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The
TRICK
BRAIN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Undoubtedly feats of invulnerability have long supplied an important part of the programs of certain types of magicians. Such tricks have included demonstrations of immunity to injury when exposed to fire, high temperatures, poisons, mutilating mechanisms, asphyxiation and many other types of hazard.
Fire eating dates back centuries. The methods are based largely on the use of protective coatings, the substitution of materials which burn or melt or boil at low temperatures, the use of thermal insulating devices and many other expedients to give the ordeal the appearance of being much more strenuous than it really is.
The feat of the performer entering a large oven, and remaining there while a steak he apparently held was thoroughly cooked, was based mainly upon keeping the source of the heat above the performer. In addition, the greatest intensity of the heat was above the performer, who utilized heat protective coverings and who crouched in the bottom of the oven and obtained air through ventilating holes.
Resistance to injury by sharp instruments is accomplished through dulling the cutting edges, through developing protecting calluses, and through handling the body in such a manner that the sliding movement necessary for cutting is carefully avoided. In the trick of walking up a ladder of swords, all three stratagems are employed, the feet in particular being placed upon the sword edges firmly, without slipping.
There have been performers who have allowed themselves to be rolled in barrels of broken glass. This is made possible by thoroughly tumbling the barrel in advance, thus dulling the sharp cutting edges. In addition, the performer braces himself firmly in the barrel, so as not to allow his body to slip. The result is that the glass is dusted gently about the body of the performer during the rolling ordeal. The weight of the glass alone is not sufficient to cut. At no time is the performer's weight resting upon the glass fragments.
The ordeal of lying upon a bed of spikes is really not an uncomfortable one, as I myself can testify from personal experience. In the only performance of this feat I have ever seen I had an excellent opportunity to examine the bed of spikes carefully. The spikes were driven as close together as possible. They presented a solid mass of points, except that the points had been industriously hammered down, so that instead of sharp points the ends presented peened-over surfaces about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. With the spikes on half-inch centers and with their points considerably blunted, it may be seen that the bed was not at all uncomfortable. How do I know? Well, I was a youngster. The performer very carelessly left his bed of spikes out behind the saloon where he had staged his performance, while he himself went inside to imbibe at the expense of a large group of his admirers. There were about a dozen of us kids who had witnessed the demonstration quite without cost to us. So we tried it ourselves. Really, I've slept on more uncomfortable beds in hotels. The worst sensation we experienced was that the surface was a bit rough-and hard. Before our demonstration, impromptu but effective, was ended we were dancing and even running and jumping upon the bed of spikes with loud howls of bravado.
Resistance to the drinking of poisons is a combination of antidotes and substitutions of more harmless beverages. It is not a healthy field for experiment.
Opposite to the heat ordeal type of demonstration is that of being frozen in a cake of ice. There are many methods of accomplishing this apparent result. These include, of course, in no case the presence of the performer during the process of freezing. Usually a large block of ice is hollowed out and the performer rests upon some type of insulating material. In addition, the performer's breath and the light that reveals him bring the temperature up several degrees within the compartment. The performer's exposure to the cold, which is really not intense, is for short periods of time. It might be remembered that the freezing temperature of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but that the ice melts but slowly, once frozen, at somewhat higher temperatures.
Another type of invulnerability is that demonstrated by putting the hand and arm into an animal trap of the spring type. This is a matter of catching the impact of the jaws, with the side of the hand and arm, before its full force is effective.
Demonstrations of resistance to asphyxiation, such as the buried alive test, rely upon breathing control in some cases, but in most cases upon a secret supply of oxygen.
Almost any schoolboy is familiar with the feat of having a rock broken with a blow of a heavy hammer while the stone is resting upon the performer's chest. This is a matter of inertia represented by the mass of the stone.
The bullet catching trick relies upon stolen projectiles, confederates firing past the performer, controlled charges with wax or composition bullets and similar dodges. Either the stolen bullet or a duplicate of that actually used is in the performer's possession prior to the shooting. The long list of performers who have been killed as the result of this type of demonstration testifies eloquently as to the consequences of a minor mistake.
There are some types of invulnerability tricks that are more in the realm of the methods more commonly used by magicians. Such a category is that in which belong the various types of stretching illusions. In its more common form the assistant is placed in a cabinet with the head, the hands and the feet protruding, or just the head and one of the hands or a similar extremity. With the body covered, except for the portions noted, these portions are apparently stretched to abnormal distances. Of course, the solution is in the substitution of a duplicate part of the body-hand, foot or whatever it may be-genuine but belonging to a concealed assistant, or artificial.
Stretching a rope is accomplished through the employment of a hidden supply subtly joined to the originally shown short length.
Resistance to apparently heavy charges of electric current is made possible by the use of transformers that reduce the amperage but increase the voltage. The lethal charge is reduced but the spectacular results are increased.
The trick in which a girl's head is encased within a box and twisted around repeatedly may come under this classification. But to the physicist this is a demonstration of solid through solid.
Methods of making these effects possible are individual to each trick and depend upon special protective measures in many cases, measures that are applicable only to that particular trick, or on subterfuges or stratagems developed for the particular effect. In many cases the trick is made possible by simulating something harmful with something that is harmless.
These feats of invulnerability are not necessarily limited to humans. For example, one might demonstrate incombustible gunpowder, paper and wooden objects and many other things resisting destruction by fire. But science has overcome so many of the destructive elements, such as in fireproofing paper, or more properly flame-proofing, that much of the effectiveness of tricks in this effect classification has been nullified.
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