Explore "The Humbugs of the World" by P.T. Barnum on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Spiritual "letters on the arm" -- How to make them yourself -- The tambourine and ring feats -- Dexter's dancing hats -- Phosphorescent oil -- Some spiritual slang.
The mediums produce "blood-red letters on the arm" in a very simple way. It is done with a pencil, or some blunt-pointed instrument, it being necessary to bear on hard while the movement of writing is being executed. The pressure, though not sufficient to abrade the skin, forces the blood from the capillary vessels over which the pencil passes, and where, when the reaction takes place, an unusual quantity of blood gathers and becomes plainly visible through the cuticle. Gradually, as an equilibrium of the circulation is restored, the letters pass away.