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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
417
MORISON’S
PILL-BOX.--In
this
trick
(called
by
French
conjurors
La
Pilule
du
Diable)
the
device
of
the
“shell”
is
carried
still
further.
The
box
in
this
case
is
spherical,
standing
upon
a
thin
stem
(see
Fig.
130),
and
each
part
(box
proper
and
lid)
contains
a
half
shell,
the
edge
of
one
having
a
rebate
or
shoulder,
so
as
to
fit
into
the
other,
the
conjoined
having
the
appearance
of
a
solid
ball.
The
genuine
ball
is
of
such
a
size
as
just
to
fill
the
hollow
shells
when
thus
joined.
The
lower
shell
fits
loosely
in
the
box,
the
upper
one
a
little
more
tightly,
so
as
not
to
fall
out
unless
pressed
down
by
the
button
on
the
top
of
the
lid,
which
not
only
loosens
it
from
the
lid,
but
presses
it
into
union
with
the
lower
shell.
The
mode
of
using
the
apparatus
is
as
follows:--It
is
first
brought
forward
with
the
one
half
shell
in
the
box,
and
the
other
in
the
lid,
the
true
ball,
which
is
of
the
same
colour
as
the
shell
(generally
black)
being
placed
within
the
lower
shell.
The
ball
is
ostentatiously
removed,
and
the
box
closed.
The
ball
is
then
either
placed
in
some
piece
of
apparatus
adapted
to
cause
its
disappearance,
or
is
made
to
vanish
by
sleight-of-hand
in
one
or
other
of
the
modes
already
described.
The
ball
is
now
ordered
to
return
to
the
box,
which,
for
greater
certainty,
is
once
more
shown
empty.
The
performer
again
closes
it,
pressing
as
he
does
so
the
button
on
the
top
of
the
lid,
thus
compelling
the
two
half
shells
to
coalesce;
and
on
again
re-opening
the
box,
the
ball
has,
to
all
appearance,
returned
as
commanded.
The
ball-box
now
under
consideration
has
this
great
advantage
over
the
single-shell
vases,
that
the
sham
ball
can
be
completely
removed
from
the
box,
and
shown
on
all
sides,
thus
(apparently)
negativing
the
possibility
of
its
being
a
shell
only.
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