“The Press” In 1864

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 12

“The Press” In 1864

CAPTAIN WILSON’S LECTURE.—A very considerable audience collected in the new Town Hall last night to hear a lecture from Captain Wilson, or rather, to see what he can do as an electro-biologist. . . . We cannot but speak with respect of Captain Wilson, because he is now well known in Canterbury as a mesmerist of great power, who applies himself to the cure of disease and the alleviation of pain rather than to the exhibition of the tricks of the trade on the platform. The ordinary facts of mesmerism no well-educated person who has taken the trouble to enquire now attempts to dispute. It is therefore in no spirit of incredulity as regards

the—wish we could call it science—that we say we are less and less inclined to admit all Captain Wilson’s experiments every time we see them. Indeed, those in which he fails or only very partially succeeds (and the genuine character of the man is fully evidenced by his failures) are to our minds far more interesting and satisfactory than those in which he achieves, great success—success, in fine, of the most suspicious completeness. He has repeatedly operated on some two or three lads whose performances we do not believe to be genuine. And whether they be so or not the whole class of experiments which exhibit the perversion of the senses under the will

of the mesmerist, are of so unsatisfactory a character, so obviously unfitted for dramatic display, and so utterly useless as scientific experiments that we never see them without pain and suspicion . . . That Captain Wilson has done, and is doing, a great deal of good in this place we cordially admit; but we cannot think such lectures as that we heard last night give much information as to the nature or laws of the curative powers which he possesses, or add anything to the general and well-earned confidence • which Captain Wilson has acquired as an earnest man, enthusiastic in the cause he has adopted, and benevolent in its application to the relief of suffering.