252 



KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



should like to have given him a sly poke in 

 the ribs while his pen dotted it down), that 

 " assuredly every human being that has ever 

 died, has left salt behind him ; and if all 

 the salt were extracted from a body after 

 death, enough would be found to form a 

 pillar of salt of some size and weight ! " 



We might go on ad infinitum to expose 

 this miserable charlatanism, but it would 

 occupy much space to little purpose. We 

 have however a public duty to perform, and 

 we ivill perform it. One great feature in 

 our opening Prospectus was this self-im- 

 posed task, and we will not shrink from it. 

 In few words, let us now tell the public the 

 meaning of all this. The author has written 

 a number of Books from 2s. 6d. to 10s. 6d. 

 each, and he wants naturally — to sell them. 



These said books we shall some day 

 have the curiosity to analyse. Being full of 

 Egyptian curiosities, and dealing as they do 

 with the most abstruse, hieroglyphical sub- 

 jects, we may squeeze many a laugh out of 

 them. " Ride, si sapis," says the proverb. 

 " Laugh, if you be wise." We will ; and the 

 public shall laugh too. 



In the little work we are now dissecting, 

 all these books are stringently recom- 

 mended, — in terms indeed which would 

 cause even a stone to shed tears. But why does 

 the profound "Doctor" Howard take to 

 fibbing? There are people to be found 

 addle-pated enough to believe all he says, 

 and buy his nonsense, without this. But we 

 are positively getting weary of our subject ; 

 and therefore show the " Doctor's " cloven 

 foot without further ceremony. The fol- 

 lowing is copied from page 13 : — 



The number of books, of various doctrines, 

 of late years written on the subject of the right 

 and proper way of healing the sick, and main- 

 taining the health of man, is indeed wonderful ; 

 this is the most important object of all that 

 belongs to human affairs; we have now arrived 

 at the icisdom of Egypt, by which this search is 

 crowned with success, and success beyond the 

 credence of all expectation. 



" It is a well-known fact, that there are now 

 many persons who look back to the time when 

 their attention was first directed to my Book on 

 Salt, as the happiest, and most fortunate period of 

 their whole lives; they do so, because by its 

 precepts and rules they have obtained a degree 

 of bodily comfort, and a degree of mental conso- 

 lation and repose, such as was utterly unknown to 

 them before, and which they never expected to 

 meet with in this world, Many persons are now 

 abstaining from salt, with the adoption of the 

 rules and measures laid do urn in these works, 

 that is in accordance with the wisdom of Egypt, 

 which is therein explained so that a child may 

 understand it ; as the ancient Egyptians taught 

 it to their children. All difficult words are care- 

 fully avoided. Doctors, Clergymen, and Lawyers, 

 [Qy.?] have been amongst the first to perceive 

 the greatness and the truth of these doctrines, 

 and the extreme importance of abstaining from 



salt. They are amongst the first who have taken 

 advantage of it. 



We think after this expose, all the " learned 

 Doctors " had better dine together, without 

 salt; and propose a Tour to the Diggings. 

 As for Doctor Howard, — we advise him to 

 " buy up and let his beard grow." He has 

 wisdom enough to pass himself off for an 

 Egyptian Mummy, and assurance enough 

 for a Prime Minister. 



ELECTBO-BIOLOGY. 



To the Editor of " KidcVs Journal?' 

 Sir,— In your able Articles on this sub 

 ject, you do not, if I understand you rightly, 

 deny the existence of apoiver to create cer- 

 tain phenomena in the sleeping subject, — 

 you rather decry the modus operandi prac- 

 tised by the abject humbugs who live by 

 professing what is not true. Is it not so ? 

 Your remarks on Dr. Carpenter's Lecture 

 at the Royal Institution, have been read 

 with great interest ; and I hear you every- 

 where complimented on being so devoted 

 a champion in the cause of Science, pro - 

 perly so called. The metals, which Dr. 

 Darling and the other self-dubbed " Doc- 

 tors " say must be held in the hand to 

 render their victims " sensitive ; " are of no 

 moment at all, are they ? Mere traps, I ima- 

 gine, to extract an extra shilling from the 

 victims ? Yours &c. 



Vigil. 



[You are quite right in your supposition. 

 That certain effects can be produced on cer- 

 tain persons, when in a state of coma, or 

 Mesmeric sleep, is quite true. We have a 

 friend who has shown us many truly won- 

 derful and curious experiments of this de- 

 scription ; but he accomplishes these results 

 quietly and gently, not by distortion of 

 countenance, nor by bawling into the ears 

 of the party operated upon, — simply by a 

 few passes, and an exercise of the Will. 

 Darling, Stone, Fiske, &c, want to get 

 money, — hence the extra charge made for 

 metal discs of zinc and copper. These are 

 perfectly useless of course ; but they enlarge 

 the treasury. Electro-Biology is simply an 

 early stage of Mesmerism ; but the title 

 " sounds well," and helps to " gull " the 

 public. One of these practising scoundrels 

 advertises to sell the " secret ! " — for three 

 guineas ! ! !] 



FLOWERS AND THEIR AMIABILITIES. 



Certainly the French exceed us in their 

 devotedness to flowers, and we are often 

 puzzled to think how it is that we have no 

 public flower gardens in the streets of Lon- 

 don, resembling those so popular in Paris. 



