I. PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.

CHAPTER I.—GENERAL VIEW OF THE SUBJECT.—?HUMBUG UNIVERSAL.—?IN RELIGION.—?IN POLITICS.—?IN BUSINESS.—?IN SCIENCE.—?IN MEDICINE.—?HOW IT IS TO CEASE.—?THE GREATEST HUMBUG OF ALL. 11

CHAPTER II.—DEFINITION OF THE WORD HUMBUG.—?WARREN OF LONDON.—?GENIN THE HATTER.—?GOSLING’S BLACKING. 18

CHAPTER III.—MONSIEUR MANGIN, THE FRENCH HUMBUG. 29

CHAPTER IV.—OLD GRIZZLY ADAMS. 37

CHAPTER V.—THE GOLDEN PIGEONS.—?GRIZZLY ADAMS.—?GERMAN CHEMIST.—?HAPPY FAMILY.—?FRENCH NATURALIST. 46

CHAPTER VI.—THE WHALE, THE ANGEL FISH, AND THE GOLDEN PIGEON. 53

CHAPTER VII.—PEASE’S HOARHOUND CANDY.—?THE DORR REBELLION.—?THE PHILADELPHIA ALDERMAN. 57

CHAPTER VIII.—BRANDRETH’S PILLS.—?MAGNIFICENT ADVERTISING.—?POWER OF IMAGINATION. 65

II. THE SPIRITUALISTS.

CHAPTER IX.—THE DAVENPORT BROTHERS, THEIR RISE AND PROGRESS.—?SPIRITUAL ROPE-TYING.—?MUSIC PLAYING.—?CABINET SECRETS.—?“THEY CHOOSE DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT,” ETC.—?THE SPIRITUAL HAND.—?HOW THE THING IS DONE.—?DR. W. F. VAN VLECK. 73

CHAPTER X.—THE SPIRIT-RAPPING AND MEDIUM HUMBUGS.—?THEIR ORIGIN.—?HOW THE THING IS DONE.—?$500 REWARD. 82

CHAPTER XI.—THE “BALLOT TEST.”—?THE OLD GENTLEMAN AND HIS “DISEASED” RELATIVES.—?A “HUNGRY SPIRIT.”—?“PALMING” A BALLOT.—?REVELATIONS ON STRIPS OF PAPER. 88

CHAPTER XII.—SPIRITUAL “LETTERS ON THE ARM.”—?HOW TO MAKE THEM YOURSELF.—?THE TAMBOURINE AND RING FEATS.—?DEXTER’S DANCING HATS.—?PHOSPHORESCENT OIL.—?SOME SPIRITUAL SLANG. 96

CHAPTER XIII.—DEMONSTRATIONS BY “SAMPSON” UNDER A TABLE.—?A MEDIUM WHO IS HAPPY WITH HER FEET.—?EXPOSÉ OF ANOTHER OPERATOR IN DARK CIRCLES. 102

CHAPTER XIV.—SPIRITUAL PHOTOGRAPHING.—?COLORADO JEWETT AND THE SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHS OF GENERAL JACKSON, HENRY CLAY, DANIEL WEBSTER, STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, ETC.—?A LADY OF DISTINCTION SEEKS AND FINDS A SPIRITUAL PHOTOGRAPH OF HER DECEASED INFANT, AND HER DEAD BROTHER WHO WAS YET ALIVE.—?HOW IT WAS DONE. 109

CHAPTER XV.—BANNER OF LIGHT.—?MESSAGES FROM THE DEAD.—?SPIRITUAL CIVILITIES.—?SPIRIT “HOLLERING.”—?HANS VON VLEET, THE FEMALE DUTCHMAN.—?MRS. CONANT’S “CIRCLES.”—?PAINE’S TABLE-TIPPING HUMBUG EXPOSED. 119

CHAPTER XVI.—SPIRITUALIST HUMBUGS WAKING UP.—?FOSTER HEARD FROM.—?S. B. BRITTAIN HEARD FROM.—?THE BOSTON ARTISTS AND THEIR SPIRITUAL PORTRAITS.—?THE WASHINGTON MEDIUM AND HIS SPIRITUAL HANDS.—?THE DAVENPORT BROTHERS AND THE SEA-CAPTAIN’S WHEAT-FLOUR.—?THE DAVENPORT BROTHERS ROUGHLY SHOWN UP BY JOHN BULL.—?HOW A SHINGLE “STUMPED” THE SPIRITS. 130

CHAPTER XVII.—THE DAVENPORT BROTHERS SHOWN UP ONCE MORE.—?THE SPIRITUALIST BOGUS BABY.—?A LADY BRINGS FORTH A MOTIVE FORCE.—?“GUM” ARABIC.—?SPIRITUALIST HEBREW.—?THE ALLEN BOY.—?DR. RANDALL.—?PORTLAND EVENING COURIER.—?THE FOOLS NOT ALL DEAD YET. 145

III. TRADE AND BUSINESS IMPOSITIONS.

CHAPTER XVIII.—ADULTERATIONS OF FOOD.—?ADULTERATIONS OF LIQUOR.—?THE COLONEL’S WHISKEY.—?THE HUMBUGOMETER. 152

CHAPTER XIX.—ADULTERATIONS IN DRINKS.—?RIDING HOME ON YOUR WINE-BARREL.—?LIST OF THINGS TO MAKE RUM.—?THINGS TO COLOR IT WITH.—?CANAL-BOAT HASH.—?ENGLISH ADULTERATION LAW.—?EFFECT OF DRUGS USED.—?HOW TO USE THEM.—?BUYING LIQUORS UNDER THE CUSTOM-HOUSE LOCK.—?HOMŒOPATHIC DOSE. 160

CHAPTER XX.—THE PETER FUNKS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.—?THE RURAL DIVINE AND THE WATCH.—?RISE AND PROGRESS OF MOCK AUCTIONS.—?THEIR DECLINE AND FALL. 167

CHAPTER XXI.—LOTTERY SHARKS.—?BOULT AND HIS BROTHERS.—?KENNETH, KIMBALL & COMPANY.—?A MORE CENTRAL LOCATION WANTED FOR BUSINESS.—?TWO SEVENTEENTHLIES.—?STRANGE COINCIDENCE. 175

CHAPTER XXII.—ANOTHER LOTTERY HUMBUG.—?TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY RECIPES.—?VILE BOOKS.—?“ADVANTAGE-CARDS.”—?A PACKAGE FOR YOU; PLEASE SEND THE MONEY.—?PEDDLING IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 182

CHAPTER XXIII.—A CALIFORNIA COAL MINE.—?A HARTFORD COAL MINE.—?MYSTERIOUS SUBTERRANEAN CANAL ON THE ISTHMUS. 189

IV. MONEY MANIAS.

CHAPTER XXIV.—THE PETROLEUM HUMBUG.—?THE NEW YORK AND RANGOON PETROLEUM COMPANY. 195

CHAPTER XXV.—THE TULIPOMANIA. 204

CHAPTER XXVI.—JOHN BULL’S GREAT MONEY HUMBUG.—?THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE IN 1720. 213

CHAPTER XXVII.—BUSINESS HUMBUGS.—?JOHN LAW.—?THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME.—?JOHNNY CRAPAUD AS GREEDY AS JOHNNY BULL. 221

V. MEDICINE AND QUACKS.

CHAPTER XXVIII.—DOCTORS AND IMAGINATION.—?FIRING A JOKE OUT OF A CANNON.—?THE PARIS EYE WATER.—?MAJENDIE ON MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE.—?OLD SANDS OF LIFE. 232

CHAPTER XXIX.—THE CONSUMPTIVE REMEDY.—?E. ANDREWS, M. D.—?BORN WITHOUT BIRTHRIGHTS.—?HASHEESH CANDY.—?ROBACK THE GREAT.—?A CONJUROR OPPOSED TO LYING. 237

CHAPTER XXX.—MONSIGNORE CRISTOFORO RISCHIO; OR IL CRESO, THE NOSTRUM-VENDER OF FLORENCE.—?A MODEL FOR OUR QUACK DOCTORS. 242

VI. HOAXES.

CHAPTER XXXI.—THE TWENTY-SEVENTH STREET GHOST.—?SPIRITS ON THE RAMPAGE. 251

CHAPTER XXXII.—THE MOON HOAX. 259

CHAPTER XXXIII.—THE MISCEGENATION HOAX.—?A GREAT LITERARY SELL.—?POLITICAL HUMBUGGING.—?TRICKS OF THE WIRE-PULLERS.—?MACHINERY EMPLOYED TO RENDER THE PAMPHLET NOTORIOUS.—?WHO WERE SOLD AND HOW IT WAS DONE. 273

VII. GHOSTS AND WITCHCRAFTS.

CHAPTER XXXIV.—HAUNTED HOUSES.—?A NIGHT SPENT ALONE WITH A GHOST.—?KIRBY THE ACTOR.—?COLT’S PISTOLS VERSUS HOBGOBLINS.—?THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED. 284

CHAPTER XXXV.—HAUNTED HOUSES.—?GHOSTS.—?GHOULS.—?PHANTOMS.—?VAMPIRES.—?CONJURORS.—?DIVINING—?GOBLINS.—?FORTUNE-TELLING.—?MAGIC.—?WITCHES.—?SORCERY.—?OBI.—?DREAMS.—?SIGNS.—?SPIRITUAL MEDIUMS.—?FALSE PROPHETS.—?DEMONOLOGY.—?DEVILTRY GENERALLY. 293

CHAPTER XXXVI.—MAGICAL HUMBUGS.—?VIRGIL.—?A PICKLED SORCERER.—?CORNELIUS AGRIPPA, HIS STUDENTS AND HIS BLACK DOG.—?DOCTOR FAUSTUS.—?HUMBUGGING HORSE-JOCKEYS.—?ZIITO AND HIS LARGE SWALLOW.—?DEVIL TAKE THE HINDERMOST. 300

CHAPTER XXXVII.—WITCHCRAFT.—?NEW YORK WITCHES.—?THE WITCH MANIA.—?HOW FAST THEY BURNED THEM.—?THE MODE OF TRIAL.—?WITCHES TO-DAY IN EUROPE. 308

CHAPTER XXXVIII.—CHARMS AND INCANTATIONS.—?HOW CATO CURED SPRAINS.—?THE SECRET NAME OF GOD.—?SECRET NAMES OF CITIES.—?ABRACADABRA CURES FOR CRAMP.—?MR. WRIGHT’S SIGIL.—?WHISKERIFUSTICUS.—?WITCHES’ HORSES.—?THEIR CURSES.—?HOW TO RAISE THE DEVIL. 314

VIII. ADVENTURERS.

CHAPTER XXXIX.—THE PRINCESS CARIBOO. 323

CHAPTER XL.—COUNT CAGLIOSTRO, ALIAS JOSEPH BALSAMO, KNOWN ALSO AS “CURSED JOE.” 330

CHAPTER XLI.—THE DIAMOND NECKLACE. 338

CHAPTER XLII.—THE COUNT DE ST. GERMAIN, SAGE, PROPHET, AND MAGICIAN. 354

CHAPTER XLIII.—RIZA BEY, THE PERSIAN ENVOY TO LOUIS XIV. 361

IX. RELIGIOUS HUMBUGS.

CHAPTER XLIV.—DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.—?MATTHIAS THE IMPOSTOR.—?NEW YORK FOLLIES THIRTY YEARS AGO. 370

CHAPTER XLV.—A RELIGIOUS HUMBUG ON JOHN BULL.—?JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.—?THE SECOND SHILOH. 380

CHAPTER XLVI.—THE FIRST HUMBUG IN THE WORLD.—?ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING THE IMPOSITIONS OF FORMER AGES.—?HEATHEN HUMBUGS.—?THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES.—?THE CABIRI.—?ELEUSIS.—?ISIS. 386

CHAPTER XLVII.—HEATHEN HUMBUGS NO. 2.—?HEATHEN STATED SERVICES.—?ORACLES.—?SIBYLS.—?AUGURIES. 392

CHAPTER XLVIII.—MODERN HEATHEN HUMBUGS. 401

CHAPTER XLIX.—ORDEALS. 408

CHAPTER L.—APOLLONIUS OF TYANA. 415