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The spirit-rapper
The spirit-rapper

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MESMERISM INSUFFICIENT.
Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.
It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.
The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.
It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The spirit-rapper

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MESMERISM INSUFFICIENT.
/ˈmesmərɪzəm ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/
Line 2
Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.
/ˌɪnˈsænəti ɪkˈspleɪnz æbˈnɔːrməl bʌt nɑːt ˌsuːpərˈhjuːmən fəˈnɑːmənə/
Line 3
It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.
/ɪt ɪz ə dɪˈziːz ʌv ðə ˈbɑːdi nɑːt ʌv ðə maɪnd ˌɪtˈself/
Line 4
The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.
Line 5
It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

alienation noun US /ˌeɪliəˈneɪʃən/

the feeling of being alienated from other people

From this reading “The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.”

curable adjective US /ˈkjʊrəbəl/

able to be cured or healed

From this reading “It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.”

exorcisms noun US /ˈeksərsɪzəmz/

plural of “exorcism” — freeing from evil spirits

From this reading “It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.”

immaterial adjective US /ˌɪməˈtɪriəl/

of no importance or relevance especially to a law case

From this reading “The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.”

lesion noun US /ˈliːʒən/

any localized abnormal structural change in a bodily part

From this reading “The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.”

manifestations noun US /ˌmænəfeˈsteɪʃənz/

plural of “manifestation” — a clear appearance

From this reading “The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.”

mesmerism noun US /ˈmesmərɪzəm/

the act of inducing hypnosis

From this reading “MESMERISM INSUFFICIENT.”

regimen noun US /ˈredʒəmən/

(medicine) a systematic plan for therapy (often including diet)

From this reading “It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.”

All words in this reading · 54

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

abnormaladjectiveUS /æbˈnɔːrməl/

not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

alienationnounUS /ˌeɪliəˈneɪʃən/

the feeling of being alienated from other people

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

alterationnounUS /ˌɔːltərˈeɪʃən/

an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

bodilyadverbUS /ˈbɑːdəli/

in bodily form

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

curableadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊrəbəl/

able to be cured or healed

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

curedadjectiveUS /kjʊrd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

dependentadjectiveUS /dɪˈpendənt/

relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

derangementnoun

a state of mental disturbance and disorientation

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/

an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

exorcismsnounUS /ˈeksərsɪzəmz/

plural of “exorcism” — freeing from evil spirits

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

explainsverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnz/

third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

immaterialadjectiveUS /ˌɪməˈtɪriəl/

of no importance or relevance especially to a law case

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

InsanitynounUS /ˌɪnˈsænəti/

relatively permanent disorder of the mind

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

INSUFFICIENTadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement

From this reading MESMERISM INSUFFICIENT.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

lesionnounUS /ˈliːʒən/

any localized abnormal structural change in a bodily part

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

manifestationsnounUS /ˌmænəfeˈsteɪʃənz/

plural of “manifestation” — a clear appearance

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

medicaladjectiveUS /ˈmedəkəl/

relating to the study or practice of medicine

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

mentaladjectiveUS /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

MESMERISMnounUS /ˈmesmərɪzəm/

the act of inducing hypnosis

From this reading MESMERISM INSUFFICIENT.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

organsnounUS /ˈɔːrɡənz/

edible viscera of a butchered animal

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

phenomenanounUS /fəˈnɑːmənə/

plural of “phenomenon” — any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

physicnoun

a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

physicaladjectiveUS /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

proceedsnounUS /prəˈsiːdz/

the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

purelyadverbUS /ˈpjʊrli/

restricted to something

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

regimennounUS /ˈredʒəmən/

(medicine) a systematic plan for therapy (often including diet)

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

spiritualadjectiveUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəl/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/

the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

superhumanadjectiveUS /ˌsuːpərˈhjuːmən/

above or beyond the human or demanding more than human power or endurance

From this reading Insanity explains abnormal, but not superhuman phenomena.

susceptibleadjectiveUS /səˈseptəbəl/

(often followed by “of” or “to”) yielding readily to or capable of

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It is a disease of the body, not of the mind itself.

treatmentnounUS /ˈtriːtmənt/

care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury)

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It is cured, when curable, by medical, not by purely spiritual treatment; by physic and good regimen, not by exorcisms.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The mind, being a simple spiritual or immaterial substance, is not susceptible of physical derangement, and mental alienation proceeds from the lesion or alteration of the bodily organs or conditions on which the mind is dependent in its manifestations.

Chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper by Orestes Augustus Brownson holds 127 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper contain?

Chapter 20 holds 127 sentences of The spirit-rapper, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper by Orestes Augustus Brownson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 127 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 20 of The spirit-rapper?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The spirit-rapper

Common questions about reading The spirit-rapper by Orestes Augustus Brownson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The spirit-rapper?

Yes. All 4017 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The spirit-rapper is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The spirit-rapper take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The spirit-rapper section by section

How to work through The spirit-rapper section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The spirit-rapper to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The spirit-rapper

Words and structures a reader meets early in The spirit-rapper, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spirit-rapper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cannot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spirit-rapper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spirit-rapper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spirit-rapper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.