200 THE WONDERFUL CENTURY. 



It is hardly possible to have a weightier or more trust- 

 worthy report than this one, showing in every line the 

 care and deliberation of the members of the commission, 

 while their competence and honesty are above suspicion. 

 The same general conclusions as to the reality and impor- 

 tance of animal magnetism were arrived at by some of 

 the most eminent physicians in Russia, Denmark, 

 Saxony, and other countries; while the entire report of 

 the French Commission was translated into English 

 in 1836, and published in Mr. Colquhoun's " Isis 

 Revelata." 



In 1837, however, in consequence of many accounts 

 of clairvoyance then occurring in various parts of 

 France, the Academic de Medecine offered a prize of 

 three thousand francs to anyone who should prove his 

 ability to read without use of the eyes. The daughter 

 of a physician at Montpelier Dr. Pigeaire possessed 

 this power, as testified by many persons of repute; and, 

 in consequence of this offer, he brought her to Paris. 

 Many persons saw her in private, and several physicians 

 MM. Orfila, Ribes, Reveille-Parise and others certi- 

 fied the fact of her clairvoyant powers. But the mem- 

 bers appointed by the Academy less experienced than 

 those of the Commission of 1831 began by making 

 stipulations as to the complete enclosure of the clair- 

 voyante's head, to which her father would not consent, 

 and thus the opportunity of officially testing this lady 

 was lost. 1 Others presented themselves, but none suc- 



1 The method usually adopted was to bind a linen cloth over the 

 eyes, to cover this with cotton- wool, and over all a black velvet 

 mask; which was held to be a complete test by Arago and other 

 observers. This, however, the commissioners would not even try. 



