This section is from the book "Mysteries Of The Vital Element Dreams, Somnambulism, Trance, Vital Photography, Faith And Will, Anesthesia, Nervous Congestion And Creative Function", by Robert H. Collyer. Also available from Amazon: Mysteries Of The Vital Element.
The father of young Mr. Beals, a respectable merchant in this city, is present, and says he has not before seen his son so quiet for seven years, as he has been since operated upon by Dr. C.
The committee adjourned to half-past ten a.m. to-morrow.
Tuesday, June 29th.
The committee met pursuant to adjournment. Voted, to choose a subcommittee of five to examine the subject before and after being put into the so-called magnetic state. And Drs. Storer, Lewis, Morrell, J. H. Lane, and J. W. James, Esq., were chosen accordingly. The boy Frederick was examined by the sub-committee, who found nothing remarkable. Dr. C. commenced at twenty-two minutes before twelve, the boy declaring under the process, that he would not be put to sleep by Dr. C, because he had magnetized Mr. Beals. In about seven minutes there are strong twitchings of the muscles over the whole body, similar in appearance to those of the lad with chorea, who is present, and affirms that he has not felt any twitchings since Dr. C. began this time to magnetize Frederick, but prior to this had felt them, though comparatively slight since being magnetized by Dr. C. This present cessation of his tetanus was thought worth noting, though the magnetizing of Frederick, or his having the convulsions at this time, might have nothing to do with it.
The Rev. Mr. Turnbull explained it by saying that the present quiet of Mr. Beal's muscles might be produced by his close attention to the present operation on Frederick; and the Rev. Mr. T. asked Mr. B. if he felt calm when listening to his pastor (the Rev. Mr. Stowe) and being much interested? He replied that he was more excited. The sub-committee was requested to give an opinion in regard to the muscular twitchings of Frederick, which had continued a long time. Dr. Storer stated his opinion that they might be feigned; asked to say whether he thought they were feigned, he says - "I should choose not to be driven to an answer, but if you insist, I give it as my opinion that they are feigned." Dr. Morrell expressed his concurrence. Dr. Lane was not prepared to give an opinion. Mr. James doubted if they could be feigned. [Dr. Lewis out.] Dr. C. offered to have the boy left in that position (apparently an uncomfortable one), with gentlemen to watch him by turns for two, three, or four days, to see whether this state was feigned.
Mr. Stone, Student of Medicine from Salem, was introduced to the committee by Dr. Storer, who vouched for his good character, and that there could be no collusion between him and Dr. C, and added, "If he shall say Dr. C. puts him to sleep, I will believe it." Dr. C. made a trial. The only effect produced (at this time) was a heaviness of the arms, as if from great fatigue, and a strong contraction of the little finger, which he tried to overcome but said he could not.
Dr. C. had said to some members that Frederick was now in an unusually fine state for clairvoyance, when John C. Park, Esq., whom Dr. C. had declared to have the requisite continuity of thought, was put in communication with the lad. Mr. Park, without giving any intimation of his intended course, and avoiding all leading questions, asked the boy as to what he saw. The first two or three answers not being satisfactory to Mr. P., he willed him back again, he said, to where we were sitting, and then proceeded again. Each succeeding answer, as Mr. P. declares, was correctly descriptive of the same things, in the same order, and at the same times that Mr. P. had the ideas of them in his mind directing attention to them.
Mr. Park's Question, - 1. What do you see?
Frederick's Answer, - Something high.
Mr, Park's statement made on each answer after the conclusion of the whole experiments - The building west side of Bowdoin Square.
Mr, P. - 2. What colour is it?
Ans. - Black or white - not very black.
Mr. P.'s statement. - It is of granite.
Mr. P. - 3. What is there about it? are there any streets?
Ans. - One on each side.
Mr. P.'s statement. - Such is the fact.
Mr. P. - 4. What do you see now?
Ans. - A door.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I viewed in imagination the door of the gaol in Levere Street.
Mr. P. - 5. Anything about it?
Ans. - Only the steps there.
Mr. P.'s statement. - There are steps to it.
Mr. P. - 6. Now pass into that door with me through an entry, and what do you see?
Ans. - Oh! a great many doors.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I was in imagination at this time, and during the two following questions, in a hall of the gaol, having in it nine doors all in view.
Mr. P. - 7. How many? Count them.
Ans. - 1, 2, 3 - I can't count them.
Mr. P. - 8. Yes, you can - I can, and so can you. Try again.
Ans. - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - oh! there's more than that; I can't count them. It's a cold place - I don't want to stay here.
Mr. P. - 9. Well then, we'll leave this place and go to another. What do you see?
Ans. - A door.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I contemplated the door of Williamson's cell.
Mr. P. - 10. Well, we'll go into that door.
Ans. - Oh, we can't, it's all barred up. We can't go in.
Mr. P.'s statement. - It is kept bolted of course.
Mr. P. - 11. Why not? Yes we can. We will go in. Are we in.
Ans. - Yes.
Mr. P. - 12. What do you see there?
Ans. - A man.
Mr. P. - 13. Anybody else there?
Ans. - No; one man and no more.
Mr. P.'s statement. - Williamson alone is kept there. Mr. P. - 14. What is he doing?
Ans. - Sitting there.
Mr. P. - 15. What does he sit on?
Arts. - Something dirty.
Mr. P.'s statement. - Their beds are dirty.
Mr. P. - 16. Do you see anything else?
Ans. - Only the black thing over there.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I knew not what the boy meant at the time, but went directly to the gaol, and Williamson had a black article up against the wall to lean against as he sat.
Mr. P. - 17. Now we'll turn round, and what do you see?
Ans. - A small white thing, round.
Mr. P.'s statement. - A tub, for necessary purposes, which is round.
Mr. P. - 18. What is it for?
Ans. - It's nasty - I don't want to tell. [Exhibiting great disgust.]
Mr. P.'s statement. - Correctly described thus.
Mr. P. - 19. Well, you've told enough about that. What do you see now
Ans. - A window.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I was directing attention to the window.
Mr. P. - 20. Look out at that window.
Ans. - I can't.
Mr. P. - 21. Why?
Ans. - It's dirty.
Mr. P.'s statement. - I was wishing to have him speak of the iron grates to it, but do not comprehend his answer.
Mr. P. then said - Now we'll go to another part. What do you see? But the answers to this and other questions not being satisfactory, Mr. P. said, Well, I don't know where you are. You are where I'm not, and proceeded no further.
The following is Mr. Park's certificate on the above :"I hereby certify that the expressions above attributed to me. are in substance correct. "John C. Park."
Adjourned to half-past ten o'clock, Thursday, A.M.
Thursday, July 1st. The committee met pursuant to adjournment.
 
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