Warmington, Aug. 9. 1851.
The Od Force.
—As considerable interest appertains to the earlier manifestations of what is now termed Mesmerism, the following Note may not be altogether unworthy of a place.
The experiment, upon which a subjective proof of the agency of the power of Od is founded, as described by Dr. Herbert Mayo in the supplementary chapter to the last edition of Letters on the Truths contained in Popular Superstitions, and alluded to by R. D. H. (Vol. iii., p. 517.), is another instance of there being "nothing new under the sun." In the Bigarrures du Seigneur des Accords, first published at Paris in 1582, in the chapter "Des faux Sorciers et de leur Impostures" occurs the following passage, which I copy verbatim et literatim:—
"Autres ont une ruse, qu'ils semblent d'attacher un anneau d'or ou d'argent à un petit filet, qu'on suspend dans un verre à demy plain d'eaue, et puis l'ayant trempé pair trois fois, disent bellement ce verset du Psalme, autant de fois, 'Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti, incerta et occulta sapientiæ tuæ manifestasti mihi.' L'anneau bat contre le verre, et sonne autant d'heures qu'il en peut estre."
W. PINKERTON.
Ham.
New Costume for Ladies.
—The following paragraph, extracted from a London paper (November, 1794) would lead to the conclusion that the agitation regarding costume now going on in America, is not entirely novel; the Turkish fashion having been introduced unsuccessfully into this metropolis in the last century:—
"The young ladies of haut ton, who have invented Turkish fashions, will not be surprised if their husbands should follow their example, and adopt the Turkish taste for variety.—No man of sense can be long attached to such absurdity!"