Two paving-stones hanging a short distance asunder and touched by nothing but the tranquil air, remain at rest; but should attract each other had "every atom in creation" the property. Were a vacuum, partial vacuum or air much rarer than atmospheric, now placed between the suspended stones, each would be in motion towards the other the same instant. Here both causes, the general pressure, and the minus-pressure, or motion promoting means, are given; the latter are sensibly present, and the absence of attraction is as evident as the inutility of anything of the kind to effect the mutual approach of the two bodies. Not so is the approach of two magnets understood, because the intermediate minus-pressure means present are not sensible. That iron magnets do not move together by attraction, or that attraction is not the cause of the phenomena imputed to it, is proved in the case of iron-filings dropping from a bar, when the connection of the bar with the galvanic battery is broken; and it will not be contended that the galvanic current is attraction.
In order to arrive at a knowledge of wherein consists the means which subvert the equilibrium between two suspended magnets, reference has to be made to the artizan's mode of operating in converting the unmagnetised bar to a magnet. He holds the bar in the middle, and draws one half along the pole of a loadstone; then draws the other half along the other pole, and after a few such alternate rubbings against the poles, the bar is a polarized magnet. From which it was formerly supposed, that iron contains a magnetic fluid which the loadstone rubbings divide, and draw half to each end of the bar. But were such the fact, the ends or poles should be equals, whereas they are magnetic opposites. Now, with more reason, it is considered that iron includes two different, removable elements, (correlatives,) which, by the manipulation on the loadstone, are drawn one to each end of the bar, and there remain as polar atmospheres, and constitute what are termed the polarities, or opposite polarities of the bar; the latter opinion is somewhat confirmed by the corresponding manner in which iron filings, while being scattered on a sheet of paper, become arranged round the poles of a magnet lying under the paper.
The magnetic relation, which the polar atmospheres of any iron magnet bear to those of every iron magnet, being the same as exists between the polar atmospheres of every individual magnet, makes manifest, that a certain pair of correlative elements is common to all magnetisable iron; but without concluding that, by the same kind of correlatives, the polarities are produced in bodies not ferruginous, which, if the physical fact, so may the animal correlatives be different in some instances. From which it follows, that no one mesmeriser can affect mesmerically every person, nor any one person be so affected by all mesmerisers. Neither are all persons "nervous" alike, which should moderate the war cry against mesmerism generally because of failure in some cases; and should awaken the philosophic mesmeriser, willing to make perfect the science, to investigate the cause of exceptions and difficulties.
Now, as respects the interposed minus-pressure means or matter, which, by destroying the equilibrium, promote the approaching motion of two suspended magnets; there is nothing whatever to refer to, but the magnets themselves, that is, their polar atmospheres, which, together or facing one another, make a rare or minus-pressure medium between the proximate ends, into which both magnets are moved by the greater pressure on their remotest ends. It lies with the previously-instructed patient, while clairvoyant, through questioning by the mesmeriser, to make close observation, and report all circumstances respecting the magnetic lights; also, those attached to and proceeding from the mesmeriser, towards elucidating this most of all recondite subjects—magnetism, in the philosophy of physics. The mesmeriser should hold in mind, that, probably the air between the facing ends of two magnets is magnetically affected, that is, made a magnet in the series by the other two; which seems to be the case when the patient is magnetised at a distance from the mesmeriser by means of the pointed finger, and by the effect of will at a much greater distance.
NATURAL SLEEP.
That sleep is not at the command of will is certain, or why undergo the tedium of a restless night? Before the state of sleep can obtain, the body has to experience an electro-physico change, by which the extremities are left polarised and the body an animal or living magnet. That the extremities are polarised during sleep, is admitted by all physiologists; for the effecting of which there must be a pair of correlative elements concerned. While the elementary transfer, productive of the polarities, is taking place, so is drowsiness; when sleep has obtained, the natural magnetising procedure has terminated; hence from the degree of polarity, the mesmeriser can determine the stage to which the patient has been brought between the comatose and clairvoyant states, and know the capability of his patient for being made clairvoyant or not; this polar index should be well noticed.
Comatose Flow.
— It must have been observed by many persons while dozing and the body in a sitting or leaning posture, that an agreeable warm glow arises in the chest, which increases while passing sensibly through the pectoral towards the gastric region, and which terminates, insensibly, in the consummation of sleep; from the feet upwards a similar, but less perceptible, flow takes place. Of this twofold comatose flow, the immediate consequence is polarisation of the extremities; sleep is a remote, but not the remotest consequence, when effects similar to those by the flow are mesmerically effected. Thus it appears that the theory of sleep and magnetism is the same. The magnetising procedure, however, has this difference; the magnetic correlatives are drawn from the middle to and out of the extremities of the bar; those of the body of the patient recede from the extremities to the central region, leaving one, the correlative of the other, at each extremity, in both cases.
The foregoing theory of sleep is described from immediate personal observation. While leaning over a table, the doze heavy, the comatose flow distinctly felt in its agreeable downward progress through the chest, when, just at the instant of forgetfulness, the violent slam of a door drove away all chance of sleep under the following circumstances: a sensible and sudden revulsion upwards, a few seconds of giddiness, and a smart painful stroke on the stomach took place, all in quick succession; which may be accounted for thus: the slam prevented the correlative fluids from the opposite extremities meeting centrally; each gushed irregularly back, and depolarized its extremity, the suddenness of which caused the giddiness. The stroke is the true electric shock, inflicted by the medium of space suddenly rushing or falling on the stomach, from which the matter of the comatose flow had been as suddenly displaced. Taking all circumstances into consideration, it is manifest that the state of sleep is the result of a natural magnetizing operation.