Itisnowtimetomentionthefamousgold-chainexperimentwhichwasperformedatthehospitaluponElizabethOkey，inthepresenceofCountFlahault，Dr。Lardner，Mr。KnatchbulltheprofessorofArabicintheUniversityofOxford，andmanyothergentlemen。Theobjectoftheexperimentwastodemonstratethat，whenOkeyheldoneendofagoldchain，andDr。Elliotson，oranyothermagnetiser，theother，themagneticfluidwouldtravelthroughthechain，and，afterthelapseofaminute，stupifythepatient。Alonggoldchainhavingbeentwiceplacedaroundherneck，Dr。Elliotsonatoncethrewherintoastateofstupor。Itwasthenfoundthat，iftheintermediatepartofthechainweretwistedaroundapieceofwood，orarollofpaper，thepassageofthefluidwouldbechecked，andstuporwouldnotsospeedilyensue。Ifthechainwereremoved，shemightbeeasilythrownintothestateofdelirium；whenshewouldsingattherequestofhermagnetiser；and，ifthechainwerethenunrolled，hervoicewouldbearrestedinthemostgradualmanner；itsloudnessfirstdiminishing——
thetunethenbecomingconfused，andfinallylostaltogether。Theoperationsofherintellectcouldbechecked，whiletheorgansofsoundwouldstillcontinuetoexertthemselves。Forinstance，whileherthoughtswereoccupiedonthepoetryandairofLordByron’ssong，“TheMaidofAthens，“thechainwasunrolled；andwhenshehadreachedtheline，“Mylife，Iloveyou！“thestuporhadincreased；acoldstatue-likeaspectcreptovertheface——thevoicesank——thelimbsbecamerigid——thememorywasgone——thefacultyofforecastingthethoughtshaddeparted，andbutoneportionofcapacityremained——
thatofrepeatingagainandagain，perhapstwentytimes，thelineandmusicwhichhadlastissuedfromherlips，withoutpause，andinthepropertime，untilthemagnetiserstoppedhervoicealtogether，byfurtherunrollingthechainandstupifyingher。Onanothertrial，shewasstoppedinthecomicsong，“SirFroghewouldawooinggo，“whenshecametotheline，“Whetherhismotherwouldlethimorno；“
whileherlefthandoutstretched，withthechaininit，wasmovingupanddown，andtherighttoewastappingthetimeonthefloor；andwiththesewordsandactionssheperseveredforfiftyrepetitions，untilthewindingofthechainre-openedherfaculties，whenshefinishedthesong。[“Lancet，“vol。ii。1837-8，p。617。]
Thereportfromwhichwehaveextractedtheabovepassagefurtherinformedthepublicandthemedicalprofession，andexpectedthemtobelieve，that，whenthisspeciesofstupefactionwasproducedwhileshewasemployedinanyaction，theactionwasrepeatedaslongasthemesmericinfluencelasted。Forinstance，itwasassertedthatshewasoncedeprivedofthemotionofeverypartofherbody，excepttherightforefinger，withwhichshewasrubbingherchin；andthat，whenthrownintothetrance，shecontinuedrubbingherchinforseveralminutes，untilshewasunmagnetised，whensheceased。Asimilarresultwasobtainedwhenshewassmoothingdownherhair；andatanothertimewhenshewasimitatingthelaughterofthespectators，excitedbeyondcontrolbyherclevermimicry。Atanothertimeshewassuddenlythrownintothestateofdeliriousstuporwhilepronouncingtheword“you，“