as well as appearance upon tne organs of sense, with va- rious other considerations not less analogous and im- sing, inforce upon us the conviction of the fact of theif being both compounds; the one of oxygep and native magnetism, and the other of hydrogen and jitive magnetism. Can wc not then discover that 132 BAGG ON throughout the system, upon the solids, liquids and gasses, through the operation of these magnetic fluids, changes are constantly going on in these elements, and when attraction prevails, cold or diminished temperature takes place, and when repulsion, heat or an increase of tem- perature is the result, and all from this principle antag- onized in itself. Digestion has hitherto been considered a complicated and laborious process, requiring great muscular force from the muscular coats of the stomach. A kind of grinding triturating process; but it is not so. It is simply a decomposition, or separation of the ele- ments from each other, and an assimulation of them to the various organs and tissues of the body, that stand in need of them, and therefore in the round of the circu- lation attract them from the blood, and give out at the same time, in exchange, some of their own. The ap- petency and satiety of which depend upon the motion of the magnetic fluids, produced by attraction and re- pulsion, by the light of which we may see how the temperature of the body is kept up, equalized and pre- served, as well in the torrid as the frigid zone, as '■'well in summer and winter as in spring and autumn; attrac- tion producing contraction and cold, or diminished tem- perature, and repulsion an increase of temperature, or the sensation of heat. It will be admitted that the effect of all food is to produce motion, thought, sensation and heat, that is, to produce life, which consists simply in these phenomena. Ether, nitrous oxide, oxygen gas, brandy and water, as well as other alcoholic solutions, produce motion, heat, sensation and thought, and not only so, but much quicker and more intensely than com- mon food. Now will the sticklers for the old theory of digestion, please tell us how many hundred pounds pow- er it takes to grind down and triturate these above men- tioned and other kindred diffusible stimulents. Surely all can easily see that digestion is a simple separation, throughout the whole digestive, absorbent and circula- MAGNETISM. 1 33 tory circles of these elements from each other. Alcohol then, operates as well as food to keep up the flame of life, precisely as it does, or would, to keep up a flame out of the body when set on fire in the atmospheric air. **The lamp of life," is a very common expression; and is a very just and appropriate one, for both are produc- ed in the same manner, by the same materials or ele- ments, and are governed by the same law. Combustion then, may be compared to digestion; in both it is a sim- decomposition of a compound substance, separating its elements, and forming new combinations. The heat of the system is kept up and sustained by the attrac- tions and repulsions, decompositions and recombinations between the same elements, that with fuel or food in atmospheric air, heat is produced and continued, to wit: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with nitrogen. Combus- tion is nothing but a series of powerful and active at- tractions and repulsions between the above elements or substances. Decomposition, whether in the stomach or other parts of the system, repels; and its union with the various tissues of the body, is precisely the same process. in the one, the fiame of heat is produced; in the other, the flame of life. The one external; the other internal. Oxygen has erroneously been called a supporter of com- bustion, to the exclusion of all the rest; for hydrogen and carbon both mutually contribute to the phenomena of these attractions and repulsions as much so as oxygen. To besure oxygen unites with more substances in na- ture than carbon ; but hydrogen is as everywhere pre- sent as oxygen. Alcohol and other diffusible stimulants stand the same relation to quickness and want of per- manency of excitement in the system, that they do to other fuel in combustion in external air. Both are fleet- ing and transient, and destitute of that permanent dura- ble action, which is produced by more solid food or fuel. Many just, striking and analogous comparisons might 134 BAGG ON with increasing interest be drawn between the two, to further and more fully elucidate the subject ; but our limits forbid. We have shown in addition to the human system being formed double, that the whole system of circles, from the digestive and alimentary, up to the last, but most important of the brain and nerves, are perfor- med, on minute anatomical investigation, by a system of antagonizing vessels and organs, and that one side was the repository of positive magnetic fluid, and the other for negative ; that the food is made up of lour elements, which by the operation of these, forming a variety of compounds, produced by their action the magnetic flu- ids, which constituted life. These circles operated on, and operating upon the food, are so many cognate sys- tems forming a whole, which generated and eliminated from the food the pores, lungs and so forth, like so ma- ny galvanic batteries, the magnetic fluids, which is ac- cumulated in the blood and sent by the arteries to the brain, which gland secretes them sufficiently refined and sublimated for the operations of mind and muscular mo- tion. This accumulation then, from the series of cir- cles, perform by the action of the magnetic fluids, from the brain through the medium of its nervous appenda- ges, all the phenomena of mind and body. The brain then, the organ of mind thus relatively situated, the grand centre of all the circles of the system, stands as a monarch to the whole receiving support and susten- ance from all, but governing and dispensing law through- out the system. This system thus animated, moved and controlled by the brain, is very analogous to the circles of the planetary system, moved and controlled by the sun ; as well as the vegetating system of circles upon its surface. Every system in nature from the sun itself, down to the lowest vegetable, has an innate propensity to beget, and propagate something from itself, in image of itself. From the annual and diurnal revolutions of the earth, it would seem to have been sent off from the MAGNETISM. 135 bosom of the sun in a tangent between the mutual cen- trifugal and centripetal forces of that magnetic lumina- ry, and that it has preserved its motion, and imitated in its rotation, its parent fountain, since, and that it was formed in degrees or circles, as mentioned in (chapter xiv.) on geological formations. The circulation of the blood in the human system is performed in the same manner that the diurnal and an- nual motions of the earth are produced, and by the same forces, and on the same principle. The heart is the centre of the circulating system. It is a solid, and the blood a fluid. They are both in the positive state, and by the law of magnetism, from the mutual repulsion, the biood is repelled to the lungs, and thereby throwing off carbonic acid, and imbibing oxygen, is changed from a positive to a negative state, from an equilibrium between it and that function, and by the same law that repelled it from the heart to the lungs, is repelled in turn by that organ and attracted by the heart, where again arrived art; an equilibrium again takes place, and it is repelled all over the system to every part of the circumference, the capillary system ; which is a second lungs, is there changed by the repulsion of carbonic acid and attraction ot' oxygen through the pores, from the atmosphere, is repelled by that system, attracted to, and through the kidneys, parts with its redundancy of negative magnet- ic matter, in the form of nitrogen and other salts, and is again attracted back to the right heart ; and after again going to the lungs and liver, (which we omitted to men- tion above) the latter of which separates the excess of positive magnetic matter in the form of bile or carbon, and acids, is again returned, and thus by these changes from positive to negative by attraction and repulsion, is this ceaseless round of circulation produced, till death. Thus, like the motion of the earth from the change of light from a positive to a negative state, by the opera- tion of ponderable matter upon the magnetic fluids, is 13 f 136 BAGG ON the motion of the circulation produced from the same changes in the lungs, and capillaries. When the cur- rent is strongest towards the earth, we have day, light, and warmth, and when it is strongest towards the sun, night, darkness and cold. So also when the current is stronger towards the surface, the system is increased in temperature, action, motion and thought, and when it is stronger towards the center, it is diminished in all these characteristics of body as well as mind. It will be remembered throughout that we make heat to depend upon repulsion, in the system, and cold upon attraction ; and the tendency to an equilibrium of these, is the simple cause why the uniform temperature of 98 Farenheit, is maintained as well in summer as winter, day as night, or under the scorching sun of the equator as the frigid zone. Is there any other principle but this self equalizing one of magnetism, that could produce and continue the motion of the earth, the health and temper- ature of the animated machine, or of vegetation for an hour 1 Mark the perfect coincidence between the ef- fects upon the earth, of day and night, heat and cold, with the same effects upon the body and mind, as well as sleeping and waking. Each have a diurnal and an- nual revolution. So also has the vegetable creation. — What affects one, affects the other ; the cause is the same. Thus truths always agree, but errors never. — It not only disagrees with truth, but with itself. The test for truth then is attraction, and of error repulsion. By strictly adhering to this simple rule, we can never be mistaken. We have compared the human system to an electric machine, to a galvanic battery, and to the solar system, not inappropriately. The comparison might justly be extended to the steam engine, which per- forms its mechanical operations, or motions, by attrac- tion and repulsion, producing contraction and expansion. Even the machinery itself, furnace, boiler condenser, tubes, valves and all, might be compared with the sto- MAGNETISM. 137 mach, lungs, vessels and valves in the arteries and veins, and other organs of the system. The one is but a little more complicated than the other. Who is not forcibly struck with the analogy of the puffing and blowing of a high pressure steam engine, and the function of the lungs of man 1 The great and only material difference is, that one is animal and has a brain of its own, impelled by a portion of immortality, for an engineer, and the other a machine, constructed by man, and requiring an engin- eer to superintend its operations. The principle of lo- comotion in both are the same, and governed by the same law, attraction and repulsion. We have seen that the earth is rendered healthy or otherwise by the sun. It is said to be in a healthy state when its magnetic or electric fluids are in a state of equilibrium. When the equilibrium is disturbed or broken up, we become sen- sible of its being reproduced by a commotion in atmos- pheric air, denoted by thunder and lightning, and is made more apparent by rain descending or being attracted from the clouds to the earth. Precisely so with the hu- man system. The equilibrium cannot long be broken up between the magnetic forces, before an effort is made to reproduce it, and fevers are the result, denoted by cold chills alternated with hot flashes, and the equilibri- um is made apparent by a copious flow of water from both skin and kidneys. A storm then in atmospheric air with lightning and thunder, stands the same relation to the earth, that a fit of fever and ague does to the hu- man system, both the result of an effort of the magnet- ic forces to regain their lost equilibrium. The moon so effects the earth as to produce an at- traction and repulsion, or an ebbing and flowing of the waters upon its surface. It afco so effects the human system as to produce periodical results of attraction and repulsion in the same regular manner. No one howe- ver, will deny the great effect of planetary influence up- on the body and mind of man ; for spring and fall, sum- 138 BAGG ON mer and winter, day and night, extra of all other con- siderations will prove it. If there be planetary influ- ence upon the human system, how is it possible to pro- duce an effect, except by the agency of the magnetic fluids. There can be no other. But to corroborate it still further, we will remark that the life of animals are in some species, entirely dependent upon it. Some an- imals live and thrive on nothing but air ; while others live and grow on nothing but water. Of those that live on the latter, may be reckoned the various catalogue of fishes, tad poles and leeches. Rondlet kept a silver fish in pure water for three years, and at the end of that pe- riod it had gained and grown as large as the glass globe that contained it. Various other classes of fish like the carp, gold fish, and pike, have a similar power to live in that element. There are various insects, which live on the nectar of flowers, while others are sustained upon air alone, like the snail and chameleon, which have been known to live upon it for years. Dr. Good informs us that Gorman asserts that spiders will live upon air for months, and that Mr. Baker tells us in the philosophical transactions that he had a beetle which lived m a glass, confined for three years without food^ and then fled awayT)y acci- dent " The larves of ants are not only supported by air, but actually increase in bulk, and undergo their met- amorphose without any other food. The luminous cen- tipede which has been seen illuminating the air, aud falls into a ship one thousand miles from shore, lives on air. Lizards and especially the newt species, have been found imbedded in chalk rocks apparently dead and fossilized but have assumed living action on exposure to the at- mosphere. The experiment has frequently been tried on toads for two years, and on rattle and other snakes, and vipers, for years without change in their bulk. A friend assures me that on getting a portrait taken and framed, by accident a spider crawled beneath the glass and quietly seated himself upon the forefinger where he was permitted to remain twenty years, when on removing the glass, his majesty awoke, rubbed his eyes, and marched off triumphantly with a dignity proportion- ed to his age. But living upon air and water is not con- fined to fishes and vipers. History shows us that man and other animals can, and do exist without food for a long period of time upon air or water, or both, such as in cases of madness where a patient absolutely refuses to take food, to eat or drink. There is a most extraor- dinary case recorded of Cecelia D. Ridgeway, preserv- ed among the records in the Tower of London, which states that in the reign of Edward HI., having been con- demned for the murder or her husband, she remained for forty days without either food or drink. This was ascribed to a miracle, and the King condescended in consequence to grant a pardon. The Cambridgeshire farmer's wife, who about twenty years ago was buried under a snow storm, continued ten or twelve days with- out tasting any thing but a little snow which covered her. In the Edinburgh Medical Essays for 1720, Dr. Eccles makes mention of a beautiful young lady "about sixteen years of age," who in consequence of the sud- den death of art indulgent father, was thrown into a state of tetanus or rigidity of all the muscles of the bo- dy, and especially those of deglutition, so violent as to render her incapable of swallowing for two long and dis- tinct periods of time. In the first instance for thirty- four, and in the second which occurred shortly after* wards for fifty four days; during all which time her first and second fastings, she declared, says Dr. Eccles, she had no sense of hunger or thirst, and when they were over, she had not lost much of her flesh. In our own days, says Dr. Good, we have a most striking instance, in the case of Ann Moore, of Tutbury in Staffordshire, who in consequence of great and increasing difficulty in swallowing, at first limited herself daily to a very small 13* 140 BAGG Otf portion of bread alone, and on March 17th, 1807, re- linquished even that, allowing herself only occasionally a little tea or water ; and in the ensuing September, pretended to abstain altogether from liquids as well as solids. From the account of Mr. Granger, a medical practitioner of reputation, who saw her about two years afterward, she appears to have suffered very consider- ably either from her abstinence,. or from the general morbid heat which induced her to use abstinance. He says, indeed that her mental faculties were entire, her voice moderately strong, and that she could join in con- versation without undergoing any apparent fatigue; but he says also that. her pulse was feeble and slow, that she was altogether confined to her bed, that her limbs were emaciated, that convulsions attacked her on so slight an excitement as surprise, and that she had then very late- ly lost the use of her limbs, Hildanus and Haller have collected cases of much longer duration of abstinence, some of them extending to not less than sixteen years. In the numbers of the Philosophical Transactions (Lon- don) there are found numerous cases of the same kind, apparently drawn up with the most scrupulous caution, and supported by the best kind of concurrent testimony* In one of the earlier volumes, w r e meet with an ac- count of four men who w^ere compelled to subsist upon water for twenty-four days, in consequence of their having been buried in a deep excavation, by the fall of a superincumbent body of earth, under which they were working, and its being that length of time before they were extricated. The water they drank was from a spring at hand, and they drank it freely, but tasted no- thing else. A still more e xtraordinary case is related in the same Journal for the year 1742, and consists of the history of a young man, who, at the age of sixteen, from having drank freely of cold water when in violent peispiration, was thrown into an inflamatory fever, from wfyich he escaped with great difficulty, and with such a MAGNETISM, 141 dislike to food of all kinds, that for eighteen years (at the time this account was drawn up) he had never tasted any thing but water. He uniformly enjoyed good health, and appears to have had ejections but sel* dom." A multitude of hypotheses have been offered to account for these wonderful anomalies, says Dr. Good, but none of them do it satisfactorily; and I con- fess my utter ignorance upon the subject* Water ap- pears to be necessary in most, but not in all cases, for Hildanus, though somewhat imaginative, but honest in the main, assures us that Eva Flegen, who had fasted for sixteen years, when he saw her in 1612, had ab- stained entirely from liquids as well as solids; and in the case of impacted toads, especially those found in blocks of closely crystallized marble, the moisture they receive must often be very insignificant. Perhaps one of the most singular cases, and at the same time, the best authenticated on record, is that of Janet M'Leod, published in the Phylosophical Transactions by Dr. Mackenzie. She was at this time thirty-three years of age, unmarried, and from the age of fifteen had had various epileptic paroxysms, which had considerably shaken her frame, rendered the elevator muscles of the eyelids paralytic, so that she could only see by lifting the lids up, and produced so rigid a locked jaw that her mouth could rarely be forced open by any contrivance, She had lost very nearly her power of speech and de- glutition, and w r ith this, all desire to eat or drink. Her lower limbs were retracted towards her body; she was entirely confined to her bed; slept much, and had seldom any other ejections than periodical discharges of blood, apparently from the lungs, which was chiefly thrown out by the nostrils. During a very few intervals of relax- ation, she was prevailed upon, with great difficulty, to put a few crumbs of bread, comminuted in the hand, into her mouth, together with a little water, sucked from her own hand, and in one or two instances* a little gruel; 142 BAGG ON but even at these attempts, almost the whole was re- jected* On two occasions, also, after a total abstinence of many months, she made signs of wishing to drink some water, which was given her immediately. On the first occasion, the whole seemed to be returned from her mouth; but she Was greatly refreshed by having it rubbed on her throat. On the second occasion, she drank oft* a pint at once, but could not be prevailed up- on or forced to drink any more, notwithstanding that her father had now fixed a wedge between her teeth, two of which were hereby broken out. .With these exceptions, however, she seems to have passed upwards of four years without either liquids or solids of any kind, or even an appearance of swallowing. She lay for the most part like a log of wood, with a pulse scarcely per- ceptible from feebleness, but distinct and regular; her countenance was fresh; her features neither disfigured nor sunk; her bosom round and prominent, and her limbs not emaciated. Dr. Mackenzie watched her with occasional visits for eight or nine years, at the close of which period, she seems to have been a little improved* His narration is very precisely as well as minutely de- tailed, and previously to its being sent to the Royal So- ciety, was read over before the patient's parents, who were known to be persons of great Honesty; as also before the elder of the parish, who appears to have been an excellent man; and when sent, was accompa- nied by a certificate as to the general truth of the facts, signed by the minister of the parish, the sheriff-depute, and six other individuals of the neighborhood, of high character, and most of them justices of the peace* Yet with the freest use of water, what can we make of such cases upon any chain of chemical facts at pre- sent discovered? What can we make of it, even in conjunction with the use of air? The weight and solid contents of the body are derived chiefly from the prin- ciple which modern chemists denote carbon; yet neither MAGNETISM. 143 water nor air, when in a state of purity, contain a par- ticle of carbon; nor is it hitherto, by any means estab- lished, that even the nitrogen of the animal system is in any instance derived from the air, or introduced by the process of respiration; for the experiments upon this subject, so far as they go, are in a state of opposi- tion, and keep the question on a balance — factis contra- ria facta. Let us then confess our ignorance rather than attempt to be wise upon the base of conceit. All that we do know, is that bodies of all kinds are reducible to a few elementary principles, which appear to be un- changeable, and are certainly invisible; and that from different combinations and modifications of these proceeds every concrete and visible form; hence air itself, and water ; hence animal, vegetable and mineral substances. Air, therefore, and water, or either separately, may contain the rudimental materials of all the rest." Thus spake the learned and celebrated Dr. Good, to a London audience; one of the most learned and scientific men of the age. Had it been known at that time that the im- ponderables were identical; that they only presented to the organs of sense different sensations; that they were but the different variations of the magnetic fluids upon these sentient organs, his views would have been en- tirely different, and at no loss to determine the cause why animals could subsist comparatively without food, upon air or water, Aad he had positive proof that magnetism and electricity were the same principle, as we have at the present period, the problem would have been readily solved, and instead of declaring his igno- rance of the cause of animal life, would have opened a new field for his gigantic mental powers. Had he have known that water, which is formed of oxygen and hy- drogen, carried in its compound the two opposite elec- tricities, and that these were given out on their decom- position in their elements, it would readily have sug- gested the cause of life, and the rationale of their su[>- 144 BAGG ON port from this element. In respect to the support of air, we can easily see, that made up as it is, of oxygen and nitrogen, with some carbon, in the form of carbonic acid gas, and hydrogen (for moisture is always present in the atmosphere) how these elements are attracted to the system through the lungs and pores of the skin, and unite with the same in the various tissues of the body, liberate the magnetic fluids, and thus contribute to sus- tain life. Thus these facts to sustain our position, crowd upon us on every side, and not only cheer us onward triumphantly, but lead us to believe that we are permit- ted to ascend in the chain of causes from earth, a link higher in the scale than we have hitherto been accus- tomed. Light is always present, and is always a stim- ulent to animals, as well as vegetables, is absorbed by all ponderable matter, enters into its combination, and produces heat, and thus would contribute to sustain life, Have we not clearly shown light to be the magnetic fluid, as well as the cause of stimulating the blade of grass, the bear, the dormouse, insects and creeping things into life, and animation in the spring] It must, from what we have seen and shown, be conceded that a large share of animals, insects, &c, are sustained by air or water alone. If some are sustained, can not all be 1 When and where did nature ever work by partial laws 1 CHAPTER VII. CONNECTION OF MIND AND BODY FORMATION OF MIND. The mind and body, we have seen, are so intimately blended and united, that when one is operated upon, the other is affected also. Indeed, we can have no mind without organization, the vigor and capacity of which is much modified and characterized by it. The MAGNETISM. 145 brain, which is the organ of mind, varies in capacity in different nations, and with individuals of the same na- tion; so much so, that no two individuals are in all re- spects exactly alike. The mind of man has for ages been considered a unit, or as manifesting itself as a whole, until the days of Gall, Spurzheim, Combe, and others, and recently by the iight of magnetism, as applied to animals and to the mind itself, we know that it is made up of a compound of different organs, characterized by different manifestations of brain; and that these are but so many poles of the great central magnet — the brain; or as so many little cognate magnets, controlled and operated upon by the great one. This magnet, the brain, has a capacity over other magnets in matter of having an aptitude or capacity of setting itself in operation, engineering its own operations, and controlling its own motions, as w T ell as the motions of the body. This en- gineering faculty is mysteriously superadded by the cause of causes, and is termed Spirit, Essence, Soul; but we term it Will. This is what constitutes man a free agent, and has the power or faculty to act, and to be acted upon. It is therefore both active and passive. That particular state or condition which characterizes its passive state, we term sensation. That particular state or condition which characterizes its active state, we term volition. The former regards impressions from without, as a prime cause of its change; the lat- ter from within, as a cause of impulse. The former is produced by attraction: the latter by repulsion. This is the only fundamental law of mind. All our original ideas are obtained by sensatiop. All our actions and conduct flow from volition. An object strikes the senses, it produces by a change a certain arrangement of the little globules of the brain. This arrangement is either pleasurable or painful. If the former, we exercise the will to receive, retain, and have it again repeated. If painful, we will to dislodge, 146 BAGG ON cease to have it repeated, or not have it again produc- ed ; this brings into operation volition. If we have a second impression, if agreeable it is at- tracted to the other, and so on, like letters forming syl- lables, syllables words, and words sentences, and so up to discourses or books ; for this book is a facsimile of my brain, or a chart of it. If it be muddy in spots, such is my brain. If it be clear in others, such is my intel- lect. To be better understood, the letter A, for instance strikes my vision through the influence or operation of that imponderable fluid called light; th e little globules or magnets oi the brain, are at once by the power of attraction, combined into the exact form of that letter. and corresponds exactly with it. Next, B is presented, the same little magnets or globules are separated by re- pulsion that formed A, and re-combined by attrac- tion, by the effect of light into the exact form of B, and so on through the whole alphabet. The formation of these letters separately we term a notion, apprehension or simple idea. Having had our little globules moulded into the forms of all the letters of the alphabet, and dis- persed or taken down, or distributed like the forms of the printer, we exert the power of the will (volition) to recombine them into the form or shape of them without tKe^oripnal letters being present. If we succeed in re- producing them in the brain we are said to be good scholars, and that faculty by which they are reproduc- ed is called in the books memory. Memory then, is that faculty of will by which we can reproduce the ori- ginal figure in the little globules of the brain which has been once produced. Having produced these singly, we are presented with two connected, or associated to- gether. A and B, and by an other exertion of the will, we read the word ab, which is compounded of the two, from thisanother is attracted and reads abel, from" this to absolom, and thus are the little globules from the diver- sity of their combinations, from impressions through the MAGNETISM. 147 senses to give us our ideas, first single like A, and then B, then compound, like A and B, associated or attract- ed together, then complex like Absalom riding on horse- back through the wood and getting his hair entangled in the branches of its trees. The manner by which these are formed and associated is by attraction, and chang- ed from one to the other by repulsion, for all our ideas are expressed by symbols or signs, and when thus asso- ciated and expressed, is called language, which we have examined in another part of this work (chap. xyii). The single, compound and complex divisibility and forms of matter, and its recombination, or what are ter- med our mathematical ideas, are obtained in the same manner, as well as all our ideas of solidity, extension, sound, motion, taste and smell. We have said that com- pound ideas were produced by attraction from the for- mation of single ones into compound; our complex ones, are formed by this same principle of attraction, but by the union of the testimony of different senses to the mind. A lump of ioaf sugar strikes the eye with its form and white coior, we feel of its texture and find it to be hard and rough ; we then taste it, and find it to be sweet, we then pronounce it to be loaf sugar. So also with brown, or any other substance. Thus, in the first instance, the white color, shape and taste attracted together produce the idea of sugar, which idea instead of being simple, is complex, for one kind of sugar has different characteristics by which it is distinguished from another. It might seem that color could not be produ- ced by a change in these globules of the brain ; but is not color owing to the attraction and repulsion of light, or in other words, its absorption and reflection. Does not the peacock ? s tail produce different colors, and shades of color, by changing from attraction to repul- sion ? Are not colors changed by the change in the ar- rangement of their pa rticles' ? Does not the addition of ten parts mure in a hundred of metal of oxvgen, change 14 148 BAGG ON black oxide of iron, to red ? Have we not shown al- ready, that chemical affinity was based upon the prin- ciple, that one substance, or simple, was in a positive state of magnetism and the other in a negative 1 Do not acids redden vegetable blues, and alkalies restore them 1 Have we not shown when on the metals, that all colors of the oxides were changed by a greater or lesser quantity of oxygen; and what are all of these but changes or reversions of the poles of these ultimate at- oms or globules ? Thus are our first or original ideas obtained and linked or associated. It will be observed that sensation has its extremes or poles. It is divided into pleasure and pain ; both lie the same road, and are • but the names erf the extremes of a continued line, and are thus antagonized m themselves. Volition is also characterized by antagonistic princi- ples. We make but two sets of motions as has been be- fore explained, in opposition to each other, as to and from ourselves. Sensation is that law of the mind by which we obtain all our original ideas ; and volition that law by which we assist to re combine and originate new ones, as well as put them into action, 'm the operations of life, which is called conduct, which gives character. That act by which the will is impelled to produce new combinations, is termed reflection. That act of the mind by which it perceives the difference of things is called comparison, and by which it ultimately decides — judg- ment. All our knowledge of things is obtained by sen- sation, and the making use of it for our benefit or detri- ment, by volition. Thus then, we have the commence- ment and progress of mind. We have said that much depends upon organization. Much also depends upon volition; unloss we make application we shall not make progress. The two then are necessary, organization and application, to obtain an education or habitude. — The mind like the body, has its antagonizing principles, and is governed by the same law; hence we find an- MAGNETISM. 149 tagonizing poles to every attribute of mind. From our present limited knowledge of Phrenological science, we have discovered but about seventy manifestations of mind developed upon the head, which will hereafter be enumerated, located and illustrated. The passions are divided into two classes which are primarily antagoniz- ed. They are desire and aversion; desire depends upon attraction, and aversion upon repulsion. Desire is from the positive pole of pleasure, and aversion from the ne- gative pole of pain. The will is called into action in both cases, whether we wish to obtain or reject an ob- ject, thing or principle. The motive depends on sensa- tion. These (desire and aversion) are the primary or (elementary) as it were, passions of the human mind, which is like the simple notions, apprehensions of mind, or motions of body, are associated, combined and swel- led into almost an infinitude of complex arrangements, which have different names according to their appear- ance and effect. But numerous as they are, they are resolvable into two classes antagonized to each other, some of which are marked, and manifest themselves up- on the face and other parts of the body, which we shall show when we come to speak upon phrenology. The attractive passions are characterized by an inviting, soft, pliant, supplicating expression of the features of the face and muscles ; the repulsive by a rigid, tense, forbidding expression of the countenance and action of the extre- mities. Hence the maxim that " actions speak louder than words.'' The natural signs of the attractive pas- sions are denoted by dimples in the cheeks, smiles, laugh- ter, placid looks, a lively speaking sparkiing eye. and a winning look of the whole outline. The "repulsive on the contrary by tears, frowns, erections of the hair, and a cold, repulsive appearance; but it is not our purpose to describe the passions, but merely to show that they are antagonized to each other. We therefore find pride and vanity, joy and grief, love and hatred, hope and l!>0 BAGG ON fear, modesty and impudence, placidity and peevishness, adhesiveness and inconstancy, confidence and jealousy, firmness and timidity, ambition and indolence, in a word, all the emotions, feelings or passions of the mind are an- tagonized, and dependent on the same cause. Not on- ly is every attribute of mind antagonized to its fellow within itself, but the effect of mind upon mind in the transaction of business, in the formation of habits of con- duct, by influence, or persuasion to do, or not to do, to perform or leave undone, every or any of the transac- tions in human life. We find individuals of the same views, feelings and sentiments attracted together to form societies, and repelled from others, obeying the same law that governs matter. Hence the old and true max- im, that, " Birds of a feather, flock together." These are also constantly changing and undergoing new combinations, like those of matter. Nothing is more common than to see two individuals of the same sex on the most extreme terms of friendship, become at once the most bitter enetaies ; one extreme exactly pro- portioned to the other. So well is this general princi- ple understood by the observing, without knowing the cause, that when they discover the extreme of friend- ship in social circles, they anticipate and prognosticate a sudden blow up, or extreme of enmity. Hence the old maxim, that " hot love is soon cold.' 7 It is account- ed for upon our general law of mind and matter — that one extreme not only, at all times, follows another, but the quickness of the change is in a direct ratio to the in- tensity of the action of the extreme. Attraction or re- pulsion at all times, alternate with each other, which is but a reversion of the poles, from the action of the mag- netic principle. From unknown and unconscious causes, prejudices will arise between individuals, aud continue, but by the slightest cause, as it were by accident, a reconciliation MAGNETISM. 151 takes place, the poles are reversed, they become friends, and the other extreme is the result. But not only are our minds formed from simple apprehensions associated together by this law, but mind as a whole, is governed by the same law in its operations in society in the form- ation of friendships. CHAPTER VI1L THE EFFECT OF MIND UPON MIND. We have seen in the preceding, but more particular- ly in the last chapter, in what manner mind is formed. Our present purpose is to show the influence of one mind over another, and in what manner they are formed into social circles, parties, societies and churches. One mind operates upon another in such a manner as to control it in its action and operations, or is incapable of exerting an influence over it; the former is the effect of attrac- tion, the latter repulsion ; for in the union and sympa- thy of minds when associated to form friendships, soci- eties, &c, there is as much attraction as there is be- tween an alkali and acid in their formation of a neutral salt, or one magnet upon another. Philosophically speak- evory thing in nature is a magnet, and has its poles, or antagonizing extremes, and communicates with other 'ii no other manner. On an acquaintance of one individual with another of even the same sex, they are both so well pleased with each other, that they continue to frequent and enjoy each other's presence and socie- ty, or they have a mutual dislike, and separate and elude one another. One or the other of these effects always take place. The former is the effect of attraction, the latter of repulsion. Among those of different sexes, it forms the base of all courtships, and neutralization in marriage, as well as the cause of all the rebuffs that 14* 152 BAGG ON take place. In both instances, they are more the effect of passion and prejudice than judgment. Who, but has witnessed unsuitable and seemingly mysterious matches which were to say the least, any thing but the effect of good judgment. How often have parents attempted to break up at- tachments that had' already taken place, and create new ones in their stead, which good judgment dictated, and failed. How often have attachments been formed be- tween individuals and continued, which their own judg- ments told them were wrong, and pernicious to their permanent happiness and prosperity. How often have the attachments between individuals been so strong, that it has not only resisted the advice of relatives and friends, but parental authority itself, and arose to such a pitch of intensity, that walls, locks, and bolts were no barrier to the approximation of the parties, who steal away and consummate their union, under the full belief that all that is necessary in this life is the union of their minds, the cement of their affections, and presence of each oth- ers persons. For a time they enjoy themselves and each other, but at length attraction gives way, and re- pulsion permanently predominates, their behavior to each other is changed, love is turned into hatred, they quarrel and separate, and remain no longer one twain. Indeed, in a portion of community, these lesser attrac- tions and repulsions, quarrelling and " making up again" are daily alternating with each other, without perma- nent or final separation. But these attractions and re- pulsions are no less apparent in domestic, social and neighborhood circles. It forms the base of all the at- tachments and friendships, as well as prejudices and dis- likes, in community. Mind therefore, has an effect over mind, to control its actions and operations, and the law by which this is produced, is the same as that governing matter — de- pending on the doctrine of definite proportions. MAGNETISM. 153 One individual wants a certain favor of another, his influence is not sufficient to obtain it ; he applies to an other individual who has sufficient influence to accom- plish it, w r ho intercedes, gets the favor granted, while the first could have no effect. The cause is obvious ; like oil and water the two first individuals were alike — in the same state of magnetism, either both positive or both negative ; their definite proportions were not in a condition agreeable to the law. to produce attraction, and was therefore repulsive of each other ; but on the interference of the third, like the addition to the water of the alkali, they are changed into a different state of magnetism, and attraction takes place, and the favor is granted ; a new compound is formed, or a new associ- ation commenced, which continues until another change takes place philosophically between them. So also with individual friendships. Persons frequently, simply from externa] appearance, hearsay, or some other equally tjivial cause, will take ot each other the most deep-root- ed prejudices and continue to indulge them for a time, but by slight causes, from accident as it w T ere, or by the intercession of a third person, a change takes place, at- traction takes the place of repulsion, and the most per- fect friendship ensues ; and vice versa from one to the other. Parties, societies, clubs and juntos, whether po- litical, moral civil or religious, are formed in the same manner and governed by the same law r . A simple ap- prehension or idea of mind, stands the same relation to mind as a whole, that an individual mind does to a soci- ety, party or club as a whole ; both are formed by at- traction, and dissolved, separated or broken up by re- pulsion. It is then the cause of all the excitements in community, in politics, morality and religion. The mind of one individual, besides operating upon another, and controlling in a great measure its actions through the medium of speech, by eloquence, argument, or by what is called persuasion, has another language 154 BAGG ON or medium of communication, through the passions, and the eye has no inconsiderable share in the effective ef- fects of this species of communication. The influence of parents, teachers, and others, upon the young, afford striking examples of this line of communication and ef- fect If a child is brought before its teacher or parent, and interrogated or questioned in respect to certain facts of conduct, while he gives it, a searching look as if to read its very soul, the true answer is sure to be given, although prevarication almost amounting to falsehood, before others, had been practiced. But it will not be denied that one individual has an effect over another in controlling it, in the transactions of life. All our original knowledge comes by custom and habit, and the^e are obtained by sympathy, and imitation. What is sympathy but attraction ? and what is imitation but an effort to do as others do, or have done, by the power of volition? An idea or apprehension is as much an integral part of mind, as a particle of phos- phate of lime is an integral part of bone. An individu- al mind is as much an integral part of society or party, as an idea is of mind, and is as essential to the forma- tion of each, as a fraction is to form a whole number. The formation of both is owing to the same law, attrac- tion. It is therefore universal, and runs through all na- ture, and is the law on which the whole is based. Can we not then see a most perfect analogy in the forma- tion of mind from simple ideas, and the formation of societies and parties from individual minds, and the for- mation of compounds from simples, in material substan- ces? Can we not see why they are easily and readily found in some instances, and why they can not be found at ,all in others 7 ? Attraction in the first instance, and repulsion in the latter; and these again depending upon the proportions of their ultimate atoms relative to each other. It will be recollected, that from our present chem- ical knowledge, we have between fifty and sixty simples, MAGNETISM. 155 from which all compounds of material substances are formed. It will also be remembered, from our present knowledge of the science of phrenology, we reckon about the same number of manifestations of mind. The sim- ple substances will not unite to form compounds at most, but generally in four proportions, and these are always a multiple of each other. Do we not discover an anal- ogy in formation of friendships between the different temperaments, corresponding to these? Are not the individuals composing political parties characterized by particular manifestations of mind? Can not a good, well skilled phrenologist, by examination of the mani- festations of mind, point out to which society or church an individual belongs, or that he has never joined him- self to any, or ever will, from his particular manifesta- tions? If so, is not there sufficient analogy to corrobo- rate our general theory in this respect? We showed (chap. xin. part 1) the different points of union of an- timony, iron and tin with oxygen, and that they invari- ably united in the proportions of multiples of their first point of union. These metals may be taken to exem- plify, not only the whole of material substances in na- ture, but the formation of mind from simple ideas, and societies from mind. This law of matter and mind, upon which both are based, is the cause of that endless variety and uniformity of nature w T hich philosophically constitutes beauty itself. It is no less then the cause of the variety of nature in her various compounds, textures, natures and colors, of varieties of intellect and societies, but the cause of the change or dissolution of all. It is also, as we have seen, the cause of the influence of one mind over an- other, as well as why it can not have influence. Some persons can not be made readily to acquire knowledge on a given subject or science, but will make great and rapid improvement in some other. Some persons can not acquire from a certain author or teacher, knowledge 156 BAGO ON on a given branch or science readily; but of another author or teacher, will make rapid proficiency; while this same author or teacher will advance others more rapidly than even those that are last mentioned. This difference of instructors as well as instructed, is owing to our law of attraction and repulsion, and these, as we have before said, are the definite proportions of their nervous energy or magnetism, rendering, in the first . instance, where they learn readily, one positive and the other negative, and in the last, both positive or both negative. The former the precise condition to attract or acquire, and the latter the particular condition to re- pel, and therefore prohibit, necessarily, acquisition. — Thus, compounds of ideas, which form mind, are gov- erned by the same laws that govern matter. We have shown this principle to be the base of logic, and from our definition, it will be readily seen that eloquence, which is the great lever of public opinion, is but the effort of one mind to attract to itself or to its manner of thought, feeling, sentiment and action, other minds, and thus influence and control their actions and course of conduct, although there is another language, which, although mute, and speaks through but two senses, is nevertheless not the less potent, and probably influences and controls a large portion of community. I allude to the language of the passions, which communicates itself through the medium of the eye and touch. Thus then, both mind and matter are formed and governed by this law of magnetism. Substances will not then unite in all proportions to form compounds. Neither can all be convinced by the arguments and eloquence of one speaker. One orator will convince and persuade a cer- tain portion of an audience, and disgust another, and have but little effect either way upon a third. The cause we have before explained. We said (chap, xix, part 1) that there was no absolute weight, or levity, or heat, or cold, that all were relative, and resulted from MAGNETISM. 157 attraction and repulsion. The only reason why a sub- stance falls to the earth, and is said to be heavy, is its attraction to the great magnet, and the force by which it attracts it is called its weight; but this attraction or what is called its weight, is and can be overcome by repulsion. Iron, by the magnetic fluids, is attracted to- gether and forms a mass. The same magnetic fluids from the earth and iron attract it to the large magnet, and the force or intensity is called its weight; but this same attraction can be changed to repulsion from the earth, and the iron made to recede into atmospheric air, and again be attracted back, for iron can be melted and thrown into gas. Every substance that is attracted to, or repelled from the earth, is naturally magnetized. — Every substance in nature has one or the other of these qualities, not excepting even man himself. Every sub- stance then, or thing, upon the earth, as w r ell as man himself, is naturally magnetic. Iron, which like all other substances, is in a naturally magnetized state when left free to move, is simply at- tracted to, and falls to the earth, but if by induction, an increased quantity of magnetism is communicated, and then left free, it points to the poles of the earth, one extremity to the north, and the other to the south. So also between individuals. In the common, every day transactions of life, they sympathize and and attract, or become prejudiced and repel, convince or disgust each other in affairs of daily intercourse, which are so common and habitual, that they pass unnoticed; but if we, through the medium of the will, communicate an increased quantity of the magnetic fluids, like the iron, the individual becomes exalted in all his faculties or at- tributes of mind, and we perceive this principle of attrac- tion and repulsion more clear, and its operations more striking. We allude to that peculiar condition of the system produced by what is called Mesmerism, or An- imal Magnetism. 158 BAGG ON These fluids in the system, in a natural state, are sub- ject to accumulation and diminution, are expended during the day ; and accumulated during the night and that it can be repelled by one individual, and attracted by an- other, to such an extent beyond the natural condition, as to cataleps, palsy, or render insensible, the external senses of the body, and thereby create, institute, or make apparent a new sense, which, for the sake of distinction, we term the magnetic sense. CHAPTER IX. MAGNETISM, MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DEGREES OF, BY CON- VERSATION AND ELOQUENCE MANIFESTATIONS; DIFFERENT DEGREES, TEMPERAMENT. In the ordinary intercourse then, of life, in the com- munications of one with another, through the medium of the senses, in our progress in the sciences by sym- pathy and imitation, as well as the original or new com- binations by reflection, the effect of one individual upon another to excite, convince, persuade and influence an- other, is produced by the magnetic fluids, according to the immutable law of the principle of attraction and re- pulsion. An individual is inclined or persuaded to per- form a certain act, or take a certain course of conduct, from the anticipation of its beneficial results, or is de- terred from it, or taking the course, from a fear of its consequences. One individual can convince about so many, such a portion of an audience, and prejudice the remainder against him and his subject. Another will convince another portion, and another another, and so on, until all are convinced; but not, however, to the belief of one creed or subject. This depends upon temperaments, which differ from each other by a differ- ent arrangement of the constituent elements of the body, MAGNETISM. 159 and quantity of nervous fluid. A person of one tem- perament will have an effect upon a person of another temperament different, and this again upon another, and so on. A methodist, for instance, will convince, from an indiscriminate audience of free thinkers, such a por- tion; a presbyterian another; an episcopalian a third; the catholic a fourth, and the baptist, and universalist or unitarian the remainder, except some small fractions, whose organs of self-esteem are too large to be disgraced by the conviction of the truth of, and assent to any subject. These conversions of one portion, and non-conver- sion of the others in society, are governed by the im- mutable law of magnetic attraction and repulsion, as much so as matter, or the magnetic needle itself. Indi- viduals in society are changing in body and mind mo- mentarily, and he who can not convince to day, may to morrow, and he who can not be convinced this week, may be the next, as the ultimate atoms of our systems are constantly changing as well as mind, so that him that is positive to day, may become negative to morrow, and vice versa, for we find strong intellects operated upon by weak ones, and weak ones by strong ones. Many a strong intellect has resisted for years the whole ar- tillery of the scholastic intellects of the most eloquent and argumentative discourses, but yet have been con- vinced by an illiterate, weak and feeble speaker, without eloquence or logic, simply from the conditions of both minds being in the right relative capacity to be attracted by one another. Thus then we find that the intellect of man varies in sympathies and prejudices with each other in the natural state, or ordinary business of life, not only with each other, but are constantly changing in their own, to as great a variety and extent as the various combinations of material substances. This na- tural state of sympathies and prejudices, which is the result of the principle for which we are contending, for 15 160 BAGG ON illustration we will term the minimum, or naturally magnetized state of the human system, the lowest de- gree or communicating link in the chain of magnetic phenomena, up to the state or stage where a person can be so filled, affected, or operated upon by another per- son, as to close up or suspend all his natural sensations and volitions, and create in their stead a new sense, which, for the sake of distinction, we term the magnetic sense, and the particular stage in the chain of magnetic phenomena the maximum degree of effects; which de- gree stands the same relation to the minimum stage or link in the chain, that getting drunk does to the "stiv- erer" who takes his three or four drams a day. This definitien, and these degrees, are more or less arbitrary, as throughout the whole chain, no two indi- viduals are exactly alike, and vary in point of abilities and exaltation, or in brilliancy and profundity. One will excel in one branch, and another in another, and occasionally one will excel in all; but this seldom hap- pens. It will not be denied that there are different de- grees of magnetic effect, on a moment's reflection, in the naturally magnetic subject. To deny this, would be to say that all persons were equally operated upon by a certain oration or discourse, which, were it the case, would constitute all on a par, of not only quickness and aptitude of thought and action, but make them equal as to intellectual acquirements. Two persons of different temperaments go to church, for instance: the speaker is endowed with the gift of God, called eloquence.—- The one, instead of being interested in the discourse, begins to nod from sleep, and gives no attention, and is not the least affected by the effort; while the other be- comes attracted to the speaker, follows him in every idea, marks and feels every gesture, becomes excited, convinced, and retires determined to conform in con- duct to his inculcations. How is this 1 What the ra- tionale? The speaker, by his eye, his gesticulation, MAGNETISM. 161 and through the medium of atmospheric air, by his voice, throws the magnetic fluid from himself throughout the room, and some being in the proper condition, receive it by attraction, which produce the same feelings and sentiments in them that this same fluid produced in the speaker; while others, being in a different condition, (positive or negative, as the case may be) repel it, and are not the least affected, or what is more generally the case, become deeply prejudiced against it: thus philo- sophically sustaining the parable of our Saviour in his similitude of the kingdom of Heaven to the husband- man sowing his seed. Some fell by the way-side, some among thorns, and some upon good ground, and it brought forth in different ratios, according to their faith and will. So also with the spirit of life, or truth, or the magnetic fluids, in every day's intercourse of man with man. It is in proportion to faith, belief, will, that the influence - is felt or not. All persons who have been magnetized to the maximum degree, will attest, that so long as they remembered their sensations, the manipulations produced a pleasant aura, or cool sensation like pleasant slight chills. Who is there that has not felt, while listening to an eloquent sermon, oration, or what not, these same pleasant chills or aura] Can we not, then, see that eloquence consists in the speaker's throwing from him- self the magnetic fluids upon the audience, and like the seed of the husbandman, some w r ill take root and produce such a yield, and in another such another crop, exactly proportioned to the relative condition of each to effect and become effected'? This work will convince about so many, such a portion of mankind, by attraction, and disgust another portion by repulsion, and have no effect upon others, because they have not sufficient faith to begin to read it. All those who have been magnetized, 01 put into the maximum state, can at any time throw themselves into that condition by their own will, by looking at a piece 162 BAGG ON of metal that has been magnetized for that particular purpose. Patrick Henry magnetized by his eloquence the whole American Congress, at the commencement of the revolution, and moulded the majority of their minds, by attraction, into his own patriotic enthusiasm for liberty, and that same speech, then given, will pro- duce, in a degree, the same effects, when read at the present day. Thus much upon the minimum degree, or the naturally magnetized effects upon society. Now for the maximum state or stage. If we place ourselves in a position opposite to another individual, and be con- nected in such a manner as to grasp gently the hands, so that the ball or extremity of the thumbs shall come in contact with his at the same point, with our fingers brought into the centre or inside of his palms, and at the same time look him steadily in the eye, with a fixed determination of the will to throw through them and our eye the magnetic fluids from our system, and if the individual be passive or willing, and attract from us at the same time, with a concentrated energy, until an equilibrium of temperature takes place between us, then raise our right hand slowly, carrying the palm outward, describing a segment of a circle, to the head, so that the index finger shall rest upon the junction of the pa- rietal and frontal bones, and the thumb upon the organ of individuality, and hold it in this manner until an equi- librium of temperature also takes place; then draw it slowly down the right side of the face, over the cheek, to the top of the shoulder, and from thence lightly down along the arm to the thumb again, three times in suc- cession, in the same manner, and then take hold of the thumb with the right hand as before, holding on, and perform the same with the left hand. Then raise both to the head at once, and perform with both together three times, as before, and clasp the thumbs again, as at first, and continue to hold them about the length of ,time it took to perform these three .last manipulations; MAGNETISM. 163 then carry them up in the same manner to the top of the shoulders, and hold them there for about the same period, drawing them lightly and slowly down to the thumbs as before; then raise them to the face on a level with the eyes, at one or two inches distance, and hold them in that position three minutes; then slowly draw them within two or three inches of the body to the pit of the stomach, on which press or touch gently the thumbs, while the fingers of each hand rest upon the sides. Hold them here three minutes, and then bring them down again to the thumbs, and clasp them the whole time with a fixed, determined and concentrated will, the individual will close his eyes and fall into the first stage of magnetic sleep, which consists in doing away with natural sight, or catalepsy of the eye. We may then go on with the same, over and over again, or make use of such of them as appear to have the great- est effect. If we now think him to be through the first stage, which can only be known positively by asking the somnambulist himself if he is through, he will either aw T ake and open his eyes, or tell you the truth. If he is not through, and does not awake, he will tell you which manipulations effect him most, and have the best effect to facilitate the operation, as well as give the precise time it will take, to a minute, by the watch, — should it be five hours, which was the case with one subject of mine, about two years since, who told on be- ing asked during that period, forty times, and the seve- ral forty periods of time, amounted to a minute, to the five hours, When the subject says he is through with the first sleep, then change your manipulations by put- ting your thumbs and fingers of each hand, drawn to- gether in the form of a cone, upon veneration, and draw them slowly down to the pit of the stomach, or a little below, (which point at this stage, the subject will point out) in such a manner as to describe a circle, carrying back with the palms turned outward, and thus on, in 15* 164 BAGG ON this manner, until the subject is rendered incapable of hearing through the ear, and gays himself he is through the second stage, • which consists in doing away this sense. Again change your manipulatious by placing the left hand upon the side of the head, so that the thumb will correspond to the upper part of the organ of caution, while the root of the little finger shall be in contact with destructiveness, while at the same time you place the right hand as before, upon the organ of veneration, and draw it down to the pit of the stomach in such a manner as to describe a semi-circle; continue in this manner until the senses of taste, touch and smell of the right side are cataleps'd or palsied; then revers- ing your hands by placing your right upon the side of the head, and perform the manipulations with the left in the same manner as was done with the right, until the senses, as before mentioned, of that side are palsied or closed up. Your subject is now magnetized, or so affected by your will and manipulations, ? which are the effect or mere tools or machinery of volition, that he has no natural sensations or volitions. He can neither see, hear, feel, touch, taste or smell, except through his magnetizer. All the avenues or windows, as it were, to the exter- nal world are closed, shut or cut off, while the vegeta- tive system and the vital organs perform their office. — All the external senses are by this operation concentra- ted in one, or a new one is instituted or created, which we term the magnetic sense. A good clairvoyant or subject perfectly magnetized cannot hear even his mag- netizer, except he be in contact, and although he can- not see, through or by the eye, can see by the new sense through a solid, as well as before through atmospheric air. This is the most regular and best course to take the first time, with all who present themselves to be mag- netized. But the re .are those of congenial temperaments, MAGNETISM, 165 and whose atoms or proportions of magnetism are so perfectly proportioned to that of the magnetizer, that they will readily become magnetized in a few minutes ; while others will take as many hours, w T hile still others will require three or four sittings, on as many different days, as well as others who cannot be made to go into the perfect state at all. But there are none but what can be affected in a greater or less degree, although to himself or the bystanders it does not become sensible without close observation. There is no person but w r hat, if we put our fingers upon the pulse, and icill to throw directly into the blood or artery the magnetic fluids, but whose pulse can be sensibly increased in fullness, strength, and frequency, from five, to ten or twenty beats in so many minutes, without any appearance of sleep. Sometimes we sit down to magnetize, and after going through the above, in nervous and bilious tem- peraments, all the sensible feelings produced are a heavi- ness over the brow, a nervousness, or fidgets in the feet and limbs, with almost constant yawning; but in these partial cases, in a few minutes the patient is as much re- freshed as though he had taken hours of common natu- ral sleep. In temperaments of easy influence, like the lymphatic, we need not ask the patient to look at us, neither need we look into his eyes. We can magnetize him by looking at any part of the body, as the finger, and alter it is ojice or more times done, we can do it by the simple will alone without looking at, or touching him, but more of this in the sequel. To return to our perfect state of magnetic sleep as it is termed, the max- imum state of effect in the chain of influence. The sub- ject sets erect as in the natural state, breathes as usual, countenance natural, but if asked a question without con- tact cannot hear. If we now will him to raise the right arm, to place it upon his head, to straighten it from the body* to walk across the house and touch a certain 166 BAGG ON point, and then will him to return without a word being spoken, it is performed. CHAPTER X. MAGNETISM AS MORE PARTIGMJLARLYAPPLIED TO MAN, OR WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED ANIMAL MAGNETISM, CLAIRVOYANCE, CATALEPSY, PALSY, &C. I magnetized a subject and patient suffering under a spinal neuralgia, in the family of H n, who said that a certain other person, who took more than common in- terest in his welfare, had pledged him not to be put in- to the somnambulic state without his being present. — That day, having a very severe headache he consented to go to sleep, (as we call it) and therefore waived the pledge. After getting into a clairvoyant state, and while I was exciting some of the phrenological organs, he suddenly darted from me and ran rapidly to the top of a long, and high flight of stairs, having no banisters, and beckoned me to come to him. I was taken by such sur- prise by this act (as the subject had been heretofore in pain and uneasiness when only removed but four or five feet distance,) that I fancied him insane, but on reaching the top of the stairs where he stood, he immediately in- formed me of the cause. While sitting, there below, he saw his friend three or four rods from the door in the road approaching the house, and having promised never to be magnetized when he was absent, he ran to the top of the stairs, and beckoned me to come up and take off the influence before he came in, but said he, " he has now gone, and you need not take it off," and I led him down again for fear he might fall, to w T here we were sitting when disturbed. A minute or two after I went to the head of the stairs, the lady of the house hearing a knock at the door, opened it, and the friend made an i MAGNETISM. 167 inquiry after the health of the person in sleep, and pas- sed on, corroborating what had been said by the sub- ject. Now such was our relative position as to his, any where in the street, at the time of his perceiving his friend, that he must have looked through two lathed and plastered walls, as well as the clapboards on the outside of the building. Of this there can be no mistake. It could not have been otherwise. There can be no pre- varication, no escape from the truth as above stated. I have repeatedly been seated in my office with dif- ferent clairvoyants when there would be a knock at the door, and not knowing whether it was some one who w r ished to come in on business, for medical aid, or mere- ly to gratify an idle curiosity, have made enquiry of the clairvoyant, and in nine cases out of ten would tell the fact, what was wanted, as I would learn by opening the door. One of my subjects was so easily effected, or so thoroughly magnetized that on exciting the organ of im- itation he would at the same instant of time perform any, and every motion of the muscular system that I w r illed and did myself. If I revolved one hand over and around the other with the greatest celerity, he would do the same at the same instant, and if I changed with the quickness of thought, from revolving in one direc- tion, to that of the other, he w r ould at the same, instant- ly change also, so that no perceptibile difference be- tween the two could be discovered. If I arose and walked he would do the same ; if I walked erect, he would walk erect also ; if I walked in a stooped, limp- ing, halting manner, he would do the same ; if I writh- ed or contorted the muscles of the face, cried, laughed, sung, or spoke, he would perform the same, at the same instant of time ; if I spoke or made a speech on any sub- ject he would speak the same, use tne same modulation of voice, observe the same accent, emphasis and ca- dence, in a word, he would imitate all, every and the most minute action or motion, not only of myself but ol 168 BAGG ON any other person with whom he was put in communica- tion. I at one time put him in communication with an infant six months old, and he imitated every little mo- tion of the hands and fingers that they usually perform in their cradles at that age. When the babe cried he would cry also. This subject was the best on imitation and some other characteristics, of all that I have mag- netized, in not less than two thousand, particularly on time and reading at the top of the head and pit of the stomach. When the weather was good, and that is when it is the best for the electrizing machine, he would at any and at all times when asleep, put his hand to the pit of the stomach and tell correctly the time of day or night, even to a second, and this without he or myself, or any one in communication, looking at a time-piece of any kind. He could appreciate time the best of any I have magnetized out of over two thousand. This sub- ject when well magnetized, would read a common bank bill or any thing else of the size of common bills at the top of the head or pit of the stomach, while in the som- nambulic state, with the eyes securely bandaged, so as to preclude the possibility of seeing. I have never had but four among those I have affected, that could read in this manner. Clairvoyants all vary in their capacity of reading and travelling as it is called. They differ also in many other respects and in their own capacity at dif- ferent times. This depends upon a variety of causes and contingencies, such as the temperament of the mag- netizer and magnetized, of their health, their relative at- oms of electricity, the condition of the atmosphere, and on the extent as well as manner of their being magnet- ized. Much has been said upon clairvoyance or second- sighted ness. While some believe that magnetism or electricity, which we have shown to be light, is thrown by repulsion and received by attraction into their sys- tems, so as to illuminate the organ of mind in such a manner that they are increased and exalted in every MAGNETISM. 169 faculty by a superabundance of this principle ; others believe that it is the union of two minds, and by this means is doubled in perception and capacity; while oth- ers believe that it is a process which, in a mysterious manner so operates as to separate soul and body, mor- tality from immortality, and that when perfected, we converse with the soul direct, isolated and detached as it were, from the dross of corruption — the body. We confess from our present knowledge, from the great dif- ficulty in obtaining and keeping in employ clairvoyants, from the ignorance and derision of a large share of com- munity upon the subject, that it is still enshrouded in mystery, and perhaps ever will be. All we know is, that something is imparted from us to them, which weak- ens us, and strengthens them, and that in proportion to the quantity imparted, or their becoming effected they become exalted in mind and soul. Subjects describe their magnetic vision as long as they can remember, as a white silvery gleaming light, like that from the reflec- ted rays in a frosty morning from a field of blades of grass. When we move our hands over their heads, they describe it like bands or streams of white silvery light. When we ask them to walk with us in clairvoy- ance and bid them examine, they frequently excuse themselves, by saying it is too dark, but on having a few passes repeated, they will go on as desired, expressing themselves as able to see and tell correctly. Thus it appears to be light — the magnetic fluids. Those who can be so effected as to not be able to see, hear, touch, taste or smell, except through the magnetizer are at all times good clairvoyants and may be depended upon ; whereas those that have one of these senses remaining entire are poor ones, will sometimes tell the truth, and sometimes the contrary, and are therefore never to be depended upon. Although they will sometimes break out and astonish all with their lucidity, with their al- most miraculous powers in travelling or giving certain 170 facts infinitely beyond the comprehension of mortality, perhaps the next breath they will come wide of the truth. It is this, their imperfect magnetic sleep, owing to various collateral circumstances as before mentioned, to- gether with the most prominent one, of the ignorance or rather want of knowledge of the magnetizer upon the subject, which brings clairvoyance into disrepute and causes it to be disbelieved by the multitude, and even questioned by those who float upon the surface of the science, or pretend to be magnetizers. Magnetism is governed by the law of attraction and repulsion, is con- trolled by the will alone of both the magnetizer and the magnetized. Hence a subject magnetized is attrac- ted or repelled by every person within a certain sphere of influence, such as throughout a common sized public lecture room. Those who believe in the science, at- tract, while those who disbelieve repel the magnetized. When we cataleps an arm, many present of an audience have the curiosity to convince themselves by handling it, and the tendency of the magnetic fluids to an equi- librium, like what has hitherto been termed caloric, ab- stracts it, and is transfused to the officious handler, and the clairvoyant becomes incapable of correct sight, and fails on that account. Therefore a clairvoyant will ne- ver, from this and other causes, such as tne exhausted air, and too large proportion of carbonic acid floating in the room, perform so perfectly in a large audience as in a small familiar circle. They seldom long, in a large audience point to the positive pole of truth, but vacillate and turn to the negative one of error. Whoever has amused himself by playing with a dozen small compass needles in a sufficient distance, or sphere of influence to effect each other, can form some idea of, and appreci- ate the embarrassment under which a magnetizer la- bors in attempting to prove the truth of clairvoyance under these circumstances. Many times a whole audi- ence will not only be crowded into a small room, but MAGNETISM. 171 are noisy disbelievers, call it all a humbug, distract the mind of the magnetizer, and added to these, absolutely outwill the magnetizer, in their wish to bring odium up- on the science, and carry their points and gain their ends. In union or attraction there is strength, but in its opposite, weakness. There was a time in Ireland when there was but one individual will, to will the re- peal of the union, and it was of course impotent for ef- fect, but that individual attracted others and so on until now, the whole concentrated will of the Island is for re- peal, and if they stand firm, it must and will come; it forms the omnipotence of the public sentiment of Ire- land. When the patient, or subject rather is magnetiz- ed, the several external senses catalepsed, or palsied, and the new one instituted, the whole mind becomes so exalted and enlarged, as to at least break over the cir- cumscribed boundaries of mortality, and presents us with phenomena truly surprising, astonishing, wonderful, and full of interest. A good clairvoyant well magnetized, will not only look through a solid as well as atmospher- ic air, but the sight is lengthened immeasureably be- yond our comprehension. He will look into, and through the system, tell the location of disease, describe the feel- ings, thoughts, the appearance of the part effected, the cause, and if curable the most appropriate remedy, cor- rectly, even better than the patient can describe his own feelings, and call to mind transactions in life that trans- pired years before. In a word, time, space, textuiv. distance, magnitude, locality, and all the other attribute* of mortality, are annihilated. After a lecture in a certain village in this state, i the benefit of a few select friends, on returning to my room, I magnetized my subject. A young man of the party in company, had left the room unperceived by me, and the clairvoyant broke out in a digression, say- ing that he was then drinking a glass of beer at the bar. I desired a gentleman present to step to the bar and test 16 172 BAGG ON the truth of the assertion. He immediately returned with the young man who owned the fact to his disgrace, as he was a te- to taller and this was the first he had ta- ken in our route, which was a month in duration. Now such was the situation of the bar relative to the room we occupied, that the clairvoyant must have look- ed again through two lathed and plastered walls, as a hall intervened between the bar-room and the one we oc- cupied, and both doors were closed. It was very unlikely to be guessed at, or anticipated, for it was the fiist he had drank in the journey. In our route I chanced to magnetize a man so that he became a clairvoyant, at the village of S — e, who had an affected spine. I assured him if he would accompa- ny us I would cure him. He accordingly became one of the party, and I magnetized him as often as twice a day for thirty days, at the end of which he was perfect- ly cured and had gained the first, twenty days a pound of flesh per day. This subject read with his eyes ban- daged, at the pit of the stomach, at one time a handbill, but never read afterwards, lie was a good clairvoy- ant, could at all times when well magnetized describe correctly the feelings of a patient better than he could (in the generality of cases) himself, give the cause, du- ration of the disease, prognosticate and prescribe, if cu- rable. He never failed to tell when in communication, indescriminately from an audience, to what political party they belonged correctly, which frequently amoun- ted to a dozen during one lecture, and all perfect stran- gers to both him and me. He also told their business and occupations in life, and never failed to point out ministers of the gospel, (the number examined was five) and to what sect or denomination they belonged. The day before he left us while thoroughly magnetized, in a high state of clairvoyance, I asked him if he could not tell me something new about magnetism; if there was no better manner to induce sleep. He said there was MAGNETISM. 173 no better method, that we must concentrate and will strong. I asked him what was the cause. He replied it was electricity and that was life itself. I then asked him if there were any more degrees of sleep than we then practiced, that a subject might be put into. After a few moments, said he, if you lay your thumbs on ve- neration, hold them there a minute, then draw them down each side of the head, neck, shoulders, and along the arms to the thumbs, and repeat six times ; after which hold them just below the ear against the great arteries about the same length of time that you are per- forming the manipulations, concentrate well, and will strong, Ml can see into Heaven.*' I immediately com- menced and added as directed, this degree of magnetic sleep to the three others already produced. As soon as completed, I icilled him to Heaven, and never shall I for- get the scene that ensued. He raised his head steadily upwards, muttering unearthly and sepulchral sounds, seemingly conversing with, (to us,) invisible spirits, be- came convulsed, shed tears profusely, was choaked and troubled for breath; but by great effort cried out, Doc- tor, don't, don't. Don't what, said I. Don't will me to Heaven; " they don't like to have me go there.*' " O! such a sight !" here he cried aloud, sobbed, and became so convulsed that I feared the consequences, and took off the last influence. After waiting a few minutes and finding him uninjured except very tired, I affected him as before, and willed him again to Heaven. He became affected as before, panted for breath, trembled, sobbed whispered, and gesticulated as though in the most ear- nest conversation but at length became more calm, and after a few minutes said, * thanks be to God Doctor, my friends are here, some of whom I never believed would have got here." He then broke out to exhort us to become better, to live better lives or we should never get there, and said he was determined to live a better life himself, and begged me to let him return, and 174 BAGG ON that when I returned if I came through his village, he would consent to let me will him as strongly as possi- ble again to Heaven. He was so affected and weak, and fearing consequences should I persist, I took off the influence and awakened him. When awakened he saw that some eyes were still wet w T ith tears, and enquired the cause; but could not remember a word that had passed. He was very serious all day, frequently sigh- ed, and repeatedly enquired what made him feel so weak and bad. The next morning he took the stage for home. In two weeks I returned that way, called on him, and in presence of some five or six persons put him again into the same state as before, and took him at his offer and willed him as strongly as possible again to Heaven. His appearance was exactly almost as before, and such was his look, exaltation, and description of Heaven, with his exhortation to the company present, some of whom might be called emphatically " hard cases," that they will never forget it to the day of their deaths. I will add that it produced upon all a greater impression of the necessity of living correctly, than the most eloquent sermon from the pulpit. On my return, I also put into the same state and will- ed him to Heaven, a man affected with palsy who had been for years a member of the church of in good standing. His appearance and description was almost exactly the same as above, and constantly begged me to return as " they did not want him there." I again put another gentleman into the same condi- tion, who was a most exemplary member of the church of a different denomination of christians, who begged so fervently to be brought back and awakened, that at the almost peremptory solicitation of friends, I was obliged to take off the influence. In the winter of 1843, I magnetized C o who had been partially twice magnetized previous. I magnetiz- ed him systematically, and he became insensible to all MAGNETISM, 175 external objects through the natural or ordinary ave- nues, and was therefore a good clairvoyant. I sat down and asked him to travel with me to my house, which he described externally, yard, and front steps. I told him to count them and tell how many there were. He replied, four. I thought there were but three, and told him to look again and be particular. He said there w T ere four, and could not be beat out of it. I then led him inside, and asked him who were there. He said there were three ladies and a little girl whom he de- scribed, but made out one more than composed my fa- mily of adults at the time, and I told him to look sharp and* be particular again, when he replied that one of the ladies had her " things on" and was going home; "there said he,' ? she has gone. I told him to follow her and see where she went, aud find out who she was. He followed her up Woodward Avenue to the corner of Grand River street, and along that street to the next corner, to a house which he said she had entered. I bade him go in and ask who lived there which he did, and gave the name as Mrs. S 1. I then brought him back, and took off the influence. To my surprise and astonishment, on arriving at home, I found as near the time as could be ascertained that evening, that the lady described had been there, and that he was right about the number of steps, which proves one fact, that it is not the reflection of the magnetizers mind, but that they actually do see for themselves. The next evening a friend of mine took him again to my house, when he described the furniture as well as I could have done my- self, which again goes to corroborate their actual sight instead of sympathetic reflection, as the friend who led him had never been but once in my house in his life and could remember but little the appearance of the furni- ture. It is proper to state that tiie clairvoyant had been in the city but a short time, was a stranger to me, and had never been at my house. 16* 176 SAGG ON The next day, a gentleman of the city wished me to take him to his house, and examine his wife, who had been some time ill. Accordingly we called, and found a small circle, consisting of two ladies, two gentlemen and two children. I made no introduction, but in a few minutes put him into a magnetic state. Immediately after he was magnetized, a young lady who was absent, entered the room and made one of the number. I then asked him how many persons were present, which he told correctly; then seated the lady near him, put him in communication simply by her touching his hands, without saying one word by the way of introduction? directed her to ask if she was unwell, and if so, to have him describe her symptoms, and prescribe the remedy. After sitting a few minutes as if reflecting, he raised the right hand in a slow manner, so as to describe a semi-circle, by carrying it backwards and raising it as high as the length of the arm would permit, (which mis afterwards always his manner) this being the first pa- tient he ever examined, and brought it upon the head, w T ith his thumb upon individuality, and fingers of the right hand resting opon benevolence, while he applied the point of the left thumb to the tips of the left fingers in succession, one after the other; then examined the pulse, changed hands, applied the left to the forehead, and the right to the pulse and fingers as before. As soon as this was accomplished, he told her her symp- toms and feelings, where the diseases were located, the cause, and prescribsd for the cure, for which he recom- mended some roots. The lady asked him where they could be found. Said he, "dont you see them there," at a certain piece of woods, (only four miles off) as though they were present. I told her to say that she could not see them, and to ask him if they could not be procured in some of the drug shops of the city. He looked into them from where they were sitting, and said no; but said therfc were so many in such a garden, and MAGNETISM. 177 one root in such an one, "dont you see it V 9 ad though presentc The husband went to two of the gardens next day, and found he was correct, and as it was during winter, and he a stranger, and had never lived here in the summer, it excited astonishment that he should be so correct. The other gardens mentioned he never ex- amined, as he found sufficient for use in the others. The lady was through, and the husband took him by the hand, and asked him how many children he had. He replied instanter, three, but the next moment corrected himself, and said " two; you had three, but one is dead !' ; When did it die? About a year since. Was it a boy or girl] It was a girl, dont you see there? Where 7 In heaven at meeting; dont you see her? What is she doing? She is singing and praising God before the Throne. Who is on the Throne ? God, dont you see, with Moses on one side and Jacob on the other. Where is Jesus Christ? He is on the Throne; Christ is God. Where is God the Father? He is never seen; he is in the fourth Heaven, amc^nfrathig all on Christ. He was then asked about Hell, which he described as a place out of the immediate presence of the Almighty, where there was no pleasure or happiness, but pain, misery, want and discontent. He was then put into communi- cation with the other gentleman, whom he examined, told his feelings and symptoms exactly; located his pains, which were rheumatic, and prescribed for their cure. I then simply put the point of my fore finger upon the organ of veneration, and he immediately fell upon his knees, and made, in a full clear voice, one of the best short prayers I ever heard, with language that would do credit to our best divines, and produced a solemn effect upon all. I then suddenly withdrew mv finger, and he stopped in the middle of a word. I then touched the organ of tune, and he sung two or three verses of an appropriate hymn. The organ of loco- motion was now excited, and he sprung to his feet. I 178 BAGG ON then set him a chair, and willed him to set down, de- mesmerized the organs, took off the general influence, and he awoke. It is proper to state that this subject is a simple, honest, illiterate young man, a hard case, and quite often throws out expletives not exactly compatible with the commandments, was a stranger to all present, had never seen them before, does not remember a word that has been said, or what has transpired; was loth to be put in sleep, and does not believe in magnetism. He is of the lymphatic temperament, and when w T ell magnet- ized, has never failed to tell the truth when led by one that could concentrate, as far as could be ascertained. A few evenings after, a gentleman from Cuba called at my office, and desired to lead my clairvoyant to that island, to ascertain the health of his family, and when they would leave for New York, as he had been for some time expecting them. I immediately throwed him into a clairvoyant state, and he commenced, having no difficulty in getting there. After landing, the gentle- man desired him to ride with him about four miles, to the plantation; but he utterly refused, and said he would walk. The gentleman pressed him to ride; he again refused, and became quite vexed that he should want him to ride one of those little, ugly, long eared animals, (mules) and could not be prevailed on, and walked. He described the plantation, trees, houses and scenery, expressed a lively surprise to see so many large piles of bags of coffee; gave the style of building their houses high, with no chamber floors, to let the heat escape; complained of the great heat of the climate, &c, all of which, together with the number, ages, sex and health of the family, the gentleman declared to be true; not one word of which was suggested by the leader. The next evening, the same gentleman took him across the Atlantic to Paris, to the residence of his son, and to the Place Vendome, where he described the pillar erected MAGNETISM. 179 by Bonaparte, from the cannon taken in his victorious battles. During one of the evenings of 1843, a small party of ten or twelve gentlemen were assembled at my office, to witness experiments in magnetism. My clairvoyant was in a magnetic sleep, when a friend came in, accom- panied by a stranger to the whole company. After sitting awhile, and witnessing some experiments, the friend informed me that the stranger would like to lead the subject. I immediately put them in communi- cation. He then asked him if he would travel with him to the city of New York. He consented. They started, and travelled by the usual route and manner, by steamboat. Having arrived, he became much elated with the appearance of the city, the Astor House, City Hall, and then went on to the gentleman's dwelling, the exterior of which, and the adjacent buildings, he described correctly, and then went to the front door, read the gentleman's name on the plate, rang the bell, a servant opened the door, and they were ushered in. After describing the hall, some of the rooms, furniture, and so forth, he came to the piano forte, and said there was a lady playing upon it, w T hom he described, told the color of her hair, eyes, complexion and dress. The gentleman told him to promenade with her. He whis- pered something to himself, and then replied that she refused to walk with him. He then told him to sit down and observe her walk while he promenaded with her. He immediately exelaimed that she could not walk, that she was lame, had a stiff leg. He told him to look sharp and examine it closely. He said it was a wooden — a corked leg; all of which the gentleman, after giving his name and residence, affirmed to be true. A gentleman of property, character, and good stand- ing in society, called at my office in company with five or six friends, (members of the Legislature) to test the truth of animal magnetism. I proposed to put my sub* 180 BAGG ON ject to sleep. They said they wished to test it upon their own systems, and selected this gentleman as the subject. We sat down as usual, and in a few minutes his eyes became red, suffused, the lids began to tremble, and at length closed. After making a few more passes in the usual manner, believing him to be so far advanced as to be unable to open them, I put my fingers upon causality, comparison and time, and asked him how long it would take to put him through the first stage of sleep. He replied five hours. The great anxiety of his friends induced me to go on and see how it would terminate. I therefore continued to manipulate him for two hours. I then awaked him, and in the evening recommenced, and continued until he was through, which took five hours to a minute. Of this there could be no mistake, as two or three of the company held their watches, and noted the time, as I interrogated him every half hour, fifteen, twenty, ten and five minutes, how long it would take from each period asked, during the whole time, which he shortened down each time from the other, so that all the parts between the interrogations, added to- gether, made in the aggregate, to a minute, five hours; and his appreciation was such that he told correctly three minutes before the time expired. Now whether he was actually through or not, is immaterial; the great interest in this case, as well as others of a similar na- ture, consists in his being able, without looking at some time piece, to be so correct, not only from point to point, but to the whole period of time. This gentleman being a hard subject, (all nervous-bilious) I did not again at- tempt to magnetise him further. Some days after this, the same gentleman called with a friend, to be examin- ed for disease. He was put in communication with my subject, and after describing correctly his feelings and cause of the disease, he began on the cure, and first re- commended him to take some pills. I told him to en- quire what kind of pills, which he did. He immediate- MAGNETISM. 181 ly broke out and said he must take " such a pill," made and kept by Doctor , at Milwaukie. Said he, pointing in that direction, "dont you see him there, there he is; a little small man, with a fur cap on, and large black whiskers; get them, and they will cure you." The company and myself had a hearty laugh on his length of vision, in modestly looking over across the Peninsula and Lake Michigan, into a drug shop at Mil- waukie for medicine, and after a little further examina- tion of his family and home, which he described correct- ly as )he gentleman stated, I severed the communica- tion, and took oft' the sleep. 1 then asked him if he had ever been at Milwaukie. He said no. I asked him if he was acquainted with any one living there, and he said he was not acquainted with any one, and here the matter ended as I supposed, and was by me forgotten among the great multiplicity of my daily clairvoyances; but these gentlemen having a great curiosity to know whether there was such a man residing there as descri- bed, wrote to an acquaintance and received for answer that there was such a physician and druggist, by that name, that the description was correct, and that he kept the particular pills, and whether he got and took them I did not learn, as the gentlemen live in the interior of the State, distant eighty miles. We were all satisfied that he had never been, or was acquainted with anv one residing there. I had forgotten to mention that this gen- tleman was still so doubting upon magnetism, that I told him that if he would sit a few minutes, I would give him a demonstration upon his own system. According- ly he sat down, and I commenced to make passes, and in about twenty minutes I put him through the first sleep or stage. I then awakened him, and told him to put his two middle fingers together. I then made five or six passes at them and told him to separate them if he could. He tried, and tried, and tried again, but could not sep- arate them, they remained fast. I then desired him to 182 BAGG ON stand up, and nailed him to the floor so that he could not move. After liberating him from this position, I pointed my fore finger at him, and willed him to come to me, or rather attempted to attract him to me. He resisted with his whole energy, and was encouraged by those present so to do, to carry their points of disbelief, but I attracted him inch by inch, not only across the floor, but out of the room into the hall, and could have made him follow me about the city. But this convinced him of the truth of animal magnetism, as he informed me last summer that his extreme resistance lamed his whole muscular system for three months. Shortly after this case, an other of the party led my clairvoyant to a village west the extent of the railroad. He had never rode in the cars before. They stopped and got out at the usual stopping places, took occasion- ally a glass of beer, or hot cup of coffee, read the signs correctly, made other observations as they went along, and the subject appeared as much delighted with the ride and country, as would have been anticipated had his mortal frame accompanied his spirit At length they arrived at the residence of the gentleman, and they alighted, jumped into a post-coach and landed at the door of the gentleman's office which he described to his satisfaction, and more or less minutely, such as the li- - brary, stove, &c, and among the rest which is not ex- actly furniture for a law office, ten or a dozen barrels of flour. He thea made an effort to take him to his dwel- ling, but owing to the want of concentration or some other cause had some difficulty, at length he described the exterior, opened the door and walked in; after de- scribing the furniture he asked him if he saw anv one in the room. He replied that there was a lady sitting by the cradle rocking it with one hand and reading a newspaper, and that the other child was asleep on the floor just beyond the cradle, the ages and sexes of which as well as the lady he described to a tittle. I suggested MAGNETISM. J 83 to have him ask what newspaper she was reading, which he did, and he replied that she was reading a newspa- per printed in this city. I then told him to ask him what particular matter she was reading, and he instantly re- plied that it w r as Mr. MacLeod's speech, which was ra- ther musical, and had been delivered in the Representa- tive Hall, a few days previous. He then led him back in the same manner as before, stopped, drank, eat, and conversed on all they saw, as when they went out, read the signs correctly and landed at the city, and after ex- citing some of the phrenological organs, I took oft' the influence and he w r as awakened. I thought no more of this case as it had ceased, from my every day habit of proving clairvoyance, to excite that interest that to those who had seen less would have done, and did do. A few days after this, the gentleman in writing to hid lady facetiously said, " you must keep yourself correct," for Bagg's clairvoyant can tell at any time what your deportment is, and what you are about, and then men- tioned what he said as above. The ladv in her next, replied in answer that it was true, that she was reading at, as near as could be ascertained, the precise time, in the Free Press, a newspaper printed in this city, the par- ticular speech mentioned, and that the particular posi- tion of herself and children at the time, was as de- scribed. I have the gentleman's letter before me on the subject. This case is valuable in again corroborating the principle that they actually see for themselves, and that it is not simply a reflection of the imagination and memory of the one who leads or is associated. About this time I received an invitation to lecture on the subject of animal magnetism at a village some twen- ty miles distant. I accordingly sent on my bills, and when the day came, started for the purpose, and on my route called at the half-way public house, to feed and get some refreshments ourselves. As soon as we en- tered, the gentleman of the house limped along, and 17 184 BAGG ON pointed up to the wall, and said, it is Doctor Bagg, I suppose. You are going to M s to give a lecture on magnetism. I believe it's all a humbug, but if you could cure my rheumatism, " I would give you any thing." I have have had it for three months; have not been able to go to Detroit this winter. I have taken almost every thing and can't get help, but I believe it's a humbug, and have no faith in it. Aware of the pre- judices of the people, and that if I could not essentially help him, I had better let him alone. I looked at him scrutinizingly to discover whether I thought I could af- fect him, and made up my mind I could. I was deter- mined however, not to touch him unless I was sure I could bring him so under its inflence as to tell for the science, for in nine cases out of ten, they will want you to try them, and when they find they are about to be influenced, will exercise all their energies to counteract its influence, and then go about retailing slander and abuse without measure. The bystanders will also gen- erally make all the diversion possible, from the concen- tration of both, by winks, nods, noise, laughter and de- rision under the general license of ignorance and impu- dence, to make you fail if possible. I found on obser- vation however, that he was inclining to corpulency; was of the nervous-sanguine temperament, and having the rheumatism, together with the peculiar state of the weather which favored me, 1 made up my judgment at once, that I could put him to sleep. I told him in a care- less, familiar kind of manner, if he would sit down I would see if I could relieve him. That it was a good way to effect the general system a little first, and then draw it throughout the limbs. I then began by putting my hands upon his head, so that my thumbs correspon- ded to individuality, while my index finders lay on the organ of benevolence, and with a concentrated energy, and firm will, in two minutes, without touching any oth- er part or making a pass, his eyes closed, and he began MAGNETISM. 185 to make deep inspirations and show symptoms of deep sleep. I then made passes as usual, and magnetized him for twenty minutes by the watch precisely. While in this situation, the bar-room (although in the country) became full. The stage stopped, every door was open- ed and his family were peeping in to see what was go- ing on. While in this situation, I made the necessary passes to cure him of his rheumatism, and then took off the influence. I then asked him how he felt; he said he felt rather curiously; said it "was kind of strange." I asked him to put the points of the middle fingers of each hand together. I then made a single pass and told him to separate them if he could, He tried for two or three minutes, but in vain, and gave it up. I then ask- ed him to rise and walk about the floor. He did so. I asked where his rheumatism was. He walked about and around the room without a limp or feel of it, ejacu- lating, is it possible? " gentlemen, it is gone," strange ! (kicking and throwing out his limbs,) I can feel none of it. I am as well as ever; curious ! strange ! I then ask- ed him to stand still, made a pass at his feet, and asked him to walk. He was immoveable; he could not stir. His volition was in me ; he was under my control. I then made a reverse pass and he was liberated; he could walk. I then desired him to put the index finger of the right hand upon his nose, and then made a most power- ful pass at the finger, which not only stuck it to his nose, but put him to sleep and knocked him completely over backwards/ which would have done him injury had I not caught him when near the floor, in the fall I then sat him up like an old fashioned clock, as he was perfectly and universally catalepsed (as we term it,) all by one pass with a will which concentrated all my energies. I then willed to take off the influence except to keep the finger to the nose. When awake and reflecting upon all that had so quickly transpired, standing with his finger so attached to his nose that he could not separate it, 18$ BAGG ON with his rheumatism cured; and standing also not as the living monument of hutnbuggery, but as the living wit- ness of the effects of magnetism, not only on disease, but the actions, volitions, and sensations of man, he broke out with emotion and cried like a child. I then took off the influence, asked him what was to pay, and ordered my horse. He replied by asking my charges. We parted even, and we went our way, and arrived at the village in time for our lecture, which was given at the Court House. Nothing unusual transpired; there were but few present. After I had shown by my clair- voyant, phrenology and the general effects of magnet- ism upon him, I found in the audience six or eight little boys, from five to twelve years old, that had been some- what previously affected with magnetism. I then with the consent of their friends, stuck all their fingers togeth- er, each with each, and all together, and with my fin- ger attracted them thus attached as high as they could reach, and then as low as the floor. I then dragged them by the attraction of the finger all about the room. I had almost forgotten to mention that during my lec- ture a gentleman wished to lead my subject in clairvoy- ance to his house. I accordingly put them in commu- nication and proceeded to take him to his house. After describing the exterior, he took him inside and went through with the general description of the most prom- inent articles of furniture and so forth, and among the rest said there were two persons in the house, a lady and gentleman, and said they were both sick, told what ailed the lady first and then the gentleman, and descri- bed their looks, dress and appearance. After he had got through, and returned, I called on him to state to the audience whether it was correct. He assured them that it was all correct except the man, that his wife as they knew was well described, that she was unwell, but that when he left home there was no man in the house, and he presumed there was none there then. This ere- MAGNETISM. 187 ated a smile upon the audience, and was rather against my clairvoyant. The lecture closed, and we repaired to the public house and staid through the night. Early next morning the gentleman called, wished me to go over to his house and let my clairvoyant examine his lady for her disease, being full in the faith, for on re- turning home from the lecture, to his surprise he found his wife's brother, had soon after he left for the lecture arrived, and that he had a swelled neck as the clairvoy- ant described, and was the gentleman mentioned. We accompanied him and examined them both, and he de- scribed correctly all the symptoms and feelings of both, told the cause and prescribed for the cures. This case also goes to corroborate the fact that they see them- selves, as this gentleman did not believe there was any person but his lady in the house at the time. A few days after this, in the morning after a lecture over night, in another village distant some twenty miles, a respectable physician of reputation as a practitioner, called on me to consult on himself in respect to a har- rassing cough, which was very troublesome. Knowing that he placed no confidence in magnetic remedies, I prescribed bleeding, and took twenty ounces from the arm, after which I prepared to let my subject examine him. He objected, saying he had no faith, but his lady had, and having a curiosity to see me excite the mani- festations of mind, I put him into the magnetic state, and put him first in communication with the Doctor and told him to look at his lungs and see what state they w r ere in. Shortly after, just having been bled, he began to vomit and to elude throwing the ejections into the lap of the clairvoyant, he turned his head to the right side, at the same instant of time the clairvoyant from direct at- traction vomited also and turned his head to the right to elude the Doctor's, when one heaved, the other did al- so, to an instant of time. The Doctor groaned and throwed up again, so did the subject, and would hav<> 17* 188 BAGG ON continued so to do, as long as they were in connection, and the Doctor had continued sick, but I broke up the connection, excited the organ of alimentiveness and he was immediately relieved and the poles of the stomach restored. After chewing aloes, and various other drugs behind the back of my subject at the distance of six or eight feet which he at once detected, pronounced, and desired me to spit out, I awoke him, and we left.1 The Doctor however became a convert from that transac- tion, and moment, and is now engaged in investigating the subject. In the spring of 1843, a young man called on and wished me to cure him. I prescribed for, and gave him some medicines for which he paid me two dollars.— Some six or eight days after, my indoor sign was pull- ed off and thrown across the hall. I suspected a young man strongly, almost amounting to certainty, who had previously pulled down and carried off my out door one, six months before. About a fortnight after this while my clairvoyant was in the magnetic state I asked him who it was that took it down. He reflected for a few minutes and then said, " there he is, walking en the bank of the river, (a half mile distant and through two thick brick walls,) don't you see him?" Yes, said I, but I have forgotten his name, will you mention it ] He took his forefinger, which is always his manner, and wrote in the palm of my hand, and then pronounced it L B. Are you sure that this is the man ? Yes. he called on you to be cured, of you know what, and gave you an Oakland County two dollar bill and you gave him some medicine which almost cured him, and he came here five or six times and you happened to be out, and the last time he came, he was mad and took hold of your sign, tore it off and thro wed it across the hall say- ing, " damn you," you are never at home, and went to another Doctor. I could not the first moment recollect the bill and asked him if it was not a three dollar one MAGNETISM. 189 that I had taken. No, said he, it was a torn two dol- lar Oakland County bill. I then distinctly remembered the bill, and the man, just as he said it was, an old torn, almost w r orn out one. The nature of this case was such that no one on earth but the patient and myself knew any thing about it; and his having told correctly the name, and describ- ed so perfectly the bill, as well as hinted at the nature of the disease, while I suspected another individual, could not but impress on my mind the conviction that all he said was true, and adds further testimony to prove that they see of themselves, instead of being the mere echo of the mind of the one in connection. I will but add that I know r that he was not, nor is at present ac- quainted with the individual, and when awaked said he had never heard of such a person, and does not remem- ber one word that he has said upon the subject, and ap- pears astonished at the recital. In the fall of 1842, while lecturing on magnetism in a certain village in this state, not quite one hundred miles distant, two or three physicians of the place in- formed me that they had a standing patient, that they, as well as other neighboring ones, had attended for years without beinir able to restore him, and that if I would cure him they would all believe in animal mag- netism and give the cause an ardent support. I imme- diately repaired to the house, got the history of the case, examined the patient, found that some three years previous, while in good health, he was attacked with a paralitic fit, which terminated in a palsy of one side, that remedies had been administered in vain, that he had only so far recovered his sensation as to be able to feel, but not volition so as to be able to walk, and that about eighteen months since he was seized with what they termed the shaking palsy, and at this time could help himself but little better than an infant. He could neither raise nor hold up either leg or arm. That his 190 BAOG ON wife was obliged to raise him up in bed, slip him off in- to a chair and draw him to the fire and back again to bed, raise him up, back him against it, set him down and wheel him round upon his back; in short, he was almost or quite helpless. I found on looking him in the face, that he would fall into a most singular and an apparent- ly foolish fit of laughter, although he had been a man of good sense and judgement, and belonged to the Meth- odist society of christians. Believing that this disease consisted in some obstruc- tion of the nervous fluid from the brain, or in an une- qual distribution of it from the brain; that some organs were magnetized while others were destitute of a suffi- cient quantity of the magnetic fluids, and that the look of any one into the face excited this already over ex- cited organ into extreme action, and thereby produced the immoderate laughter, I laid my finger on the organ of mirth (below the malor bone, where I locate it) in the face, and he immediately bursted into a most violent fit of laughter, which convulsed his whole frame. I then placed my finger on veneration, and he was instant- ly as sober as a deacon, and as dignified as a judge upon the bench. Next I touched combativeness, and he struck at me with some force, although w T hen not excited, he could not raise the arm. Other organs were now tested with less effect, but I was convinced that if I could thoroughly magnetize him, and thereby produce an equilibrium in the organs of mind, and restore the poles from the brain upon all the organs, I could cure him, and so expressed myself to his estimable but de- sponding lady. It being near evening, on which I had advertised to lecture, I proposed to call immediately after, and make an attempt to thoroughly magnetize him, and let him lie all night in the sleep. * After the lecture, I again repaired to the spot, and commenced operations. Within a few minutes, three physicians made their appearance; others came in one MAGNETISM. 191 after another, until the house was filled to a "jam/' 1 soon found he was through the first sleep, and I observ- ed to his lady, that his eyes were closed so that he could not open them. One of the physicians behind me, in the true anti-magnetic spirit, characteristic of the people of those times, spoke out audibly, and said " no wonder he can not open them, he is so tired. ?? I made no reply but went on with my manipulations for the next sleep, (the ear) as heretofore mentioned (chap, ix, p. 2d). 1 soon believed him through this also, and whispered his wife to call him by name to find whether he could hear. She called him : he answered not. I said louder: he spoke not. Louder, said I, and she repeated at the top of her voice, and yet he was silent and as mute as a statue. I then turned around and said, in rather a sar- castic mood and manner, "he's so tired he can not hear, and soon he will be so tired he can not feel, taste or smell." I then changed my manipulations for the other senses, as described further, (chap, ix, p. 2d) and soon the remaining senses went by the board, one after the other, and were extinguished or suspended. He sat erect in his chair, breathed natural, pulse was full, a little quickened, but firm, his countenance was sedate, and his silly laugh had vanished and gone. I then took his lady aside, and whispered her to get some vinegar, sugar, allspice, pepper and other things she could find that had a well marked taste. I turned my back, and at the distance of eight or ten feet, filled my mouth with vinegar. He instantly spoke, and said, in an angry tone and manner, spit out that vinegar, and shuddered, as it Was sharp and made me shudder. After rincing my mouth, I put in a bit of loaf sugar. That's good, said he. What is it ! said I. It's sugar. What kind? Loaf sugar. 1 then tried the various other tilings, in the order mentioned above, and he as readily told correctly the whole. Having got through with these, said I, you pa) he can not hold up his arms or legs, do you ? x . 192 BAGG ON How long has he been in this condition 1 Eighteen months or two years. Poor man, said I, can not hold up his arms or legs ! I immediately took hold of the hand of the left arm, and raised it to a point at right angles with the body, and gave it three rapid passes the whole length, from the shoulder to the fingers, and will- ed it to be cataleps'd and remain in that position. I then served the right one in the same manner, and both remained fixed. I next raised up one leg at nearly right angles, and in the same manner, and with the same ce- lerity, fixed that as well as the other, in the same con- dition, and then folded my arms and promenaded the room with an air of triumph. The reader can imagine that his attitude and appearance must have been some- what ludicrious, bnt I was determined to show the mul- titude, as well as the " plow-jogging" sons of Escula- pius, that magnetism, by the will of another, could hold up both his legs as well as arms. After remaining in this position some ten or twelve minutes — a monument of magnetism, the house perfectly still, all in breathless astonishment, his wife enquired how long I was going to ler him remain so, if it would not weaken. I assured her it would not, but on the contrary, strengthen him; but in a few minutes more, as it was getting late, made two or three reverse passes towards each, at the dis- tance of six or eight feet, and arm after arm, and leg after leg, dropped and resumed their natural positions. I now helped him to bed, willed him to sleep until I should call and awake him in the morning. Next morn- ing at eight, I called and took off the influence, when he expressed himself much better, appeared refreshed, more natural, and langhed none. I now demesmerized the organs of mirth and combativeness, and left him, promising to return as before after the lecture, and mag- netize him again for the night, which I performed. I stopped at this village about a week, put him into the magnetic state every night, and awaked and catalepsed MAGNETISM. 193 his limbs every morning, during which he so far recov- ered as to be able, with the assistance of a person by his side to lean upon, to walk up a common flight of steep out-door stairs, to my lecture room, where I ope- rated upon him before the audience, in company with five or six others I had put into the somnambulic state since my arrival. The doctors gave it up, were con- vinced, and had in two of their families, one in each, put into the magnetic state. I then left for the next village, distant some twelve miles, and he followed me, and took lodgings, and staid as long as I remained in 4hat village. I daily operated upon him as well as night, at the lecture room before the audience. With a look, or with the will, I could palsy his tongue or any part of his muscular system. He continued to gain as long as I saw him. I have never heard from him since, except on my return, I stopped over the sabbath at the village again where he resided, and that night, between the two villages, three trunks were cut off and stolen from the stage,, and they came to me and desired I should put my subject into the clairvoyant state, and try to find out who stole them, and where they could be found. I did so. but he could sec nothing, although generally he was an old one. I then called on this subject, but a half mile distant from the public house where we stopped, put him into a clairvoyant state, and told him to exam- ine the road and see who stole the trunks. In a few minutes he described them, told where they were taken off, by whom, and where they could be found — in a certain field; described the men, and said they were that very moment drinking whiskey in a certain distil- lery, which he described and located. A couple of gentlemen, from this description, started and proceeded to the spot where he said they were, and they returned in the afternoon, saying that they had been found just before they got there, on the very spot mentioned. Whether the men were detected I never heard, having 194 BAGG ON left early on Monday morning, and did not arrive at Detroit under a month. While lecturing in one of the villages of this state, I chanced to affect a young lawyer. He was of a ner- vous sanguine temperament, and very susceptible. One day, immediately after dinner, while standing in the bar-room, which was pretty well filled, the young gen- tleman chanced to come in. Some one said, "Doctor, cataleps him." Another said " stick him to the floor." I looked at him, when he put his thumb upon his nose, and played with his fingers after the manner of "the invisible flute," in defiance saying "you can't come it." At the instant I made a pass at him, and willed to stick it to his nose, and catalepse it; and although at the dis- tance of twenty feet, it was perfectly successful. His thumb pressed so severely against his nose that it caus- ed a good deal of uneasiness, and he begged to be re- lieved. With a reverse pass and will corresponding, he w r as at once restored. These are some of the many instances and proofs of the truth of the influence of magnetism, as shown by catalepsing and clairvoyance. Subjoined are copies of papers certifying to other cases, during my route, of the truth of animal magnetism: Marshall, October 28, 1842. Doct. Bagg, I take pleasure in saying to you, that having attend- ed your lectures on animal magnetism, in this village, with much satisfaction to myself. I consider the ex- periments performed by you, both in public and at your own rooms, to be at least difficult of explanation on any other principle than that of magnetism. I have also to say that the experiments in clairvoyance of M. A , with me are sufficient to make me believe in that part of your performance. Bartholomew Banks, Marshal of Marshall. magnetism, 195 Marshall, October 17, 1842. Doct. Bagg, Dear Sir, — It is due to the persecuted cause of animal magnetism, and to yourself as one of its advo- cates, that honest and impartial judgement should be exercised by those who witness your astonishing experi- ments. Having attended a part of your lectures at this place, as well as having had an opportunity to visit your private room, to view experiments, I feel constrain- ed to believe the science (if it may be so called) of animal magnetism is destined, ere long, to command the respect and excite the wonder of the community, rather than to draw forth ridicule and sneers from those who judge without investigation. Your clairvoyant tftis eve- ning, in a state of magnetic sleep, described three rooms of my dwelling, with all the articles of furniture con- tained w r ithin them, with as much precision as I could have done myself, and I know it must have been per- formed without the least possible knowledge of the premises. J. A. Van Horn, Clerk of Calhoun County. Having witnessed, with no little interest, the exper- iments made by Dr. Bagg in this place, on Animal Mag- netism, I take pleasure in stating rny conviction of the truth of the above science. The experiments mads upon six or eight of our citizens, who had been put in the magnetic sleep by Dr. Bagg, fully satisfied me, as it did all others who witnessed the experiments, of the truth of Animal Magnetism. I further certify thai! 1 took his clairvoyant, when in a mesmeric sleep, to a house twenty miles distant I had in mind, and that he described the house, and the furniture in the room I willed him to, as minutely as I could have done it my- self. George Monroe. Albion, Oct. 31, 1842. 19 196 BAGG ON Doct. Bagg: Sir, — I most sincerely congratulate the public on the prospect of acquiring a splendid improvement in the means of promulgating the principle of Animal Mag- netism. It is not only to yourself, as an advocate, but to the cause of science, (if it may be so called) that an impartial investigation, divested of prejudice, should judge of its merits, particularly those who witness your astonishing experiments, Having attended two of your lectures, one at Homer and another at this place, as well as being favored with an opportunity of visiting your private room, to witness experiments, I am fully persua- ded that animal magnetism is destined, at no distant pe- riod, to command the admiration of the American peo- ple. Your clairvoyant, last evening, in a state of mes- meric sleep, described the exterior of my dwelling, a cottage with wings, to the satisfaction and astonishment of a large and popular audience. I also accompanied him in my will to the principle room in the house, when he described every article contained therein (with one exception) with as much precision as myself or any of my family could have done, and I know it must have been performed without any knowledge of my premi- ses, Doct. E. E. Gardner. Jones ville, Nov. 2, 1842. Doot. Bagg: Sir, — I attended your lecture last evening on Ani- mal Magnetism, and am perfectly satisfied that your subject performed clairvoyance in the description of two rooms and their furniture, when led by my wife, with- out any possible chance for deception. He described the rooms and their furniture as perfectly as any person would have done if they had previously visited them for that purpose. H. S. Brockway. Jones ville, Nov. 4, 1842. MAGNETISM. 197 It is here proper to state that the above gentleman was a keen, sagacious, learned and discriminating prac- titioner of medicine, and that his lady led the clairvoy- ant, not to her own house, but to that of her neighbors, and that she could not be familiar, and was not, with the furniture of the house, that the clairvoyant saw and de- scribed correctly what she did not know, as she stated, and consequently that this is another fact of actual sight in the clairvoyant, instead of its being simply the re- flection of the leading mind. Doct. Bagg: Dear Sir, — I take the liberty of presenting some facts in regard to your lectures at this place, on Animal Magnetism. M. A* was put by you into a mag- netic sleep, and I was put in communication with him, and led him in imagination to my house, where I know he had never been when awake. He described the out- side perfectly. Then the hall, and then a room, with most perfect accuracy, table, carpet, looking glass, pic- tures, and a quantity of sea-shells that were on the shelf over the fire place. Not an article of this furni- ture had been in this room over a week, and I am sure he had no means of knowing in what house or what room I was in, and I have no other room in my house that would in any way answer the perfect description he gave. The same evening, I was again put in com- munication with him, and in imagination took him to another room in my house, when he exactly described my parlor and all the furniture, carpet, piano, tables, fire place, pictures, &c, with the most perfect exactness. He read, in my presence, two bank bills and a slip of paper, upon the top of his head, on which the word house was written, and all this reading was done with his eyes perfectly blinded with a handkerchief, and held down on his eyes by Mr. Hughes and Dr. Patterson, citizens of this village. The few days Dr. Bagg was 198 BAOG ON with us, he put into a mesmeric sleep six or eight of our citizens, and some of these men of as much respec- tibility as any in town. My son-in-law, Mr. Hughes, was put in communica- tion with him last night, and he described a third room in my house, with even more exactness than the two first. Dr. Bagg has delivered three lectures at this place, and from his lectures and experiments, nearly all of our citizens that have had an opportunity of attend- ing them, have been made perfectly satisfied that there is no humbug in this affair, and that we have not been deceived, and that there is a reality in Animal Magnet- ism. You are at liberty to make what use of this hasty and imperfect statement you please, hoping that it may bring the attention of more scientific men to the inves- tigation of the subject. Respectfully yours, J. W. Brown. Tecumseh, Oct. 9, 1842. The following is a certificate of Drs. Patterson and Bills, a committee appointed by the citizens of the above village, to examine the experiments at my lectures, and report. Dr. Patterson is now the Senator from that district. Dr. Bagg's experiments in Animal Magnetism, per- formed in this village during the last few days, were of a singularly interesting character; his power of cata- lepsing different portions of the human body, in rapid succession, without even touching the person, and his developements of Phreno-Magnetism afforded conclusive proof that there is something in Animal Magnetism worthy of a candid and careful examination. Dr. Bagg s experiments were conducted openly and fairly, and were unusually satisfactory. It is time that the medical world should commence investigating this magnetism. Ifl9 subject, and no longer, under the scornful epithet of " humbug/ 7 pass by results as remarkable as they are unaccountable, unless we attribute them to the influence of electricity, or some of its modifications, acting in a peculiar manner upon the nerves of the human system. M. A. Patterson, ) ^ Parley Bills, \ C °™™«™- Tecumseh, Oct. 9, 1842. The following is copied from the Marshall States- man: animal magnetism. This science, so called, has at length taken up its abode in our village. One of the disciples of this school of philosophy, Dr. Bagg, of Detroit, is now here, and is performing wonders in the mysteries of magnetism. He has lectured w T ith great success and good satisfac- tion for two or three evenings, and will continue to lec- ture a few evenings more. We refrain at this time to speak upon the subject. A committee of four or five medical gentlemen were appointed, who are expected to report to the public, at the end of the exhibitions, the details of their observations. Unbelieving as the writer of this has ever been upon this subject, he is now con- strained, by the indisputable evidence of his senses, to give up entirely his incredulity, and can honestly de- clare his firm conviction of the truth of what is called Animal Magnetism. The physical and mental effects produced on the subjects operated upon by Dr. Bagg, are enough convincing to put aside all scepticism on the subject. If a person in magnetic sleep, with eyes se- curely bandaged, is enabled to read from a piece of printing placed on the top or at the back of the head, then we may ask, what is too extravagant or wonder- ful for belief? This act the clairvoyant performed, and not only that, but manv others equally as extraordinary 18* 200 BAGG ON and incredible. The Phreno-Magnetic performances were striking, and go to establish the truth of the science of Phrenology beyond contradiction. But we can not here enlarge. The lectures of Dr. Bagg have been well attended by our citizens, and excited among them intense interest. His operations in the lecture room are performed with openness and fairness. He will lecture one or two evenings more, giving those in the vicinity of this place an opportunity of witnessing the astonishing effects of the magnetic fluid, brought under the control of human agency, and directed by a skillful operator. B. These are a few of the numerous instances of clair- voyance .that have come under my observation during the time that I have been engaged in the investigation of the subject of magnetism, which is but little over two years, preceding which, no man was more incredulous than myself. To be sure I had never seen a subject put into a mesmeric state and never wished to do so. It was so repugnant to our every day's experience that I was determined not to believe it, until, by the assurance of an old acquaintance and friend, on a visit from Ohio, I made some passes, and to my surprise my subject went into a magnetic sleep. This was done without reading any thing upon the subject, but simply upon the assurance of my friend. Witness my astonishment that after having practiced medicine for twenty-five years, and that* more or less extensively, I had made at this period of my life, the discovery that by the will and cer- tain manipulations or motions of the hand of one indi- vidual, another could be made blind, deaf, and destitute of taste, touch and smell, and at the same time, from this very operation exalted in mind, in soul, to an extent beyond comprehension. That although the sense of touch was so completely palsied and dead that a tooth could be extracted, a limb amputated, or any other pain- MAGNETISM. 201 ml operation upon the physical system, could be perfor- med without the patient being conscious of it, and yet through a new sense, instituted or made apparent by this operation, by contact as the medium, a communica- tion can be kept up as well as though the external sen- ses were as active as in their natural state. That the mind is exalted in the magnetic state, no one will deny, who has witnessed cases in clairvoyance, or question, after having dispassionately investigated the subject. — In all the cases I have seen, which are not few, (over one thousand) they are grave, sedate, and dignified, full of integrity, and can never be made to vary from ex- pressing the truth. No falsehood, prevarication, or hy- pocracy ever escapes their lips, or characterizes their conduct. On the contrary, like the needle true to the pole, they are true to the truth and cannot be diverted from it They are never disturbed by gusts of passion of any kind; and never have I witnessed a subject laugh, weep, or show the lea^t symptom of passion while in the magnetic state, without the organs were separately excited by the n or. Although the natural sight is interrupted, the strbject can, not only see through a solid as well as throii rh the common medium of sight, but it is lengthened inimitably. They can also not only be led, but sent to any distance. We are aware that this will be dh'sbe&ved by some, and ridiculed by oth- ers, but that is nothing when one gets used to it. We are aware that it will be said by some who are too lazy to investigate for themselves, and by others who are too wise already to learn, and therefore stand at a distance and cry "humimg,^ that the author is mad, insane, en- thusiastic, a v id should become the inmate of an insane asylum. Aware of all these, and knowing well the pre- judices of the int