That is where his son's biographical notes are found, which includes:
'Phineas Parkhurst Quimby was born in the town of Lebanon, New Hampshire, ... When about two years of age, his parents emigrated to Maine and settled in the town of Belfast. His father was a blacksmith, and the subject of this sketch was one of a family of seven children.
'Owing to his father's scanty means, and to the meagre chances for schooling, his opportunity for acquiring an education was limited. During his boyhood he attended the town school a part of the time, and acquired a brief knowledge of the rudimentary branches; but his chief education was gained in after life, from reading and observation. He always regretted his want of education, which was his misfortune, rather than any fault of his.
When he became old enough to go to work, he learned the trade of watch and clock making, and for many years after engaged in that pursuit. Later, before photography was known, he for several years made a business of taking a style of portrait picture known as daguerreotype. He had a very inventive mind, and was always interested in mechanics, philosophy, and scientific subjects. During his middle life, he invented several devices on which he obtained letters patent...'
'He was very argumentative, and always wanted proof of anything, rather than an accepted opinion...'
'[Quimby] made some of the most astonishing exhibitions of mesmerism and clairvoyance that have been given in modern times....[He] firmly believed that the phenomenon was the result of animal magnetism, and that electricity had more or less to do with it. Holding to this, he was never able to perform his experiments with satisfactory results when the "conditions" were not right, as he believed they should be.'
Quimby also came to believe that his clairvoyance might in fact be reading someone else's opinion, rather than revealing the actual situation. Mary Baker Eddy is said to have studied with Quimby.
Here is a quote where Quimby is discussing clairvoyance:
'We will give a few experiments in thought-reading and show when we are sometimes deceived in our experiments:
'I mesmerized my subject in private and resolved to try experiments in thought- reading, and satisfy myself as to the power of a subject to describe the thoughts of another. I commenced by bringing before my mind a house, which he immediately saw and described according to my thought. I then would imagine a cat and a dog, and my subject would answer instantly as the image was formed in my mind. I then brought before me a whole caravan, of animals of various classes and sizes, commencing with a platoon of elephants, then lions, tigers, rhinocerous, camels, monkeys, baboons, etc.
'My subject would, without hesitation, describe them as they arose in thought in my mind. I would think of an army of officers and soldiers passing in review, and he would relate all my thoughts. I would imagine a person coming, who was well- known to my subject, and he would call him by name.
'And a host of such experiments were performed, which would fill a volume, all going to show with what accuracy and rapidity he would read my thoughts.'
Phineas Quimby worked to "reduce to science" his ideas and discoveries.
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