Lectures on clairmativeness, or, Human magnetism : with an appendix / by Gibson Smith.

  • Smith, Gibson.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on clairmativeness, or, Human magnetism : with an appendix / by Gibson Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    blind, suddenly restoring him to sight, is confirmation of the above:— Dr. Grant having observed the eyes of his patient, and convincing his friends and relatives that it was highly probable that he could remove the obstacle which prevented his sight, all his friends and ac- quaintance who had any curiosity to be present, when one of full age and understanding was to receive a new sense, assembled themselves on the occasion, but were desired to preserve profound silence in case sight was restored, in order to let the patient make his own observa- tions, without the advantage of discovering his friends by their voices, Among many others, the mother, brothers, sisters, and a young lady for whom he had formed a particular attachment, were present. The operation was performed with great skill, so that sight was instantly produced. When the patient received the dawn of light, there appeared such extasy in his action, that he seemed ready to swoon away in the sur- prise of joy and wonder. The Surgeon stood before him with his in- strument in his hand. The patient observed him from head to foot, and then observed himself as carefully ; and comparing to himself, he observed the hands of both were exactly alike, excepting the instru- ment, which he took to be a part of the Surgeon's hand. When he had continued in this amazement for several minutes, his mother could no longer bear the agitation of so many passions as thronged upon her, and fell upon his neck, crying out—' My son, my son !' The young gentleman knew her voice, and could say no more than— ' Oh, me, are you my dear mother?' and fainted. On his recovery, he heard the voice of his female friend, which had a surprising effect upon him. Having called her to him, he appeared to view her with admiration and delight, and asked her what had been done to him. ' Whither,' said he, ' have I been carried ? Is all this about me, the thing that I have heard so much of? Is this seeing? Were you al- ways thus so happy and glad to see each other?' In all his con- versation, he manifested but faint ideas of anything which had not been received by the ear or through the sense of touch. Now, all the circumstances connected with this case, go to show that the blind patient had never formed any definite idea of the true nature of vision, and hence his surprise, joy and wonder, when sight was produced. He was, till that moment, lacking in that part of mind which is formed through the sense of sight. In the second place, let us consider the ear destroyed, or never exist- ing : there would be no impression made through this organ on the brain. As an illustration, I give the following from Goldsmith's Animated Nature:—