MAGNETISM, animal. About thirty years ago, Father Ilehl, of Vienna, im posed on his countrymen, and indeed on the greater part of the civilized world, a pretended mode of curing all kinds of disease, by means of a sympathetic affection between the sick person and the operator. The remedy was supposed to depend upon the motions of the fin gers, and the features of the latter, he placing himself immediately before the invalid, whose eyes were to be fixed on his, and performing a number of antic and unmeaning changes, accompanied by various grimaces, or inflections of the principal muscles of' the visage. This rarely failed to excite a certain degree of apprehension in the mind of the sick ; which, by creating a new action of the System, often frightened them into con valescence. That such effects may have been prodtced among the credulous and timid, we shall not controvert ; but, on the other hand, it is asserted, that num bers have been so far overcome with terror and fatigue, (for, like Dr. Sangra
do, the operator was never satisfied while any strength to undergo the pro cess remained) that consequences highly dangerous, and in some instances fatal, were induced. Notwithstanding the ob vious folly of the pursuit, there were found many gentlemen of great respectability and talents among its followers ; hence a certain degree of credit was establish ed, and there were not wanting persons foolish enough to certify many cases, and to give a celebrity, which was in a very short time found to be misapplied. It is a lamentable case, that, through out the world, impositions of this nature are always tolerated long enough to an swer the purposes of the fabricator, and to encourage others in similar deceptions. Our readers may recollect many instances of notorious character, among which the metallic-tractors, which were at one time asserted to be allied to metallic-magne tism, may, perhaps, serve as a proper illus tration and proof.