Bainbridgehadpredicted，theexperimentcametonothing。Thewholecaseofthisgirlofferedastrikinginstanceofthepowerofimagination，butnoproofwhateverofthesupposedexistenceofthemagneticfluid。
TheMedicalCommitteeoftheUniversityCollegeHospitaltookalarmataveryearlyperiodattheinjurywhichmightbedonetothatInstitution，bytheexhibitionsofOkeyandhermagnetisers。AmeetingwasheldinJune1838，atwhichDr。Elliotsonwasnotpresent，totakeintoconsiderationthereportsoftheexperimentsthathadbeenpublishedintheMedicalJournals。Resolutionswerethenpassedtotheeffect，thatDr。Elliotsonshouldberequestedtorefrainfromfurtherpublicexhibitionsofmesmerism；and，atthesametime，statingthewishoftheCommitteenottointerferewithitsprivateemploymentasaremedialagent，ifhethoughtitwouldbeefficaciousuponanyofthepatientsoftheInstitution。Dr。Elliotsonreplied，thatnoconsiderationshouldpreventhimfrompursuingtheinvestigationofAnimalMagnetism；butthathehadnodesiretomakeapublicexhibitionofit。Hehadonlygivenlecturesanddemonstrationswhennumbersofscientificgentlemenwerepresent；hestillcontinuedtoreceivenumerouslettersfromlearnedandeminentmen，entreatingpermissiontowitnessthephenomena；butiftheCommitteewilledit，heshouldadmitnopersonwithouttheirsanction。Heshortlyafterwardssentalistofthenamesofindividualswhowereanxioustowitnesstheexperiments。TheCommitteereturnedittohimunread，withthereplythattheycouldnotsanctionanyexhibitionthatwassoentirelyforeigntotheobjectsoftheHospital。Inanswertothis，Dr。ElliotsonreiteratedhisfullbeliefinthedoctrinesofAnimalMagnetism，andhisconvictionthathisexperimentswouldultimatelythrowalightupontheoperationsofnature，whichwouldequal，ifnotexceed，thatelicitedbythegreatestdiscoveriesofby-goneages。Thecorrespondencedroppedhere；andtheexperimentscontinuedasusual。
Thescene，however，wasdrawingtoaclose。Onthe25thofAugust，anoticewaspublishedintheLancet，totheeffect，thatsomeexperimentshadbeenperformedonthegirlsElizabethandJaneOkey，atthehouseofMr。Wakley，areportofwhichwasonlywithheldinthehopethattheCommitteeofMembersoftheMedicalProfession，thensittingtoinvestigatethephenomenaofmesmerism，wouldpublishtheirreportofwhattheyhadwitnessed。Itwasfurtherstated，thatwhetherthatCommitteedidordidnotpublishtheirreport，theresultoftheexperimentsatMr。Wakley’shouseshouldcertainlybemadeknowninthenextnumberofthatjournal。Accordingly，onthe1stofSeptemberappearedastatement，whichoverthrew，inthemostcompletemanner，thedelusionofmesmerism。Nothingcouldhavebeenbetterconductedthantheseexperiments；nothingcouldbemoredecisiveofthefact，thatallthephenomenawerepurelytheresultsoftheexcitedimaginationsofthegirls，aidedinnoslightdegreebytheirwilfuldeception。
Thefirstexperimentswereperformedonthe16thofAugust，inthepresenceofMr。Wakley，M。Dupotet，Dr。Elliotson，Dr。Richardson，Mr。
Herring，Mr。Clarke，andMr。G。MillsthewriterofthepublishedreportsoftheexperimentsattheUniversityCollegeHospital。Dr。
Elliotsonhadsaid，thatnickelwascapableofretainingandtransmittingthemagneticfluidinanextraordinarydegree；butthatleadpossessednosuchvirtues。Theeffectsofthenickel，hewasconfident，wouldbequiteastounding；butthatleadmightalwaysbeappliedwithimpunity。ApieceofnickelwasproducedbytheDoctor，aboutthreequartersofanounceinweight，togetherwithapieceofleadofthesameshapeandsmoothness，butsomewhatlarger。ElizabethOkeywasseatedinachair；and，byafewpassesandmanipulations，wasthrownintothestateof“ecstaticdelirium。“Apieceofthickpasteboardwasthenplacedinfrontofherface，andheldinthatsituationbytwoofthespectators，sothatshecouldnotseewhatwaspassingeitherbeloworinfrontofher。Mr。Wakleyhavingreceivedboththenickelandthelead，seatedhimselfoppositethegirl，andappliedtheleadtoeachhandalternately，butinsuchamannerastoleadhertobelievethatbothmetalshadbeenused。Noeffectwasproduced。ThenickelmagnetisedbyDr。Elliotsonwas，afterapause，appliedinasimilarmanner。Noresultsfollowed。Afteranotherpause，theleadwasseveraltimesapplied，andthenagainthenickel。Afterthelastapplicationofthenickel，thefaceofthepatientbecameviolentlyflushed，theeyeswereconvulsedintoastartlingsquint，shefellbackinthechair，herbreathingwashurried，herlimbsrigid，andherbackbentintheformofabow。Sheremainedinthisstateforaquarterofanhour。
Thisexperimentwasnotconsideredasatisfactoryproofofthemagneticpowersofthenickel；andDr。Elliotsonsuggestedthat，inthesecondexperiment，thatmetalshouldalonebetried。Mr。Wakleywasagaintheoperator；but，beforecommencing，hestatedprivatelytoMr。Clarke，thatinsteadofusingnickelonly，hewouldnotemploythenickelatall。Mr。Clarke，unseenbyanypersonpresent，tookthepieceofnickel；putitintohiswaistcoatpocket；andwalkedtothewindow，whereheremainedduringthewholeoftheexperiment。Mr。
Wakleyagainsatdown，employingbothhands，butplacinghisfingersinsuchamanner，thatitwasimpossibleforanypersontoseewhatsubstanceheheld。Presently，onapplyinghislefthand，thegirl’svisionbeingstillobstructedbythepasteboard，Mr。Herring，whowasstandingnear，saidinawhisper，andwithmuchsincerity，“Takecare，don’tapplythenickeltoostrongly。“Immediatelythefaceofthegirlbecameviolentlyred，hereyeswerefixedinanintensesquint，shefellbackconvulsivelyinherchair，andalltheprevioussymptomswereproducedmorepowerfullythanbefore。Dr。Elliotsonobservedthattheeffectsweremostextraordinary；thatnoothermetalthannickelcouldproducethem，andthattheypresentedabeautifulseriesofphenomena。Thisparoxysmlastedhalfanhour。Mr。WakleyretiredwithDr。Elliotsonandtheothergentlemenintoanadjoiningroom，andconvincedthemthathehadusednonickelatall，butapieceofleadandafarthing。
Thisexperimentwastwicerepeatedwiththesameresults。Athirdtrialwasmadewiththenickel，butnoeffectwasproduced。
Onthesucceedingdaytheexperimentswererepeateduponboththesisters，chieflywithmesmerisedwaterandsovereigns。Theinvestigationoccupiedaboutfivehours，andthefollowingweretheresults:——
1。Sixwineglasses，filledwithwaterunmesmerised，wereplacedonatable，andJaneOkeybeingcalledin，wasrequestedtodrinkfromeachofthemsuccessively。Shedidso，andnoeffectwasproduced。
2。Thesamesixglassesstoodonthetable，thewaterinthefourthhavingbeensubjectedforalongtimetothesupposedmagneticinfluence。Shewasrequestedinlikemannertodrinkofthese。Shedidso，andagainnoeffectwasproduced，although，accordingtothedoctrineofthemagnetisers，sheoughttohavebeenimmediatelyfixedondrinkingofthefourth。
3。Inthisexperimentthepositionoftheglasseswaschanged。
Therewasnoresult。
4。Wasarepetitionoftheforegoing。Noresult。
5。ThewaterinalltheglasseswassubjectedtothesupposedmagneticinfluencefromthefingersofDr。Elliotson，until，inhisopinion，itwasstronglymagnetised。Stillnoresult。
6。Theglasseswerefilledupwithfreshwaterunmesmerised。Noresult。
7。Thewaterwasstronglymagnetisedineachglass，andthegirlemptiedthemall。Noresult。
Itwouldbeneedlesstogothroughthewholeseriesofexperiments。Theresultsmaybebrieflystated。Sovereignsunmesmerisedthrewthegirlsintoconvulsions，orfixedthem。
Mesmerisedsovereignssometimesdidandsometimesdidnotproducethesesymptoms。ElizabethOkeybecamerepeatedlyfixedwhendrinkingunmagnetisedwater；whilethatwhichhadbeensubjectedtothepowersofasupposedmagneticbattery，producednoresults。Altogethertwenty-nineexperimentsweretried，whichconvincedeveryonepresent，exceptDr。Elliotson，thatAnimalMagnetismwasadelusion，thatthegirlswereofveryexciteableimaginations，andarrantimpostors。
Theirmotivesforcarryingonsoextraordinaryadeceptionhaveoftenbeenasked。Thequestioniseasilyanswered。Poorgirls，unknownandunnoticed，or，ifnoticed，perhapsdespised，theyfoundthemselvesallatoncetheobservedofallobservers，bythereallyremarkablesymptomsoftheirdisease，whichitrequirednoaidfrommagnetismtoproduce。Flatteredbytheoft-repeatedexperimentsandconstantattentionsofdoctorsandlearnedmen，whohadbegunbydeludingthemselves，theyimaginedthemselvespersonsofvastimportance，andencouragedbydegreesthewhimsoftheirphysicians，asthemeansofprolongingtheconsiderationtheysounexpectedlyenjoyed。Constantpracticemadethematlastallbutperfectinthepartstheywereperforming；andtheyfailedatlast，notfromawantofingenuity，orofamostwonderfulpowerovertheirownminds，andbytheirmindsupontheirbodies，butfromthephysicalimpossibilityofseeingthroughathickpasteboard，orintotheclosedhandsofMr。Wakley。
Theexposurethatwasmadewascompleteanddecisive。Fromthatdayforth，magnetisminEnglandhashiditsdiminishedhead，andaffrontednolongerthecommonsenseoftheage。M。Dupotetisnomoreheardof，thegirlsOkeyaffordnomoreeitherwonderoramusementbytheircleveracting，andreasonhasresumedherswayinthepublicmind。
Afewmorecircumstancesremaintobestated。ElizabethOkeyleftthehospital；butwasre-admittedsomeweeksafterwards，labouringunderischuria，afreshcomplaint，unconnectedwithherformermalady。
Asexperimentsinmagnetismwerestilltrieduponherprivately，notwithstandingtherecentexposureandtheallbutuniversalderisionofthepublic，theHouseCommitteeofthehospital，earlyinDecember，mettoconsidertheexpediencyofexpellingthegirl。Dr。Elliotson，onthatoccasion，expressedhisopinionthatitwasnecessarytoretainherinthehospital，asshewastooilltobedischarged。Itwasthenelicitedfromthenurse，whowasexaminedbytheCommittee，thatOkey，wheninthestateof“magneticdelirium，“wasinthehabitofprophesyingthedeathorrecoveryofthepatientsintheward；
that，withtheconsentofDr。Elliotson，shehadbeenledinthetwilightintothemen’sward，andhadprophesiedinasimilarmanner；
herpredictionsbeingtakendowninwriting，andgiveninasealedpapertotheapothecary，tobeopenedafteracertaintime，thatitmightbeseenwhethertheywereverified。Dr。Elliotsondidnotdenythefact。Thenursealsostatedmoreparticularlythemannerinwhichthepropheciesweredelivered。Shesaidthat，onapproachingthebedofacertainpatient，Okeygaveaconvulsiveshudder，exclaimingthat“GreatJackywassittingonthebedclothes！“Onbeingaskedtoexplainherself，shesaidthatGreatJackywastheangelofdeath。Atthebedsideofanotherpatientsheshudderedslightly，andsaid“LittleJackywasthere！“Dr。Elliotsondidnotaltogetherdiscreditthepredictions；butimaginedtheymightultimatelybeverifiedbythedeathorrecoveryofthepatient。Uponthemindsofthepatientsthemselves，enfeebledastheywerebydiseaseandsuffering，theworsteffectswereproduced。Oneman’sdeathwasacceleratedbythedespondencyitoccasioned，andtherecoveryofotherswasseriouslyimpeded。