MESMERISM (ante). The following is the account given by Mesmer of the agent by which he claimed to produce the phenomena which distinguished his experience and practice: "Animal magnetism is a fluid universally diffused; it is the medium of a mutual influence between the heavenly bodies, the earth, and animated bodies; it is con tinuous so as to leave no void; its subtilty admits of no comparison; it is capable of receiv ing, propagating, and communicating all the impressions of motion; it is susceptible of flux and reflux. The animal body experiences the effects of this agent; by insinuating itself into the substauce of the nerves it affects them iinmediately. There are observed, particularly in the human body, properties analogous to those of the magnet; and in it are discerned poles equally different and opposite. The action and the virtues of animal magnetism may be communicated from one body to other bodies, animate and inanimate. This action takes place at a remote distance without the aid of any intermediate body; it is increased, reflected by min.ors; communicated, propagated, augmented by sound; its virtues may be accumulated, concentrated, transported. Although t,his fluid is universal, -all animal bodies are not equally susceptible of it ; there are even some, though a very small number, which have properties so opposite that their very presence destroys all the effects of this fluid on other bodies. Animal magnetism is capable of healing diseases of the nerves immediately, and others mediately. It perfects the action of medicines; it excites and directs salutary crises in such a manner that the physician may render himself master of them; by its means he knows the state of health of each individual, and judges with -certainty of the origin, the nature, and the progress of the most complicated diseases; lie prevents their increase, and succeeds in healing them, without at any time exposing his patient to dangerous effects or troublesome consequences, whatever be the age, the tem. perament, and the sex. In animal magnetism nature presents a universal method of healing and preserving mankind." (Memoire sur la _Mauve?* du Magnetisme Animal, par 3f. Mesmer, Paris, 1779, p. 74 et se(11 In presenting any question" for consideration and discussion it is simple fairness to permit each side to exhibit its position after its own manner. It is matter for reflection that this statement by Mr. lifesmer has never been authoritatively controverted by any of the numerous opponents whom it has met in the century which has elapsed since it was first promulgated. It should first be remembered as to Mesmer that he was undoubt edly very much of a charlatan; and that partly from the character of his temperament, and partly from the nature of his surroundings, he accompanied his practice by methodx which were designed to be striking and dramatic, rather than scientific; and to cloud with an appearance of mystery, and even supernaturalism, processes which were in. themselves of the simplest character. The shrewdness of this operator is seen in his careful provision for accidents, and for the unsuccessful termination of any of his experi ments or treatment by the explanation that although the fluid is universal in its scope, there are persons obnoxious to its exercise, who can prevent its influence. It should
further be noted that the sweeping conclusions of the commissioners appointed by the French government to investigate the validity of Mesmer's pretensions—among which. commissioners was Benjamin Franklin—were afterwards qualified materially by ilia decision of a second commission of no less importance as to the ability of its member ship. And it remains to be said that the distinct assertions of Mesmer as to the power of some occult force which he terms animal magnetism have been sustained over and over again by actual experiment and practice; while new features and new developments of the nature of this force have been made known to us within the present generation. The theory that the cause of the phenomena produced lies in the principle of suggestion is set at rest positively by the fact that subjects have been influenced without the prox imity of the operator, and even when the latter was miles distant from them. The point as to its efficacy in disease has been te-sted numbers of times with success. So far has. this been the case that in India amputations have been conducted while the patient was. under this influence, and this in the presence of valid witnesses, and successfully. The idea of any other than a psychological control being exercised is disposed of by the remarkable phenomena of phreno-mesmerism, by which certain faculties and propensities. have been made to display themselves, by irritation of the corresponding organs of the head, and in cases where the subject was utterly ignorant of tbe nature and details of phrenology as enunciated by Gall and Spurzheim. The fact that such eminent scientists as Elliotson, Braid, Reichenbach, and Carpenter have added their testimony as to the existence of a, certain subtle fluid, such as is described by Mesmer, is not without its. bearing on this question. Baron Reichenbach, an eminent German chemist, experi mented in great detail with magnets and crystals, and elaiined to have demonstrated tlae fact of the existence of such a fluid, which he termed od or the odic force, and which he alleged could be brought into exercise in the case of a certain class of subjects termed sensitives, by employing these objects. His plan was the use of passes, making these, however, by means of the magnet or the crystal instead of the hand; the result being to, throw the subject into a cataleptic condition, accoinpanied by the occurrence of phe nomena similar to those otherwise attributed to animal magnetism. Braid, by the use of a brilliant object fixed to the forehead, in such a position as to distort the vision when, the eyes were directed towards it, produced an identical condition (see HYPNOTISM). It will be remembered in this connection that the Hindu devotee, desirous of achieving the condition Nirvana, abstracts his attention from surrounding things, and fixes it upon the pit of his stomach. It has been a common method in the practice of mesmerism, instead of employing passes, to direct the subject to fix his attention and his gaze on a bright object—a ring, for instanee—held in his hand, the hand resting on his knee as he sits in a comfortable position. In the use of this plan the result has been found to be precisely the same as that gained by the employment of passes.