Whenthesefactsbecameknown，theCounciloftheCollegerequestedtheMedicalCommitteetodischargeOkeyandpreventanyfurtherexhibitionsofAnimalMagnetisminthewards。ThelatterpartofthisrequesthavingbeencommunicatedtoDr。Elliotson，heimmediatelysentinhisresignation。AsuccessorwasafterwardsappointedinthepersonofDr。Copland。Athisinaugurallecturethestudentsofthecollegemanifestedariotousdisposition，calledrepeatedlyfortheiroldinstructor，andrefusedtoallowthelecturetoproceed；butitappearsthedisturbancewascausedbytheirrespectandaffectionforDr。Elliotsonindividually，andnotfromanyparticipationinhisideasaboutmagnetism。
ExtravagantasthevagariesoftheEnglishprofessorsofmagnetismmayappear，theyareactualcommonsenseincomparisonwiththeaberrationsoftheGermans。ThelatterhaverevivedalltheexplodeddoctrinesoftheRosicrucians；andinanagewhichiscalledenlightened，havedisinterredfromtherubbishofantiquity，thewildestsuperstitionsoftheirpredecessors，andbuiltuponthemtheoriesmorewildandstartlingthananythingbeforeattemptedorwitnessedamongmankind。ParacelsusandBohmen，BorriandMeyer，withtheirstrangeheterogeneousmixtureofalchymyandreligion，butpavedthewayforthestranger，andevenmoreextravagantmixtureofmagnetismandreligion，asnowpractisedinGermany。Magnetism，itisbelieved，isthekeyofallknowledge，andopensthedoortothoseforbiddenregionswhereallthewondersofGod’sworksaremadecleartothemindofman。Themagneticpatientispossessedofallgifts——
canconversewithmyriadsofspirits，andevenwithGodhimself——betransportedwithgreaterrapiditythanthelightning’sflashtothemoonorthestars，andseetheirinhabitants，andholdconversewiththemonthewondersandbeautiesoftheirseparatespheres，andthepowerandgoodnessoftheGodwhomadethem。Timeandspacearetothemasifannihilated——nothingishiddenfromthem——past，present，orfuture。Theydivinethelawsbywhichtheuniverseisupheld，andsnatchthesecretsoftheCreatorfromthedarknessinwhich，toallothermen，itisenveloped。Forthelasttwentyorthirtyyearsthesedaringandblasphemousnotionshaveflourishedinrankluxuriance；andmenofstationinsociety，learning，andapparentgoodsenseinalltheusualaffairsoflife，havepubliclygivenintheiradhesion，andencouragedthedoctrinebytheirexample，orspreaditabroadbytheirprecepts。Thattheabovesummaryoftheirtenetsmaynothedeemedanexaggerationweenterintoparticulars，andrefertheincredulousthathumanfollyinthepresentagecouldeverbepushedsofar，tochapterandverseforeveryallegation。
InaworkpublishedinGermanyin1817，byJ。A。L。Richter，entitled“ConsiderationsonAnimalMagnetism，“theauthorstatesthatinmagnetismistobefoundthesolutionoftheenigmasofhumanexistence，andparticularlytheenigmasofChristianity，onthemysticandobscurepartsofwhichitthrowsalightwhichpermitsustogazeclearlyonthesecretsofthemystery。Wolfart’s“AnnalsofAnimalMagnetism“aboundwithsimilarpassages；andKluge’scelebratedworkiswritteninthesamespirit。“Suchisthewonderfulsympathy，“saysthelatter，“betweenthemagnetiserandthesomnambulistthathehasknownthelattertovomitandbepurgedinconsequenceofmedicinewhichtheformerhadtaken。Wheneverheputpepperonhistongue，ordrankwine，thepatientcouldtastethesethingsdistinctlyonherpalate。“ButKerner’shistoryofthecaseofMadameHauffe，thefamousmagneticwoman，“Seer“or“ProphetessofPrevorst，“WillgiveamorecompleteandmelancholyproofofthesadwanderingsoftheseGerman“menofscience，“thananyrandomselectionswemightmakefromtheirvoluminousworks。Thisworkwaspublishedintwovolumes，andtheauthenticityofitsdetailssupportedbyGorres，Eschenmeyer，andothermenofcharacterandreputationinGermany:itissaidtohavehadanimmensesale。SheresidedinthehouseofKerner，atWeinsberg；
andbeingweakandsickly，wasveryeasilythrownintoastateofsomnambulism。“Shebelonged，“saysKerner，“toaworldofspirits；shewashalfspiritherself；shebelongedtotheregionbeyonddeath，inwhichshealreadyhalfexisted。***Herbodyclothedherspiritlikeathinveil。***Shewassmallandslightlymade，hadanOrientalexpressionofcountenance，andthepiercingeyesofaprophet，thegleamsofwhichwereincreasedintheirpowerandbeautybyherlongdarkeyebrowsandeyelashes。Shewasafloweroflight，livinguponsunbeams。***Herspiritoftenseemedtobeseparatedfromherframe。Thespiritsofallthings，ofwhichmankindingeneralhavenoperception，wereperceptibletoandoperateduponher，moreparticularlythespiritsofmetals，herbs，men，andanimals。Allimponderablematters，eventheraysoflight，hadaneffectuponherwhenshewasmagnetised。“Thesmellofflintwasveryagreeabletoher。Saltlaidonherhandcausedaflowofsaliva:rockcrystallaidonthepitofherstomachproducedrigidityofthewholebody。Redgrapesproducedcertaineffects，ifplacedinherhands；whitegrapesproduceddifferenteffects。Theboneofanelkwouldthrowherintoanepilepticfit。Thetoothofamammothproducedafeelingofsluggishness。Aspider’swebrolledintoaballproducedapricklyfeelinginthehands，andarestlessnessinthewholebody。Glow-wormsthrewherintothemagneticsleep。Musicsomnambulisedher。Whenshewantedtobecheerful，sherequestedKernertomagnetisethewatershedrank，byplayingtheJew’s-harp。Sheusedtosayinhersleep，“Magnetisethewaterbysevenvibrationsoftheharp。“Ifshedrankwatermagnetisedinthismanner，shewasconstrainedinvoluntarilytopourforthhersoulinsong。Theeyesofmanymenthrewherintothestateofsomnambulism。Shesaidthatinthoseeyestherewasaspiritualspark，whichwasthemirrorofthesoul。Ifamagnetisedrodwerelaidonherrighteye，everyobjectonwhichshegazedappearedmagnified。
Itwasbythismeansthatshewasenabledtoseetheinhabitantsofthemoon。Shesaid，thatontheleftsideofthemoon，theinhabitantsweregreatbuilders，andmuchhappierthanthoseontherightside。“I
oftensee，“saidshetohermagnetiser，“manyspiritswithwhomIdonotcomeintocontact。Otherscometome，andIspeaktothem；andtheyoftenspendmonthsinmycompany。Ihearandseeotherthingsatthesametime；butIcannotturnmyeyesfromthespirits；theyareinmagneticrapportwithme。Theylooklikeclouds，thin，butnottransparent；though，atfirst，theyseemso。Still，Ineversawonewhichcastashadow。Theirformissimilartothatwhichtheypossessedwhenalive；butcolourless，orgrey。Theywearclothing；anditappearsasifmadeofclouds，alsocolourlessandmistygrey。Thebrighterandbetterspiritswearlonggarments，whichhangingracefulfolds，withbeltsaroundtheirwaists。Theexpressionoftheirfeaturesissadandsolemn。Theireyesarebright，likefire；butnoneofthemthatIeversawhadhairupontheirheads。Theymakenoiseswhentheywishtoexcitetheattentionofthosewhohavenotthegiftofseeingthem。Thesenoisesconsistofsoundsintheair，sometimessuddenandsharp，andcausingashock。Sometimesthesoundsareplaintiveandmusical；atothertimestheyresembletherustlingofsilk，thefallingofsand，ortherollingofaball。Thebetterspiritsarebrighterthanthebadones，andtheirvoiceisnotsostrong。Many，particularlythedark，sadspirits，whenIutteredwordsofreligiousconsolation，suckedthemin，asitwere；andIsawthembecomebrighterandquitegloriousinconsequence:butIbecameweaker。Mostofthespiritswhocometomeareofthelowestregionsofthespiritualworld，whicharesituatedjustaboveouratmosphere。
Theywere，intheirlife，grovellingandlow-mindedpeople，orsuchasdidnotdieinthefaithofJesus；orelsesuchas，inexpiring，clungtosomeearthlythoughtoraffection，whichnowpressesuponthem，andpreventsthemfromsoaringuptoheaven。Ionceaskedaspiritwhetherchildrengrewafterdeath？’Yes，’repliedthespirit，’
thesoulgraduallyexpands，untilitbecomesaslargeasitwouldhavebeenonearth。Icannoteffectthesalvationofthesespirits；Iamonlytheirmediator。Iprayardentlywiththem，andsoleadthembydegreestothegreatSaviouroftheworld。ItcostsaninfinityoftroublebeforesuchasoulturnsagaintotheLord。’“
Itwould，however，servenogoodpurposetoextendtogreaterlengththereveriesofthismadwoman，ortosetdownoneaftertheotherthenamesofthemagnetiserswhoencouragedherinherdelusions——beingthemselvesdeluded。TowadethroughthesevolumesofGermanmysticismisataskbothpainfulanddisgusting——andhappilynotnecessary。Enoughhasbeenstatedtoshowhowgrossisthesuperstitionevenofthelearned；andthaterrors，likecomets，runinoneeternalcycle——attheirapogeeinoneage，attheirperigeeinthenext，butreturninginonephaseoranotherformentowonderat。
InEnglandthedelusionofmagnetismmayforthepresentbeconsideredasfairlyexploded。Takingitshistoryfromthecommencement，andtracingittoourownday，itcanhardlybesaid，delusionthoughitwas，thatithasbeenwhollywithoutitsuses。ToquotethewordsofBailly，in1784，“Magnetismhasnotbeenaltogetherunavailingtothephilosophywhichcondemnsit:itisanadditionalfacttorecordamongtheerrorsofthehumanmind，andagreatexperimentonthestrengthoftheimagination。“Overthatvastinquiryoftheinfluenceofmindovermatter，——aninquirywhichtheembodiedintellectofmankindwillneverbeabletofathomcompletely，——itwill，atleast，havethrownafeebleandimperfectlight。Itwillhaveaffordedanadditionalproofofthestrengthoftheunconquerablewill，andtheweaknessofmatterascomparedwithit；anotherillustrationofthewordsoftheinspiredPsalmist，that“wearefearfullyandwonderfullymade。“Ifitservenootherpurposethanthis，itshistorywillproveuseful。Trutherenowhasbeenelicitedbymeansoferror；andAnimalMagnetism，likeothererrors，mayyetcontributeitsquotatowardstheinstructionandimprovementofmankind。
THEENDofVolumeThree