On the Truths Contained in Popular Superstitions: With an Account of Mesmerism |
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Common terms and phrases
afterwards Alexis apparition appears Arnod attention BATTLE OF WATERLOO BLACK WOOD'S PUBLICATIONS body Boppard catalepsy clairvoyante clock-rotation copper disc death-trance described direction divining rod dream Ecstatica Edition effects entranced person excited exoneural experiments eyes facts Fcap FELICIA HEMANS finger Foolscap 8vo force forefinger forms of trance ghost half an inch hand Hold the odometer impressions influence instance JOHN GALT lady letter light longitudinal Lord Ducie magnet manifested ment mental mesmeriser mesmerism MESSRS BLACK WOOD'S mind motion moved natural nervous system northward pole object observed obtained Octavo od-subject Odometer held operator ordinary oscillations passes patient Petetin phenomena phrenology present produced proximad realised Reichenbach Renata Result-The ring rotatory scene seems seer-gift sensations sensorial illusions Sir Thomas Hardy sleep somnambulism superstition supposed thought thumb tion told trance-coma trance-sleep transverse Vampyr volume waking Weilbach witchcraft young zinc disc
Popular passages
Page 83 - Death his court, and there the antic sits, Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp, Allowing him a breath, a little scene, To monarchize, be fear'd and kill with looks...
Page 14 - The Moor and the Loch. Containing Minute Instructions in all Highland Sports, with Wanderings over Crag and Corrie, Flood and Fell. By JOHN COLQUHOUN.
Page 83 - For within the hollow crown That rounds the mortal temples of a king Keeps Death his court; and there the antic sits, Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp. Allowing him a breath, a little scene. To monarchize, be feared, and kill with looks, Infusing him with self and vain conceit.
Page 1 - Every step in Scotland Is historical; the shades of the dead arise on every side; the very rocks breathe. Miss Strickland's talents as a writer, and turn of mind as an individual, in a peculiar manner fit her for painting a historical gallery of the most illustrious or dignified female characters in that land of chivalry and song."— Mtackwwid'e Mayasiite.
Page 129 - He must necessarily go as he was stimulated, whether with a violent dash on the ground and bounce from place to place like a foot-ball, or hop round with head, limbs and trunk, twitching and jolting in every direction, as if they must inevitably fly asunder.
Page 128 - The rolling exercise consisted in being cast down in a violent manner, doubled with the head and feet together, or stretched in a prostrate manner, turning swiftly over like a dog. Nothing in nature could better represent the jerks, than for one to goad another alternately on every side with a piece of red-hot iron. The exercise commonly began in the head, which would fly backwards and forwards, and from side to side, with a quick jolt, which the person would naturally labor to suppress, but in vain.
Page 21 - The best book I have ever met with." — Professor Johnston. " We have thoroughly examined these volumes ; but to give a full notice of their varied and valuabla contents would occupy a larger space than we can conveniently devote to their discussion ; we therefore, in general terms, commend them to the careful study of every young man who wishes to become a good practical farmer."— Times.
Page 7 - We do not remember any recent author whose poetry is so unmixedly native ; and this English complexion constitutes one of its characteristic charms. No purer model of our genuine home feeling and language."— Quarterly Review.
Page 74 - I suppose it manifested, are of too trivial a nature to justify so novel a hypothesis. My answer is, the cases are few and trivial only because the subject has not been attended to. For how many centuries were the laws of electricity preindicated by the single fact that a piece of amber, •when rubbed, would attract light bodies ! Again, the school of physiological materialists will of course be opposed to it.
Page 17 - A new truth has to encounter three normal stages of opposition. In the first, it is denounced as an imposture. In the second, that is, when it is beginning to force itself into notice, it is cursorily examined and plausibly explained away. In the third, or "cui bono" stage, it is decried as useless, and hostile to religion.