INTRODUCTION.

The purpose of attending to the diseased; and most of the time while in his ordinary state, he spent in some light manual exercise, in walking, or in visiting his friends; and he spent little or no time in solitude.

The writer of this first became acquainted with Mr. Davis in July 1844, being at that time on a professional visit to Poughkeepsie. He was then nearly eighteen years of age, appeared to be of a rather slender constitution, and exhibited some of the marks of delicate health. We then had a long conversation with him, during which he appeared very communicative and unbosomed himself with great simplicity. From the thousand little indications incidentally connected with his manner, pronunciation, use of language, and the form and character of his thoughts, we were irresistibly impressed that he was a young man of very little school education, having almost no acquaintance with books, and totally uninstructed in the arts and social refinements of the world. His mind, however, indicated a delicate susceptibility to impressions and a capacity to comprehend natural principles which we had witnessed in but few people of his age. Still, his unique style of expression irresistibly proved that his own heart within, and the invariable indications of Nature without, were almost the only books which he had perused.

We also at the same time heard him examine a number of patients while in the clairvoyant stateA trance-like state in which a person is believed to perceive things beyond the natural senses.. While in the latter state, he appeared as if metamorphosed into a totally different being. The human system seemed entirely transparent to him, and to our utter astonishment, he employed the technical terms of anatomy, physiology, and medical materials original: "materia medica"; the study of the origin and properties of substances used in medicine. as familiarly as household words! Our surprise was equally excited by the exceeding clearness with which he described and reasoned upon the nature, origin, and progress of a disease, and concerning the appropriate means to employ for its removal. From the infallible indications presented, we saw that there could be no collusion or deception, and no such thing as receiving his impressions sympathetically from the mind of the magnetizerThe person who induces the trance or hypnotic state; a practitioner of "animal magnetism" or mesmerism.. From that time, we neither saw nor heard any more of young Davis until the following May.

In February 1845, Mr. Davis being (with his magnetizer) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, attending to such patients as required his services, formed an acquaintance with Dr. S. S. Lyon. Dr. Lyon was the magnetizer connected with him during the delivery of this book and was at that time a successful medical practitioner in Bridgeport. Dr. Lyon had previously been an unbeliever in clairvoyance, but the evidence of its truth, as presented in the case of young Davis, proved too powerful for him to resist. Under a deep conviction of its importance, he did not hesitate to render it his open encouragement and to avail himself of the clairvoyant's advice in the treatment of some difficult cases of disease then under his charge.

In the following May, the writer of this, happening to be at Bridgeport, accidentally fell in with Mr. Davis and Mr. Levingston, who were then at that place on business connected with their occupation. During a most interesting consultation which we then enjoyed with the clairvoyant—in company with Rev. S. B. Brittan and several other gentlemen—regarding various scientific and spiritual subjects, we learned for the first time that he was soon to commence a series of lectures and revelations upon subjects such as are embraced in this book. But not until about thirty hours before the commencement of these lectures, as will hereafter be shown, did we have the least anticipation of being connected with him as his reporter.