On Popular niufions. 103 



Greatrack, whofe cures were related by Mr. 

 Boyle, and mentioned by Dr. More, in his pre- 

 face to the Saducifmus Triumphatus, as attefted 

 by feveral Fellows of the Royal Society : a rela- 

 tion of his cures was publifhed in the Philofophical 

 Tranfadtions, No. 256. Thefe were the fore-run- 

 ners of animal magnetifm, which, after all, proba- 

 bly owed fomewhat of its favourable reception, to 

 the ftrange faculty of difcovering fubterraneous 

 water, attributed about the fame time to Bleton j 

 and animal magnetifm would, perhaps, have 

 acquired as ftrong a party, if it had been un- 

 checked by authority, as any delufion with which 

 we reproach the ruder ftates of fociety. For 

 fuch is the credulous tendency of the mind, that 

 even the prefent century, notwithftanding the 

 boafted improvements of reafon, has proved 

 fruitful in illufions of the mod ridiculous nature j 

 nor is it eafy to limit the future progrefs of 

 fimilar phrenzies, when we confider that at this 

 moment, there is a fet of perfons among us, who, 

 contrary to all reafon and experience, are firmly 

 perfuaded that they (hall never die*, (y) 



The doftrine of animal magnetifm is fo noto- 

 rioufly an hypothefis, formed to explain real or 

 pretended appearances, that it is unnecefTary to 

 fhew its agreement with the general principle. 

 There would be no great difficulty in proving, 

 if it were worth while, that the fame talents 



* The Buchanites. See the Divine Diftionary, paffim. 

 H 4 which 



