n, that a conventional
catechism involving every object can be contrived by two persons, and
adapted to every circumstance. The striking performances of the most
notorious mesmeric 'patients' in this line prove the possibility of the
achievement. The 'agent' who receives the questions in writing or in a
whisper thus communicates the answer to the patient, who is laboriously
trained in the entire encyclopaedia of 'common things' and things
generally known; but it MAY happen that the question proposed by the
spectator has been omitted in the scheme.

On one occasion, when the famous Prudence was the 'patient,' and was
telling the taste of all manner of liquids from a glass of water, I
proposed 'Blood' to the 'agent.' He shook his head, said he would try;
but it was useless. She said she 'couldn't do it,' and the agent frankly
admitted that it was a failure.

Now, if the mesmeric consciousness were really, as pretended, the
result of mental intercommunication between the agent and patient, it is
obvious that the well-known taste of blood could be communicated as
well as any other taste. This experiment suffices to prove that the
revelations are communicated in the matter-of-fact way which I have
sufficiently described.

Should it happen that a spectator has discovered the method, the
performers easily turn the tables against him. They have always ready
a conventional list of common things; and the agent undertakes that his
mesmeric patient will indicate them without hearing a word from him,
even in another apartment. The agent then merely touches the object, and
the patient begins with the first name in his list. The patient takes
care to give the agent sufficient time, lest he should name the object
next to be touched before the agent applies his finger, and thus, as it
were, call for it rather than name it when touched, as required by the
case.

1. Guessing.

Five persons having each thought of a different card, to guess five
cards.

Take twenty-five cards, show five of them to a party, requesting him to
think of one, then place them one upon the other. Proceed in like
manner with five more to a second party, and so on, five parties in all,
placing the fives on the top of each other. Then, beginning with the top
cards, make five lots, placing one card successively in each lot; and
ask the five parties, one after the other, in which lot their card is.
As the first five cards are the first of each lot, it is eviden