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 believed.  In his lectures on physiology, Milne-Edwards cites some facts that prove that it may exceed 600 pounds per square inch of section.

[Illustration:  FIG. 3.—­THE PERFORATE ARM.]

The experiment on cadaveric rigidity is followed by others in insensibility.  Mr. David, without wincing, allows a poignard to be thrust into his arm, which Mr. Harmington has previously “cataleptized” (Fig. 3).  This trick is performed by means of a blade divided into two parts that are connected by a semicircle.  This process is well known to prestidigitators, but it might be executed in a genuine manner.  In fact, on replacing the poignard by one of the gold needles used by physicians for acupuncture, it would be possible to dispense with prestidigitation.  Under such conditions it is possible to transpierce a person’s arm.  The pain is supportable, and consists in the sensation of a prick produced in the passage of the needle through the skin.  As for the muscular flesh, that is of itself perfectly insensible.  The needle, upon the necessary antiseptic precautions being taken, may traverse the veins and arteries with impunity, provided that it is not allowed to remain long enough to bring about the formation of a clot of coagulated blood (Fig. 4).