first operator; when she stood sleeping thus, the same experiments were tried as had been before used with the boy, to ascertain whether she were insensible to pain. She was pulled, pinched, scratched, and tortured in such a way, as, if her sleep had been of the ordinary kind, could not fail to have awakened her; but all this made no more impression on her than on a statue of marble. This girl was neither deaf nor dumb, and was not, therefore, one of the pupils, but belonged to some of the attendants on the establishment. She was then asked a variety of questions, to all of which she answered rationally; she was shown a number of things-that is, they were held before her; and though her eyes were perfectly closed, and her sleep the most profound, yet she described the names, properties, forms, and colours of the objects shown, as accurately as if she had been awake. A bandage was then put across her eyes, and so widely spread and tightly bound, as to render it impossible she should see, even if awake. In this state, other objects were held before her; and her descriptions of them, in answer to questions asked, were as accurate as before. The objects were then placed above her head, and behind her back, and interchanged with other objects; and her perception of them, through the magnetic medium-or whatever other faculty it may be-was just as clear and accurate as ever; at least her descriptions were as uniformly correct. She was again pinched, and pulled, and tortured with pins, to see if she were awake, but she was as insensible to pain as if she had been dead. All this astonished 1 us exceedingly, but though we could not comprehend the cause of what we saw, there was no resisting the evidence of the facts. The last experiment was on the youngest girl of the party, aged about ten. This little creature was one of the most timid beings that could be imagined. It was difficult even to get her to hold up her head so as to look the person addressing her in the face, or to get any reply to a question beyond a yes or no; though, like the former, she was not a mute, but belonged to the family of one of the attendants. She was almost instantaneously put into a magnetic sleep, as she was described to be of peculiar susceptibility to the magnetic influence. The most remarkable effect witnessed in her case, was a complete change of character. From being one of the most timid and hesitating, she became one of the boldest and most boisterous little creatures imaginable. She answered all questions put to her sharply, and often retorted wittily on the questioner. She then became herself the leading person of the party, and arranged all the gentlemen, one by one, on seats round the room, and instructed them in a juvenile game she wished us to play, and laughed and indulged her merriment exactly as if she were with persons of her own age, in the most genuine playfulness. She was most severely pinched and tortured with pins, to see if she felt pain; but she remained as insensible to it as all the others; and no effort of any of the party to awaken her in the ordinary method succeeded. As soon, however, as the operator who had first put her to sleep in the magnetic mode, came to try his hand at awakening her, which he did without touching her person, but merely by waving the hands upwards gently before her face, she awoke; and looking round with a vacant stare, was so abashed, that she hung down her little head, and scarcely a word could be got from her afterwards, except sufficient to assure us that, like the rest, she had no recollection whatever of anything that had passed in her sleep. When the children were all removed from the room, and we began to interchange observations on the subject, it was clear that we were all equally astonished at what we had seen, and all entirely unable to offer even any rational conjecture as to the cause of it; not one, however, among the whole party expressed the least suspicion of any collusion, which, indeed, seemed to me to be impossible. 1 These few facts appeared to be proved beyond all doubt:-1.That the magnetic sleep is entirely different from the ordinary sleep. 2. That persons put to sleep by the magnetic process can only be awakened by the same process. 3. That there is a complete suspension of the susceptibility of pain during this singular state, though all the other senses remain in full vigour. 4. That there is no recollection, after awakening, of what transpired in the sleep, as there is in the case of ordinary dreams. Dr. Mitchell, an eminent physician of the party, expressed his belief, that the single discovery, that the nerves of the touch are different from the nerves of pain, and that the latter may be deadened or suspended, while the former remain in full force and action—would probably lead to most beneficial results. He mentioned a case of a lady of his INSENSIBILITY TO PAIN. 125 acquaintance, who had a decayed tooth, that affected her with intense agony, but which she had not the courage to have extracted. He told her, that if she would permit herself to be put into a magnetic sleep, it might be taken out without pain. She disbelieved this, and refused to try. Some days after, he proposed to put her into this sleep; but she refused, unless he would pledge his honour that he would not attempt to meddle with her tooth. He did so; she was content, and was placed in this condition without any remarkable occurrence. A week or two after this, he again placed her in a magnetic sleep, but without any pledge or engagement being exacted. He then took the opportunity to extract the tooth. The lady was conscious of it, and signified her assent. His first effort was unsuccessful; but the lady felt no pain: he tried again—the tooth broke short, and still no pain was felt; but he had, by a severe process, to extract the broken stump from the gum-which, had the lady been awake, would, he thought, have been excruciating. She bore it all, however, without shrinking, and declared that she felt no pain, and was glad the tooth was out. All this conversation took place during the magnetic sleep. She was afterwards awakened by the magnetic process; and when perfectly recovered, was surprised and delighted to find her tormenting tooth gone; but declared that she had no recollection whatever of anything that had passed in connection with it, or of any thing, indeed, having occurred to her in her sleep. It is true that there are very different degrees of susceptibility in different individuals, to this magnetic influence--young persons being more susceptible than old, and females than males; but if, wherever any such susceptibility exists, persons, about to be submitted to painful operations, can be first placed in a state of insensibility to pain, and then have the operation performed while in that condition, the amount of suffering which it would avert, might justly rank it among the greatest and most beneficial discoveries of later times. One of the most beautifully situated and best arranged of all the benevolent Institutions of Philadelphia is the series of buildings called the New Alms House, for the reception of the destitute poor. Its position is on a rising ground on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill river, of which it commands several beautiful views, while immediately before it the stream is continually diversified by the passage of small vessels and boats sailing up and down the river from Philadelphia. In short, if the position had been |