James Braid to Faraday   22 August 1853¹

Burlington House | Oxford Street | Manchester 22 Augt 1853

Sir,

Although I have not the honor of your personal acquaintance I have long been familiar with your important contributions to chemical & physical science; and it is no small gratification to me to have had my views of the nature & cause of Table Turning confirmed & so ably ellucidated by your ingenious & conclusive physical tests². The influence of dominant expectant ideas not only on the muscular system, but on every function of the body, had long been a favourite study of mine, & therefore enabled me to publish a scientific explanation of “Table-moving” long before I witnessed a single experiment of the sort; and, when attending the Conversazione of the Manchester Athenaeum, to propose a test with a circle of brass wire, which was at once conclusive even to those who would not have been convinced otherwise, that it could not be Electricity which was the cause, & moreover, that when muscular contact & an opportunity of applying an conscious muscular action were removed, by the wire lying loosely on the table, that no motion of the table could be induced. I beg your acceptance of a letter published by me in self defence against some unfair attacks made upon me by “D.T” and also a paper lately published by me on “Hypnotic Therapeutics”³ in which you will perceive my mode of accounting for various physiological influences & cures which may be realised through mental impressions changing physical action, thus producing effects subjectively, which the mesmerists attributed to objective influence of some magnetic or odylic influence passing from the body of the operator to the patient - just as the mesmerists wished to explain “Table Turning” as the result of an objective influence. In the appendix to my “Hypnotic Therapeutics” you will observe I have criticised Dr Elliotsons⁴ Dr Ashburners⁵ & the Revd Mr Sandbys⁶ & Townshend’s⁷ Mesmeric residuum force theory, &, with the aid of your physical tests I suspect they will not move far from the point to which I have fixed them.

Dr Carpenter⁸, to whose article you refer⁹, is indeed a most lucid writer on every department of physiology & psychology, & was thus able at once to take up my views of hypnotic & mesmeric phenomena, in illustrating which he has done ample justice to my labours & researches in this curious & interesting field of inquiry[.]

I have the honor to be | Sir | Your obedient servant | James Braid

Prof Faraday.