[6] 'Let six such Americans meet round a stove, in a bar-room, or
parlour, or hotel drawing-room, of a morning--of the six, four will
spit before speaking a word; one will bid good-morning first, and spit
afterwards; the sixth will make a remark somewhat at length upon the
weather, and, by way of compensation for extraordinary retention, spit
twice or thrice.'
'THE MAGNETOSCOPE.'
In No. 415 of this Journal, we printed a paper with the above title,
merely as one likely to excite interest, but warning the reader that
we did not ourselves vouch for its statements. This caution appears to
have been very necessary; for Dr Madden--the substance of whose
lecture was given in the article--now declares, that 'very shortly
after its delivery, he, in common with many others, detected a serious
fallacy in the whole series of experiments; and that, by prosecuting
his inquiry in this new direction, he ascertained that not one of the
hitherto recorded experiments can be looked upon as proving the
existence of _magnetic currents_ at all.' The pendulations, it seems,
are caused solely by 'slight mechanical impulsions, unconsciously or
half consciously conveyed to the instrument by the luckless
experimentalist.'