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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
736
Therefore,
to
give
some
tricks
that
have
never
yet
been
exposed
is
really
a
very
difficult
and
almost
impossible
task.
However,
I
have
done
my
best,
and
the
following
little
deceptions
which
the
amateur
conjuror
may
safely
perform,
will
enable
him
to
give
a
capital
evening’s
entertainment
to
his
friends
or
family
circle.
I
would
just
add
one
word
before
quitting
the
subject
of
magic
and
conjuring.
My
object
in
the
foregoing
chapters
was
to
show
the
reader,
first,
that
the
art
of
magic
is
merely
the
art
of
a
very
clever
illusionist,
who,
by
swiftness
of
execution
and
a
thorough
knowledge
of
the
laws
of
mechanics
and
optics,
can
make
his
audience
deceive
themselves;
secondly,
to
afford
some
entertainment
to
my
readers;
and,
thirdly,
to
set
the
ingenious
at
work
to
solve
the
mysteries
of
the
art
upon
the
basis
I
have
given
in
these
chapters.
I
venture
to
think,
from
the
observations
I
have
heard,
that
all
these
objects
have
been
attained.
And
now
for
a
few
parlor
tricks.
I.
A
SURPRISE.--You
produce
a
bottle,
which
you
ask
a
person
to
hold,
inviting
him
to
partake
of
a
glass
of
the
fluid
contents.
You
give
him
a
glass,
and
when
he
attempts
to
pour
it
out,
lo!
he
finds
that
in
a
few
seconds
the
contents
has
frozen!
To
perform
this
you
must
previously
make
a
saturated
solution
of
sulphate
of
soda
and
hot
water,
and
fill
therewith
a
clean
white
bottle,
taking
care
to
cork
the
bottle
while
the
liquid
is
hot.
The
liquid
remains
in
a
fluid
state
so
long
as
the
bottle
is
corked.
You
show
that
the
bottle
contains
a
liquid,
and
in
handing
it
to
the
person
be
careful
to
take
out
the
cork.
In
order
to
give
the
preparation
time
to
solidify,
pretend
to
be
looking
about
for
a
tumbler,
and
make
some
remarks
about
a
sudden
chill;
or
you
can
feel
the
hand
holding
the
glass,
and
suggest
that
it
is
very
cold.
In
the
meantime,
the
air
acting
upon
the
solution
has
caused
it
to
become
fixed
and
immovable,
and
when
the
person
attempts
to
pour
it
out,
he
finds
it
impossible
to
do
so.
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