Animal Magnetism 303 



the other, he presented such a personation of a fiend 

 incarnate as the most lively imagination could scarcely 

 conjure up. When he found that he could not drive the 

 knife into the mesmerist, he would place the point against the 

 other's chest, and strike the butt with all his force, regard- 

 less of hurting his own hand, and thus endeavour to efifect 

 his purpose. Then he would strive to cut his throat, 

 drawing the knife backwards and forwards, and shrieking 

 with rage and disappointment. All this time the mes- 

 merist, a big, powerful man, stood perfectly still, without 

 moving the fraction of an inch, for if he had met the 

 blows of the other by ever so little a distance he might 

 have been seriously hurt, as the would-be murderer was 

 most violent in his efforts, and every time almost grazed the 

 skin with his weapon. At the last — and for which we stood 

 ready prepared to rush to the rescue — the other suddenly 

 flung the knife away, and with a leap and a shriek, flung 

 himself upon the other, and seized him by the throat with 

 both hands. Big and powerful as was the victim, and 

 puny and weak as was the other, yet such was the extra- 

 ordinary strength the latter was now endowed with, that 

 the former was as a child in his grasp, and if immediate 

 help had not been at hand, undoubtedly he would have 

 been strangled. As it was, it required the united strength 

 of two or three of us to drag them apart, and then the 

 patient was rapidly brought to by flicking a silk hand- 

 kerchief two or three times across his face, when he could 

 come to himself with a start, perfectly oblivious of what 

 had just taken place. 



What the motive power is in mesmerism, and the uses 

 that may be made of it, has yet to be discovered and 

 developed. That by its aid deeds can be performed that 



