Jane Jennings to Faraday   27 July 1846

(This requires no answer)

Miss Jane Jennings | Brown Street | Cork | Ireland

My dear Sir

I would not think it right, knowing how much your time is engaged, to write to you again¹; but this note requires no answer - and will not require more than a few moments to read - as I will try and write very briefly. I hope you will not think me presumptuous in thinking that any facts I could tell you would weigh upon your mind and yet a hope is felt that ere long you will see for yourself in some nervously susceptible patient, where there cannot be any delusion many of the mesmeric phenomena - since I wrote last to you I have further verified some of Baron Reichenbach's² experiments. My most sensitive patient, I was about to mesmerise but before doing so, I gave into her hands to hold a horse shoe magnet of about 10lbs in weight made of 3 pieces screwed together about 10 inches in length I asked her how did it feel she said 'warm' I then touched it to her forehead she said the same I began to think she was not susceptible enough unless asleep where her head unconsciously followed it, at last I thought of applying it to the back of her neck when she shrank away from it saying I burned her she was awake while I was making these experiments. I then said I would again just touch it on her neck but she evidently could not bare it without pain and involuntarily moved from it saying it was too hot. I then induced the mesmeric sleep by the usual passes - and got a friend to hold the the north and south poles alternately to the sides of her head she followed both equally I asked her why she kept moving her head she said she moved it after heat she felt. The magnet was then laid on a table behind her so that were her eyes open she could not possibly see it or any person touching it. There was no looking glass in the room and my patient was sitting with her back to the h[e]arth at which side the windows were so that by no possibility could she see. My sister took up the magnet and made a few passes at about 2 inches from her, down the back of her head and back she soon leaned forward away from the passes I asked her the reason of her leaning forward "there is something hot running down my back" was her reply - if the room be darkened she sees sparks from the end of it and also from some of my fingers - her health at present requires mesmerism she has no idea of the experiments I try as I never speak of them to her - and she never remembers, any thing, when awake that passes in her sleep waking state. In her case there can be no deception she is in humble life has been saved she says from death by mesmerism and finds her health always strengthened by a mesmeric sleep, she is naturally rather chilly a mesmeric sleep makes her glow all over and the warmth there obtained continues for many hours - she feels much warmer since I have adopted the plan of placing the tips of the fingers of my right hand on the back of her neck the other hand gently resting on her forehead and front part of her head - I can demesmerise any part of this patient - so as to make her hear, taste, or see - her sympathy of taste is exquisite, if I demesmerise her mouth, and if I place my fingers on the back of her neck - it is very strange that her two sisters have also manifested mesmeric phenomena - and all have been greatly benefited by mesmerism. I can recollect when I doubted the truth of many of the mesmeric phenomena - I became very slowly a convert - I attended two public exhibitions but was not convinced and have smiled at the credulity of a friend who believed in the phenomena of intro-vision &c &c I can then fully enter into your state of mind - but I confess I am most anxious for you to be fully convinced all truth must be valuable if the mesmeric phenomena be proved to be true what an immense amount of good will result - "it is more blessed to give than to receive"³ I feel the truth of this beautiful passage for never have I felt so happy or enjoyed such good health as since I have become a mesmeriser I have instructed four ladies friends of mine, how to mesmerise and two of them have had their own health and spirits improved - to mesmerise well, exercise in the open air must be taken before and after mesmerising, I will as briefly as I can tell you of the manner in which I became convinced of some of the phenomena of mesmerism. I began to mesmerise last Christmas twelvemonth - my patient was a poor epileptic women I was joint mesmeriser of this poor women with a man in humble life who was a printer and having read in a newspaper of some mesmeric accounts he thought he would try and mesmerise his sister-in-law who was all but dying of asthma and rheumatism, it was melancholy he told me to witness her sufferings. The first time he mesmerised her she became very much excited and on awaking got into hysterics - but even this one step greatly benefited her she said her chest opened, she was mesmerised a few more times and rapidly improved in health and manifested sympathy of taste and described most accurately places she had never seen - this power she suddenly lost from a fright - her health being now restored she was only occasionally mesmerised - her sister Mrs. H. had epilepsy but would not allow herself to be mesmerised as the phenomena her sister manifested alarmed her - however she one evening accompanied her husband to see him mesmerise the poor epileptic I was the mesmeriser this evening and Mrs. H. said to her husband that she would not be afraid of mesmerism if I were to mesmerise her - she was a most gentle and prepossessing looking young women - living in constant dread of an epileptic attack, she had been attacked with epilepsy about 3 years but from childhood had suffered from extreme nervousness afraid to remain in a room by herself - if the wind blew at night much she never ventured to go to bed if she ever stooped her head felt giddy - medical advice suggested keeping a section constantly open in the back of her head - she also suffered much from a constant feeling of chilliness and cold feet her age about 25 had 3 children. I at once consented to mesmerise her without the most distant hope of her exhibiting any of the mesmeric phenomena - five minutes mesmerising sent her to sleep from which she at first woke of herself but soon the sleep became much deeper so that she required to be de-mesmerised towards the close of the sixth sitting she became burning hot and asked me for a drink of water saying she never felt so hot as she then felt. I was sure she was awake but that she could not open her eyes as is usual until de-mesmerised on fully de-mesmerising her I remarked to her how hot she got and how very thirsty she appeared to have been - she said she got very hot but did not feel thirsty I at once felt that she was unconscious of having taken any water - when asleep the next day I asked her did she remember taking a tumbler of water the day before when asleep she at once said yes & that she had never felt so hot - she then conversed freely when she awoke I did not tell her of her having become a somnambulist - as she did not like the idea of her sister having had any phenomena some days after it occurred to me to try if she had sympathy of taste a little sugar happened to be near me I held her hand in mine and tasted the sugar I soon perceived her mouth moving and when I asked the reason she said she was eating sugar I can give you no idea of my delight for I never anticipated being so fortunate as to have a patient with any of the mesmeric phenomena, knowing how rare they were I tried her then with various flavours and she could tell every thing I tasted or drank and when I have sometimes said to her 'you are not eating any thing' she would insist she was so entirely did she sympathise with me - I asked her one day if she would have any objection to know when she was awake that she had sympathy of taste - she said she would not like to know she had it, so that to the present moment she is quite ignorant of her having sympathy of taste she became aware that she spoke in her sleep having told me a circumstance but as many persons do that she did not much mind it however I never spoke of it to her until one day that she came to me in great agony from tooth ache, she had tooth ache occasionally but mesmerism always relieved her, so great was her dread of pulling out the tooth that she never had courage to go and get it out until this very morning when having passed a terrible night and still suffering in the morning she at last got courage to go and get it taken out - the dentist broke it but without being able to draw it, it was a jaw tooth and very firmly in - almost in agony she came to ask my advice. I said I would try and put her to sleep she said the pain was so severe she was sure I could not put her to sleep. I said 'let me try' she consented it required a much longer time than usual to induce the mesmeric sleep - but immediately all pain ceased - from previous experiments I had made with her I feared that she only felt pain if I were pained, directly she did not feel pain. I then asked her would she like the tooth to be drawn, she said yes as it would not give her any pain while asleep. I regretted much not being able to apply to any medical friend, those who believe in Mesmerism are so few. I then awoke her and for the first time told her that she told me in the sleep that if then drawn it would not give her any pain - the sleep had quite relieved the pain - however I told her if I could get a certain medical friend a believer in Mesmerism to draw the tooth for me I would send for her - fortunately I soon after met with Dr. Fowkes⁴ of Cologne who has done much good as a mesmeriser he at once offered to draw the tooth if I could get him instruments I went for my patient and told her that if asleep she would not have any pain the dread too of passing another night of pain made her willing. I tried to induce sleep in the usual way but, all in vain, the dread of the operation prevented the deep mesmeric trance from being induced, she was unwilling to have it drawn saying she felt as if a mountain were down upon her and that she would feel pain - of course Dr. F. and I agreed it ought not to be done. I awoke her and told her what she said - she awoke very nervous Dr. F. at once said to her that he would not draw it but desired me to induce sleep again to calm the nervous state she was in I soothed her and said the tooth should not be drawn. I then induced the sleep which soon became so very deep that she asked me to get it drawn saying it would not give her any pain, fortunately Dr. F. had not gone away he asked her to let him try the instrument on the tooth which was very firmly in - having a great dread of seeing a tooth drawn I said if he did not require my assistance I would not remain - Dr. F. said "just remain while I try on the instrument" my hand was under her head I turned my head away not to see him even do this and before a moment of time had elapsed he shewed me the tooth her head did not move on my hand I at once resumed the passes lest she might awaken and asked her if it gave her any pain drawing the tooth she said she did not feel at all; but she felt the gum rubbed but no pain and had it been drawn in the morning she would not have felt the gum but it was not pain - had she been awake she would have suffered a great deal she said after sleeping for 20 minutes she asked me to awaken her saying she felt quite well. I did so but resolved not to tell her that the tooth had been drawn - when she was awake I asked how she felt, and if she had any pain - "I feel quite well I have no pain at all" is it not better I said to have it drawn? "oh no, I have such a dread of getting it out and you mesmerised the pain away the last time I had not it for two months" and you will not allow the doctor to draw it? "I cannot indeed I will wait till the pain comes again". Dr. F. & I asked her various questions but in vain she had not the most remote idea that the tooth was drawn she put on her bonnet and prepared to go away when at last Dr. F. shewed her the tooth - her delight as you may imagine was great, as the dread of getting out this tooth had often haunted her - to this moment she is perfectly unconscious that she has most exquisite sympathy of taste of touch, and of smell - there cannot be delusion here I can make any part of her rigid by a few passes no one has ever mesmerised her but myself and the phenomena have been manifested more than 30 times I think, as I often excuse myself trying them - but I ought to tell you that she is I think entirely cured of Epilepsy - is no longer afraid of wind, can stoop her head without the slightest inconvenience is no longer nervous in any way but is cheerful and happy and has lost all dread of any return of the epileptic attacks. I saw her in one of them it was a fearful sight - she has been free from even the least symptom for 12 months, I still occasionally mesmerise her as a sleep always delights her and after this disease mesmerism should be continued for a time her sister Honora my clairvoyant knows that she possesses extraordinary power when in the mesmeric sleep as she has been again and again told it - her power of describing distinct places she lost from a fright - her powers of intro-vision was most unexpectedly manifested one day that I asked her to assist me to try and mesmerise a lady suffering from epilepsy having read that few could resist a mesmeric chair. I first mesmerised Honora (the name of my clairvoyant) then directed her to hold the hands of this lady while I made passes before her, which holding her hands she turned to me and said "I thought of looking into her and it frightened me" I got alarmed lest the lady might hear and at once awoke her, we entirely failed in inducing sleep in the lady, I was at this time but a mere novice in mesmerising, and foolishly thought that Honora might when awake remember what she had seen in her sleep that had so alarmed her - but of course she could not remember having said or seen anything in despair I knew not what <to> do I went to take a walk into the country when I recollected that if I again put her to sleep she would remember every thing she had seen or said in the previous sleep. I returned to her and asked her to allow me to put her to sleep for a few minutes when she told me she had got a great fright that the lady had a very dark color inside and then so graphically described the appearance of a certain part inside near the heart that I felt I could have painted from her vivid description - there was a large mass of matter black in the middle then brown and yellow towards the edges occupying that part called the spleen - the epileptic attacks she said proceeded from this - again she said that it looked frightful, suggested various things to be done - when I awoke her I again foolishly told her what she had described to me as having seen, when next asleep she warned me never to tell her what she saw or said when in the sleep or it would injure her - this advice I have since attended to - I afterwards asked the epileptic lady had she ever felt a pain any where "never", she said, "except here before I get an attack" and placed her hand on the very spot Honora had pointed out. I could fill pages of her discoveries - being verified - one day she was examining a lady who was very nervous Honora said that her chest was also affected the lady said no that nothing was the matter with her but great nervous depression, I at once said 'for once Honora is wrong' and said to Honora 'the lady says that there is nothing the matter with her chest' "but there is indeed for I see it" was her reply. I again said to the lady I have never known her wrong, do you ever feel your chest uncomfortable? "Now I recollect", she said, "that very morning on awaking I have a fit of coughing and expectorate a good deal but I never thought any thing about it my nervousness is all I think of" - she has mental sympathy with some persons - can give an admirable sketch of the temper and disposition if holding the hands - but in her waking state she is a simple minded unintellectual person fond only of doing needle work - her countenance when asleep is much more attractive than when awake - I one day when she was asleep asked her how she felt on going into the mesmeric sleep - "just as I feel at going to sleep at any time but then I wake up" mesmeric sleep it is said begins and ends in natural sleep - but for this susceptible family I should have enjoyed but very few opportunities of seeing the mesmeric phenomena - for although two young ladies friends have also manifested sympathy of taste & they have refused to be again mesmerised being rather ashamed of possessing the mesmeric phenomena - the Revd. John Burnett⁵ of Camberwell is on a visit with friends of mine and has become a believer from what he has seen here - the servant in the house having also manifested several of the phenomena - Intro-vision is a rare talent - I fear I have wearied you forgive me and believe me yours very sincerely

Jane Jennings

If you ever become a believer do tell me.

Endorsed by Faraday: Mesmeric | Jennings 2

Address: Michael Faraday Esq | Royal Institution | 21 Albemarle Street | London

Postmark: 27 July 1846