relax, and not a motion betrays the
persistence of life in him. The simulation is perfect.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--CATALEPTIC RIGIDITY.]

In order to complete the astonishment of the spectators, Mr.
Harmington seats himself triumphantly upon the abdomen of the subject
and slowly raises his feet and holds them suspended in the air to show
that it is the subject only that supports him, without the need of
any other point of support than the two chairs (Fig. 2).

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--EXPERIMENT ON THE SAME SUBJECT.]

Usually, there are plenty of persons ingenuous enough to think that
Mr. David is actually in a cataleptic sleep, one of the characters of
which is cadaveric rigidity.

As Mr. David's neck is entirely bare, it is not possible to suppose
that the simulator of catalepsy wears an iron corset concealed beneath
his clothing. He has performed a feat of strength and skill rendered
easy by the exercise that he has given to the muscles occupying the
_colliciae_ of his vertebral column. This part of the muscular system
is greatly developed in the weakest and least hardy persons. In fact,
in order that man may keep a vertical position and execute an infinite
multitude of motions in which stability is involved, nature has had to
give him a large number of different organs. The muscles of the back
are arranged upon several superposed layers, the vertebral column is
doubly recurved in order that it may have more strength, and, finally,
rachidion nerves issue from each vertebra in order to regulate the
contraction of each muscular fasciculus according to the requirements
of equilibrium. The trick is so easy that we have seen youths
belonging to the Ligue d'Education Physique immediately imitate Mr.
David after seeing him operate but once.

For the sake of those who would like to perform it, we shall add that
Mr. David takes care to bend his body in the form of an arch in such a
way that the convexity shall be beneath. As Mr. Harmington never fails
to place himself in the center of the line that joins Mr. David's head
and heels, his weight is divided into two parts, that is to say, 88
pounds on each side of the point of support. The result is that the
stress necessary is less than that of a strong man of the Halle
lifting a bag of wheat to his shoulder or of an athlete supporting a
human pyramid. The force of contraction of the muscular fibers brought
into play in this experiment is much greater than is commonly
be