Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

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.