THEORY OF KISSING. 297 



that this one quality of good may be traced throughout all 

 the investigations of the baron relative to the supposed newly- 

 discovered physical force since his time called the odic 

 force viz. that at the very beginning he resolved to take his 

 stand as a man of science, detailing the records of scientific 

 investigation, and repudiating every tincture of superstition. 



It follows, then, that as Reichenbach would have been 

 the first to own the results witnessed and chronicled by him 

 should be noticeable by all other investigators of adequate 

 competence, and working with instruments of adequate delicacy. 

 Let it be here observed, that the instruments our philosopher 

 worked with, in order to demonstrate to his satisfaction the 

 existence of the force since termed the ' odic force,' were 

 certain hysterical and extremely sensitive young ladies. He 

 operated upon their nervous systems just as the Italian Gal- 

 vani operated upon the nervous systems of frogs ; but whereas 

 frogs are everywhere available, and one frog is as good for 

 the purpose of experiment as another, it always admits of 

 being said in regard to hysterical and extremely sensitive 

 young ladies that, in the event of phenomena recorded as 

 having happened by Baron Reichenbach not happening in the 

 experience of other philosophers, the young ladies operated 

 upon in the latter case were not sufficiently sensitive to re- 

 spond to the influences brought to bear upon them. 



I am not aware whether the baron commenced his physio- 

 logical experiments in a suggestive state of mind ; I am not 

 aware, that is to say, whether he had entertained a predis- 

 position to the belief of mesmerism and animal magnetism. 

 It would be desirable that the record of every investigation 

 or discovery of importance should be accompanied by a state- 

 ment as to the circumstances that suggested it. Philosophers 

 who take highest rank in the honoured class to which they 

 belong, are always careful to make this announcement ; and 

 a certain degree of doubt and faltering faith results and 

 inevitably must result from the omission of this particular. 



