The Spiritualist newspaper > No.309, July 26th 1878

July 26, 1878.
THE SPIRITUALIST.
43
cast therefrom a perfect reproduction of a human foot, | \ i
under the circumstances narrated, or, in fact, under any j j I
circumstances other than those known as supra-mundane, j j j
or spiritual. k j
The two materialised forms who produced the hand and j) j
foot moulds are well-known, and are as recognisable as j j
any of our mortal friends, for we have seen them at |||
different houses on many different occasions, and have |)|
seen them singly and together. Once they formed from a m
white vapoury cloud into substantial and materialised | j ]
figures, with drapery as real to the touch as that worn by j j
mortal ladies, and they gradually dematerialised before |
our very eyes. j j
On another occasion when the form Lily was showing j
herself at the opening of the curtains behind which the j
medium was sitting, I asked permission to look behind the |
curtain, which was granted. Drawing the curtain aside, I j
saw the form not quite fully developed, for I saw under the j j
drapery where the feet should have been. She was about | /
four feet in height, and appeared suspended about a foot |
from the floor. She put out her hand, which I grasped and i
held during the time I conversed with her, and I noticed the j
lips were flexible, as they moved during the time of articula¬
tion ; the voice was not full, but still sufficiently distinct for
me to understand her replies to my question. She was
clothed with a golden-coloured robe, and had a white crown,
with sparkling jewels; and what amazed me, I noticed that
the cabinet was light with a luminosity which appeared to
emanate from the figure, and was brilliant close to the form.
I did not see the medium, and whether it was a transfigura¬
tion, or whether the form hid the medium from view, I know
not.
I found in these experiments that we always had the best
phenomena when the company was composed of the mem¬
bers of our own circle, for the introduction of a stranger
element was sure to be seen in the character of the mani¬
festations in one form or another.
Granting the genuineness of the supra-mundane origin j
and production of these temporarily created forms in the j
human likeness, the larger question lays behind whether j
they are part and parcel of the personality of the medium, j
or whether they are the spirits of those who once inhabited j
the earth and again rehabilitate. themselves in physical |
bodies for a time. There is still another theory, that these j
forms are mere representatives built up out of the sub- j
stance of the medium’s body, consequently partaking more j
or less of his or her idiosyncrasy, but moved or energised j
by the spirit forms that they are intended to represent; in j
short, that they are neither more nor less than living j
automata. At present I incline to the latter view, as it j
seems to cover the largest amount of area occupied by this |
phase of phenomena. When the time arrives that these j
forms will appear on the platform and deliver orations, as j j j
prognosticated through so many media, we shall then | j
know more. Towards this goal the advance seems to be j
sure and steady. j j
Higher Broughton, Manchester, July 17, 1878. j) j
True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what |) i
sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. It is a great i j
virtue; it covers folly, keeps secrets, avoids disputes, and prevents j |
sin.— William Penn. ! I
Science is, I believe, nothing but trained and organised common j |
sense, differing from the latter only as a veteran may differ from a raw i
recruit ; and its methods differ from those of common sense only so far j)
as the guardsman’s cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a i |
savage wields his club.—Prof. Huxley. | (
Marriage.-—On "Wednesday last a marriage took place between Mr. j j
F. Barrett, of Langley House, Denmark-hill, London, and Emily, |)
daughter of Mr. Desmond Fitz-Gerald, M.S.Tel.E. The B,ev, Samuel j j
Eldridge officiated at the ceremony, at Brixton Independent Church, in i j
the presence of the family of the bride and bridegroom, and numerous ])
friends. The aisle had been strewn with flowers by some of the latter. ] j
The marriage party afterwards drove off to Langley House, the resi- 11
dence of the bridegroom’s father, and amused themselves with lawn j j
tennis until stopped by the rain; they then drove to the temporary i j
residence of Mrs. Fitz-Gerald, the grandmother of the bride, 29, East- ; j
bourne-terrace, Paddington, where the wedding breakfast was served, j)
Among the numerous presents were some from the Brixton Psycho- j j
logical Society. A more detailed account of the happy event, in which j i
so many good and true friends of Spiritualism were intimately con- j j
cerned, will be published in these pages next week. £ c
MESMERIC HEALING.
The following certificates of cures effected by mesmerism
by Mr. Omerin have been handed to us for publication :—
66, Berners-street, Oxford-street, W., Feb. 12, 1878.
Dear Sir,-—In giving you my testimony to the following,
I do but repay a debt of gratitude.
After a severe attack of rheumatic fever, which for more
than a month had confined me to my bed without the power
to move, I was regaining the use of my legs, when the pain
settled in my face, mouth, and gums. In this state of
suffering I passed many months, until ultimately I became
unable either to eat or sleep, and during the last week was
in such agony that meals were a torment, and night little
better than death, since it was passed without sleep, and in
constantly rising to gargle my mouth with rum, brandy,
and other spirits, which gave me no relief. At last, in
sheer desperation, I could only wish for death. It was at
this time that Providence sent you, sir, to me, when, by the
mere passing of your hand over my face, the pain was
mitigated, and, at the end of a quarter of an hour, entirely
removed. I then commenced to touch with my tongue the
parts of my mouth which before I could not do without
inflicting great pain, and, feeling none, it appeared to me
as though I were asleep. I was afterwards able to take
supper without the least pain or difficulty, and on going to
bed slept through the whole night with a calmness and
tranquillity I had not known for many years. On the
following day you again passed your hand over my face, and
from then until now (almost a year) not the least pain
has returned, and I sleep now as well as in the days of my
girlhood.
Begging you, sir, to accept this expression of my grati¬
tude for the favour you have conferred, I remain, dear sir,
yours sincerely, Mary Chidley.
Baltic Chambers, 108, Bishopsgate-street Within, London,
May 2nd, 1878.
Dear Sir,—I have much pleasure in giving a written
expression of my gratitude and obligations to you for the
two special instances in which your manipulations have
been followed by both remedial and curative results. The
first occasion was the absolute removal of what is generally
called “ nervous headache.” The manipulation then occu¬
pied about twenty minutes. In the second instance I
applied to you respecting my left hand, the fingers of which
had been curved and stiff for about twelve years. The
malady lay chiefly in the third joint from the end of each
finger. The mere holding of my hand in yours caused
great pain as high as the elbow. After my hand had been
rubbed a few times by yours, the fingers became as free as
nature ever intended them to be.
Please permit me to assure you that for the benefits I
have received (literally) of your hands, you have the cease¬
less and increasing gratitude of yours ever faithfully,
Geo. Cawthorne.
47, Union-street, W., June 24th, 1878.
Dear Sir,—As you would accept no monetary remunera¬
tion from me for the overwhelming kindness you have
shown in removing my fearful attacks of gout, allow me to
send you this statement as a slight testimony of my inex¬
pressible gratitude to you.
I had been suffering from this disease for about fifteen
years, and could obtain no relief whatever from any of the
medicines prescribed for me by the physicians I had con¬
sulted during that period. I was laid up with an attack in
my right hand for some ten weeks, when I was fortunately
introduced to you, and advised that you were capable of
alleviating my distress without the use of physic. Although
this seemed altogether too good to be true, I placed myself
under your kind charge, and, as I need not repeat, found
myself, after twenty minutes’ manipulation, quite a new
man. You repeated the operation on the following day
(June 16th, 1877), and from that date down to the present
time—now fully a year—I have been entirely without the
least suffering or inconvenience from any relapse. In fact,
it has been a complete cure, and one for which I can only
tender you my best and most heartfelt thanks.—I remain,
dear sir, your obedient servant, B. S. Tucker.