Itisnowtimetomentionthefamousgold-chainexperimentwhichwasperformedatthehospitaluponElizabethOkey，inthepresenceofCountFlahault，Dr。Lardner，Mr。KnatchbulltheprofessorofArabicintheUniversityofOxford，andmanyothergentlemen。Theobjectoftheexperimentwastodemonstratethat，whenOkeyheldoneendofagoldchain，andDr。Elliotson，oranyothermagnetiser，theother，themagneticfluidwouldtravelthroughthechain，and，afterthelapseofaminute，stupifythepatient。Alonggoldchainhavingbeentwiceplacedaroundherneck，Dr。Elliotsonatoncethrewherintoastateofstupor。Itwasthenfoundthat，iftheintermediatepartofthechainweretwistedaroundapieceofwood，orarollofpaper，thepassageofthefluidwouldbechecked，andstuporwouldnotsospeedilyensue。Ifthechainwereremoved，shemightbeeasilythrownintothestateofdelirium；whenshewouldsingattherequestofhermagnetiser；and，ifthechainwerethenunrolled，hervoicewouldbearrestedinthemostgradualmanner；itsloudnessfirstdiminishing——
　　thetunethenbecomingconfused，andfinallylostaltogether。Theoperationsofherintellectcouldbechecked，whiletheorgansofsoundwouldstillcontinuetoexertthemselves。Forinstance，whileherthoughtswereoccupiedonthepoetryandairofLordByron’ssong，“TheMaidofAthens，“thechainwasunrolled；andwhenshehadreachedtheline，“Mylife，Iloveyou！“thestuporhadincreased；acoldstatue-likeaspectcreptovertheface——thevoicesank——thelimbsbecamerigid——thememorywasgone——thefacultyofforecastingthethoughtshaddeparted，andbutoneportionofcapacityremained——
　　thatofrepeatingagainandagain，perhapstwentytimes，thelineandmusicwhichhadlastissuedfromherlips，withoutpause，andinthepropertime，untilthemagnetiserstoppedhervoicealtogether，byfurtherunrollingthechainandstupifyingher。Onanothertrial，shewasstoppedinthecomicsong，“SirFroghewouldawooinggo，“whenshecametotheline，“Whetherhismotherwouldlethimorno；“
　　whileherlefthandoutstretched，withthechaininit，wasmovingupanddown，andtherighttoewastappingthetimeonthefloor；andwiththesewordsandactionssheperseveredforfiftyrepetitions，untilthewindingofthechainre-openedherfaculties，whenshefinishedthesong。[“Lancet，“vol。ii。1837-8，p。617。]
　　Thereportfromwhichwehaveextractedtheabovepassagefurtherinformedthepublicandthemedicalprofession，andexpectedthemtobelieve，that，whenthisspeciesofstupefactionwasproducedwhileshewasemployedinanyaction，theactionwasrepeatedaslongasthemesmericinfluencelasted。Forinstance，itwasassertedthatshewasoncedeprivedofthemotionofeverypartofherbody，excepttherightforefinger，withwhichshewasrubbingherchin；andthat，whenthrownintothetrance，shecontinuedrubbingherchinforseveralminutes，untilshewasunmagnetised，whensheceased。Asimilarresultwasobtainedwhenshewassmoothingdownherhair；andatanothertimewhenshewasimitatingthelaughterofthespectators，excitedbeyondcontrolbyherclevermimicry。Atanothertimeshewassuddenlythrownintothestateofdeliriousstuporwhilepronouncingtheword“you，“
　　ofwhichshekeptprolongingthesoundforseveralminutes，withasortofvibratingnoise，untilshewasawakened。Atanothertime，whenamagnetisedsovereignwasgiventoher，wrappedupinpaper，shecaughtitinherhand，andturneditroundflatwisebetweenherfingers，sayingthatitwaswrappedup“veryneatlyindeed。“Themesmericinfluencecaughtherintheremark，whichshekeptrepeatingoverandoveragain，allthewhiletwirlingthesovereignroundandrounduntiltheinfluenceinthecoinhadevaporated。
　　Wearealsotoldofaremarkableinstanceoftheforceofthemagneticpower。WhileElizabethOkeywasonedayemployedinwriting，asovereignwhichhadbeenimbuedwiththefluidwasplaceduponherboot。Inhalfaminuteherlegwasparalyzed——rootedtothefloor——
　　perfectlyimmovableatthejoints，andvisited，apparently，withpainsointensethatthegirlwrithedinagony。“Themusclesofthelegwerefound，“saysthereport，“asrigidandstiffasiftheyhadbeencarvedinwood。Whenthesovereignwasremoved，thepainleftherinaquarterofaminute。Onasubsequentday，amesmerisedsovereignwasplacedinherlefthandasithungatherside，withthepalmturnedslightlyoutwards。Thehandandarmwereimmediatelyparalyzed——
　　fixedwithmarble-likefirmness。“Nogeneralstuporhavingoccurred，shewasrequestedtomoveherarm；butshecouldnotliftitahair’s-breadthfromherside。Onanotheroccasion，wheninastateofdelirium，inwhichshehadremainedthreehours，shewasaskedtodescribeherfeelingswhenshehandledanymagnetisedobjectandwentoffintothestupor。Shehadneverbefore，althoughseveraltimesasked，givenanyinformationuponthesubject。Shenowrepliedthat，atthemomentoflosinghersensesthroughanymanipulations，sheexperiencedasensationofopeninginthecrownofherhead；thatsheneverknewwhenitclosedagain；butthathereyesseemedtobecomeexceedinglylarge；——threetimesasbigasbefore。Onrecoveringfromthisstate，sherememberednothingthathadtakenplaceintheinterval，whetherthatintervalwerehoursordays；heronlysensationwasthatofawakening，andofsomethingbeingliftedfromhereyes。
　　Theregularpublicationofthesemarvellousexperiments，authenticatedastheywerebymanyeminentnames，naturallyexcitedthepublicattentioninanextremedegree。AnimalMagnetismbecamethetopicofdiscussionineverycircle——politicsandliteraturewereforatimethrownintotheshade，sostrangewerethefacts，orsowonderfulwasthedelusion。Thepublicjournalscontentedthemselvesinmanyinstanceswithamererelationoftheresults，withoutgivinganyopinionastothecause。Oneofthemwhichgaveaseriesofreportsuponthesubject，thusdescribedthegirl，andavoweditsreadinesstobelieveallthatwasrelatedofher。[MorningPost，March2，1838。]“Herappearanceasshesits，aspaleandalmostasstillasacorpse，isstrangelyawful。ShewhistlestoobligeDr。Elliotson:anincredulousbystanderpresseshisfingersuponherlips；shedoesnotappearconsciousofthenatureoftheinterruption；butwhenaskedtocontinue，repliesinchildishsurprise，’itcan’t。’Thisstateofmagneticsemi-existencewillcontinueweknownothowlong。Shehascontinuedinitfortwelvedaysatatime，andwhenawakenedtoreallifeforgetsallthathasoccurredinthemagneticone。Canthisbedeception？Wehaveconversedwiththepoorchildherordinarystateasshesatbythefireinherward，sufferingfromtheheadach，whichpersecutesheralmostcontinuallywhennotunderthesoothingfluenceofthemagneticoperation，andweconfessweneverbeheldanybodylesslikelytoproveanimpostor。WehaveseenProfessorFaradayexertinghisacuteandsagaciouspowersforanhourtogether，intheendeavourtodetectsomephysicaldiscrepancyinherperformance，orelicitsomeblushofmentalconfusionbyhisnaiveandstartlingremarks。Buttherewasnothingwhichcouldbedetected，andtheprofessorcandidlyconfessedthatthematterwasbeyondhisphilosophytounravel。“
　　Notwithstandingthissincere，andonthepointofintegrity，unimpeachableevidenceinherfavour；notwithstandingthatsheappearedtohavenomotivesforcarryingonsoextraordinaryandlong-continuedadeception，thegirlwasanimpostor，andallthesewise，learned，andcontemplativemenherdupes。Itwassometime，however，beforethisfactwasclearlyestablished，andthedelusiondissipatedbytheclearlightoftruth。InthemeantimevariousotherexperimentsontheefficacyofthesupposedmagneticpowerweretriedinvariouspartsofEngland；butthecountrydidnotfurnishanotherepilepticgirlsocleverasElizabethOkey。AnexhibitionofthekindwasperformedonagirlnamedSarahOverton，attheworkhouseoftheparishofSt。Martin’s-in-the-Fields。ThemagnetiseronthisoccasionwasMr。Bainbridge，theparishsurgeon。Itisbutjusticetohimtostate，thatheconductedtheexperimentswiththeutmostfairness，anddidnotpretendtoproduceanyofthewondrousandincrediblephenomenaofotherpractitioners。Thisgirl，whoseagewasabouttwenty，hadlongbeensubjecttoepilepticfits，andappearedremarkablysimpleandmodestinhermannersandappearance。Shewasbroughtintotheroomandplacedinachair。Abouttwentygentlemenwerepresent。Mr。Bainbridgestationedhimselfbehind，andpointedhisfingersatherbrain，whilehisassistantinfrontmadethemagneticpassesbeforehereyes，andoverherbody。Itcannotbesaidthatherimaginationwasnotatwork；forshehadbeenpreviouslymagnetised，andwasbroughtinwithhereyesopen，andincompletepossessionofallherfaculties。Nomeanshadbeentakentopreventinterruptionduringthesitting；newvisiterscontinuallyarrived，andthenoiseoftheopeningandshuttingofthedoorrepeatedlycalledfromMr。
　　Bainbridgearequestthatallshouldbekeptsilent。Thegirlherselfconstantlyraisedherheadtoseewhowascomingin；butstill，indirectcontradictiontoM。Dupotet，and，indeed，allthemagnetisers，whohaverepeatedoverandoveragain，thatinterruptiondestroysthemagneticpower，shefellintoadeepsleepattheendofabouttwelveminutes。Inthisstate，whichisthatcalled“MesmericComa，“shewasquiteinsensible。Thoughpulledviolentlybythehair，andprickedonthearmwithapin，sheshowednosignsofconsciousnessorfeeling。
　　Inashorttimeafterwards，shewasawakenedintothesomnambulicordeliriousstate，whenshebegantoconversefreelywiththepersonsaroundher，butmoreespeciallywithhermagnetiser。Shewouldsingifrequired，andevendanceinobediencetohiscommand，andpretendedtoseehimalthoughhereyeswerecloselyblindfoldedwithahandkerchief。Sheseemedtohaveaconstanttendencytofallbackintothestateofcoma，andhadtobearousedwithviolenceeverytwoorthreeminutestopreventarelapse。Amotionofthehandbeforeherfacewassufficienttothrowher，inthemiddleofasong，intothisinsensiblestate；butitwasobservedparticularlythatshefellatregularintervals，whetheranymagneticpassesweremadeatherornot。Itwashintedaloudtoapersonpresentthatbeshouldmerelybendhisbodybeforeher，andshewouldbecomeinsensible，andfalltotheground。Thepasswasmade，andshefellaccordinglyintothearmsofamedicalgentleman，whostoodbehindreadytoreceiveher。Thegirlhavingbeenagainarousedintothestateofdelirium，anotherperson，stillaudibly，wasrequestedtodothesame。Hedidnot；butthegirlfellasbefore。Theexperimentsweresufficienttoconvincetheauthorthatonehumanbeingcouldindubitablyexerciseaverywonderfulinfluenceoveranother；butthatimaginationonly，andnotthemesmericfluid，wasthegreatagentbywhichthesephenomenacouldbeproducedinpersonsofstrongfaithandweakbodies。
　　Somegentlemenpresentweredesirousoftryingwhetheranyofthehighermesmericstates，suchasthatoflucidityandclairvoyancecouldbeproduced。Mr。Bainbridgewaswillingtoallowtheexperimenttobemade，butpreviouslyexpressedhisowndoubtsuponthesubject。
　　Awatchwasthenputintoherbosom，thedialplateandglassagainstherskin，toascertainwhethershecouldseewithouttheinterventionoftheorgansofsight。Shewasaskedwhathouritwas；andwaspromisedashillingifshewouldtellbythewatchwhichhadbeenplacedinherbosom。Sheheldoutherhandfortheshilling，andreceiveditwithgreatdelight。Shewasthenaskedifshecouldseethewatch？Shesaid“no——notawatch；shecouldseesomething——
　　somethingthatwasveryprettyindeed。““Come，come，Sally，“saidMr。
　　Bainbridge，“youmustnotbesostupid；rouseup，girl，andtelluswhato’clockitis，andI’llgiveyouanothershilling！“Thegirlatthistimeseemedtoberelapsingintoadeepsleep；butonbeingshaken，arousedherselfwithaconvulsivestart。Inreplytofurtherquestions，shesaid，“shecouldseeaclock，averyprettyclock，indeed！“Shewasagainasked，fiveorsixtimes，whatthehourwas:
　　sheatlastrepliedthat“itwastenminutestotwo。“Thewatchbeingthentakenoutofherbosom，itwasfoundtobeonthestrokeoftwo。
　　Everyonepresent，includingthemagnetiser，confessedthattherewasnothingwonderfulintheconjectureshehadhazarded。Sheknewperfectlywellwhathouritwasbeforeshewasbroughtintotheward，astherewasalargeclockintheworkhouse，andabellwhichrangatdinnertime；shecalculatedmentallytheintervalthathadsinceelapsed，andguessedaccordingly。Thesamewatchwasafterwardsadvancedfourorfivehours，andputintoherbosomwithoutawordbeingsaidinherhearing。Onbeingagainaskedwhato’clockitwasbythatwatch，andpromisedanothershillingifshewouldtell，shestillrepliedthatitwasneartwo——theactualtime。Thus，asMr。