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IX. On (he Case of Miss Margaret MacAvoy. By 

 A Correspondent. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — 1 HE case of Miss MacAvoy has excited so much atten- 

 tion that I trust a few remarks upon Dr. Renwick's statement '■' 

 will not be deemed incompatible with tiie subjects of your Ma- 

 gazine. I must candidly confess that I undertook the perusal 

 of the above-mentioned work under the influence of strong pre- 

 judice : but I closed it with very different impressions: there 

 are indeed some suspicious circumstances of sufficient weight to 

 induce an impartial reader to suspend his assent till the case is 

 established beyond the jiossibility of doubt ; but I think the sub- 

 ject far too important to be treated with levity, and to call for a 

 closer and more impartial investigation than appears yet to have 

 taken place. The chief grounds of disbelief are founded upon 

 the frequent suspension of her supposed powers, and consequent 

 mistakes in ascertaining colours, printing, &c. : and one or two 

 instances are mentioned with a candour highly creditable to Dr. 

 Renwick (who appears to have no other view than the elucidation 

 of truth) , which certainly strongly savour of imposition ; but these 

 are counterbalanced by others of a still stronger description, in 

 my opinion, in favour of the reality of the existence of these pre- 

 tended powers. In the first place, there is no assignable cause 

 for the deception practised; the health of the young woman is so 

 deplorable and precarious, that worldly motives can scarcely be 

 advanced; and pecuniary ones are, it is generally understood, 

 equally out of the question, as she receives no remuneration, 

 and is not in circumstances to require it. In addition to this, 

 Dr. Renwick's character (for if there is imposition he must be a 

 confederate) is at stake; he can gain little or nothing by inducing 

 the world to believe, and he must lose every thing the moment 

 the fraud is detected. Those who have read the book will, I 

 think, be inclined not to judge too decisively of Miss MacAvoy; be- 

 cause with a pulse often at 1(30, and vt habit of body reduced to 

 the last degree, she occasionally declares that a ])ower depen- 

 dent upon strength of nerve suddenly leaves her, particularly if 

 exposed to any agitating cause. But my object in troubling you 

 with the annexed remarks, is not to defend either Dr. Renwick 

 or Miss MacAvoy, neither of whom have I ever seen; but to 

 offer some observations which appear to coincide with a theory 

 I had previously formed respecting the extraordinary powers 

 possessed by animals and insects, resulting I conceived from a 



* For the particulars of this statement, see subscriuent account of New 

 Books. 



high 



