Even Horace Greeley’s popular New York Tribune published reports of the 1857 outbreak of the jerking exercise in Illinois (click here for an earlier account). The unusual fits, which the Tribune correspondent attributed to “animal magnetism,” persisted for several years.
“THE JERKS” IN ILLINOIS.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.
Avoca, Ill., March 1, 1858.
Having noticed a short article in your paper of Feb. 20, on the “jerks” in this place, and thinking perhaps it would be interesting to some of your readers, I concluded to write you a short account of the phenomenon. It made its first appearance in this neighborhood at a protracted meeting held by the Methodists at Indian Grove, about Nov. 1, and continued to increase gradually (though not causing much excitement) until Christmas, when there was a similar meeting commenced here by the same ministers, at which it broke out with redoubled violence, and continued to increase until there were as many as a hundred persons affected with it in this vicinity. The persons attacked are generally rather under medium capacity, from ten to twenty years of age, there being but a few cases above the latter age. It is impossible to give you a particular description of the manner it affects different persons, as they are as differently affected as there are different temperaments, dispositions, muscles, etc. While some are only affected in the head and neck, causing them to shake the head with amazing rapidity and violence, others are only affected in muscles of the legs, causing them to jump and dance in the most violent manner; then again, others are affected in all the muscles at the same time, causing them to make the most ludicrous and horrible contortions of which the human body is capable.
The scene in the church was often supremely ludicrous. Just imagine forty or fifty persons going through all the different postures, twistings, bendings, strikings, kickings, and other violent motions of which the human frame is capable, together with occasional barking and other unusual sounds, and you will have a faint idea of the scene exhibited here night after night.
When the phenomenon first made its appearance, many imagined it to be the direct operation of the Spirit of God; others thought it mere animal excitement; others ascribed it to the influence of animal magnetism. From as careful observation as I am able to make, I have come to the latter opinion. I am certain it is an affection over which the will has entire control, from the fact that, if a person affected wishes to perform any particular act (such, for instance, as taking a drink of water), it matters not how violently he may be “jerking.” As soon as the will is directed to that object the muscles are obedient to it, the arm becomes steady, the drink is taken, when the “jerkings” are instantly begun again. Another fact shows it is still more obviously under the control of the will. Some persons of rather strong will, being affected, resolved that they would quit it, and by a persevering effort for a few days were able to get the entire command of the muscles again, and have not since been affected, though some of them tell me it requires considerable effort of the will to prevent it when in the company of those who are “jerking.” These with other reasons I could name, if necessary, lead me to attribute it to mesmeric influence.
I am also of opinion that it is sympathetically contagious, as the subjects are more violently affected when several of them are together at church, school, or any other place. There are instances well authenticated, where a number of the pupils have been seized while at school, in such a manner as to leave no doubt but that it was directly communicated from one to another. So strong was the conviction of the teacher that this was the case, that he dismissed the school without ceremony, and directed them to separate as quickly as possible; and as quick as they separated the spasms began to abate, and in a short time they left some of them and have not since returned.
Source
“‘The Jerks’ in Illinois,” New York Tribune, March 11, 1858, 3.
Image courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.
