The Two Fashionable Humbugs in conjunction.

Auckland Times, Volume 2, Issue 55, 30 January 1844, Page 1

The Two Fashionable Humbugs in conjunction .

On Saturday last, a select party of the advocates of mesmerism met at the house of Dr. ,to witness the effects of a series of phrenomagnetic experiments. The first person operated upon was a Yorkshirmm but in spite of every means resorted to, the operator could not put him to sleep. He remained “ wide awake” to the last, and was pushed off the seat by a Scotchman, who, though difficult to lull, was at last overcome by the mesmeric power. After roving about the surface of his pericranium rather discursively, the operator touched the organ of acquisitiveness, when the “chieid o’ the Land o’Cakes,” made a snatch at some silver held out by one of the company, which he greedily buttoned up in his breeches’ pocket; but no organ whatever could be found upon his skull, the touching of which could in* duce him So restore it. As the individual in question was a tradesman iu the grocery line, the operator, at the request of one of the company, mesmerised the organ rtf veneration, when Sawny rose, went through the motions of sanding sugar, watering tobacco, and mixing sloe leaves with tea, in a rapid but expert succession, after which he made earnest signs to somebody to come to prayers. A crabbed looking individual was next wafted off into the magnetic sleep, whoss organ of benevolence (an exceedingly minute one) being pressed, he Went through a singular pantomine expressive of his being a landlord distraining for rent; but benevolently leaving to a widow and six children the remnant of one straw mattrass too bad to carry away. A baker being magnetized, and the organ of secretiveness being touched, went through the well known process of growing a shoulder of mutton and increasing the gravy. A sausage-maker thus treated, barked like a dog, mtwed like a cat, and gave other symptoms indicative of madness, which greatly alarmed the company who were feailul of hydrophobia; but they became easy as he then went through the motions of sausage making, pointing to imaginary heaps of meat on his right and left, and alternately crying “ mew ” and “ bow-wow.” Finally, a mesmerised druggist, on having his organ of adhesiveness touched, immediately rose and said he would spiead a plaster. Some phreno mesmeric operations were performed by Mr S. T. Hall, at the Freemasons 5 Tavern, on Tburuday(May 25), of rather a curious character. The patient a youth of some seventeen or eighteen, was speedily thrown into a mesmeric sleep, and while in that condition Mr Hall excited his phrenological organs by mesmeric action. On touching the organ of benevolence, the youth started up. and took from ids pockets all that they contained, offering his money with great anxiety. Suddenly the organ of acquisitiveness Waf touched, upon which the patient struggled to obtain back what he had given; and when secretiveness was excited, he tried to conceal it. While the organ of veneration was under mesmeiic influence, the youth remained in an attitude of prayer. The youth afterwards stated that he was quite unconscious of what had taken place,