EFFECTS OF MESMERISM ON BRUTES. 
261 
spasmodic convulsions of the ear, snout, and the whole body, were 
strongly developed.” The lioness stopped eating and grasped the 
joint between her jaws, and retained it in her mouth, without once 
relaxing her hold, for full twenty minutes : she ceased growling, 
and her eyes closed at times for short intervals. On leopards no 
effects were produced. The elephants appeared fidgetty, restless, 
and angry. On one occasion an elephant was sent to sleep in five 
minutes, though previous attempts, continued for an hour, had 
only made him appear fidgetty and irritable. 
In ducks, the passes induced restlessness, struggling, and en- 
deavours to escape ; the wings “ made convulsive twitchings as 
the hand moved over them.” After magnetising the ducks for half 
an hour “ one or two became apparently drowsy. . . .one or two 
yawned at different times.” When acted upon for a longer time, 
“ they became exceedingly agitated,” rubbing and biting them- 
selves all over. In geese tremors “ the neck quivered obedient 
to the passes.” In turkeys, restlessness. In mackaws, restless- 
ness, making a great noise, and trembling all over. In fowls (in a 
cage), at first noise and restlessness ; the birds then fell asleep ; 
were upright and motionless; then allowed the body to be touched 
and stroked without moving, and, by degrees, awoke. “ It was 
about their roosting-time.” 
Fish.- Passes induced them to come to the top of the water, 
and put their noses out. After stroking the back of one, and then 
placing the finger against its mouth, “ it followed the finger, as it 
described a circle, round and round for at least a dozen times*.” — 
Dr. Wilson. 
As it would be rather difficult to persuade brutes to intentionally 
deceive by presenting mesmeric phenomena merely to please their 
mesmeriser, facts elicited from experiments upon them are least ex- 
ceptionable. But what single instance of undoubted magnetic ac- 
tion have we in all this! That the constant repetition of passes 
should be viewed by an animal with perfect unconcern w'as scarcely 
to be expected. Ignorant of the intent ion of the operator, the ani- 
mal would feel amusement, alarm, or anger, according to the degree 
of its intelligence, its domestication, its disposition, and its habits. 
Foiled in its attempt to avoid the passes, it would become enraged 
and furious, or terrified and trembling; or, tired of attending to pro- 
cesses it could not comprehend, it would at length seek in repose 
the escape denied to its efforts. There is not an effect stated by 
* “ It happened to me one day,” says Teste, “ to magnetise a cat for an 
entire hour. I sweated large drops of sweat at it ; but at length I fancied 
that I had succeeded, when the noise of a dish suddenly dissipated my illu- 
sion, by making the villanous beast, who feigned to be asleep on them, fly 
from off my knees.” 
