Report of Dr Benjamin Franklin and Other Commissioners Charged by the King of France With the Examination of the Animal Magnetism as Now Practised at Paris (1785)

8/16/2019 Report of Dr Benjamin Franklin and Other Commissioners Charged by the King of France With the Examination of the Animal Magnetism as Now Practised at …

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I t E P O R T

O F

Dr. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

A N O. O T H E R .

C M M I S S I O N E K S

C H A R G E D B Y T H E

K I N G O F F R A N C E

W I T H T H E E X A M I N AT I O N O F T H E

A N I M A L M A G N E T I S M

AS NOW PRACTISED AT PA R I S .

T R A N S L A T E D P R O M T H F. F R E N C H .

W I T H A M

H I S T O R I C A L INTRODUCTION.

L O N D O N :

H U N T E D F O R J J O H N S O N N O . 72 ) S T . P AT F L V

C H U R C H Y A R D . I785 .


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I N T R O D U C T I O N

HE f u b j e d t o f t h e f o l l o w i n gamphlet has excited the ex-tremeft attention in France has foryears fille their Journals and Mer-cures and has employed fome of theirbeft pens and their brighteft wits.By fome it has been applauded as the greateft of philofo-phical difcoveries and by others decried as the juggle of an unprinci >pled impoftor. The Englifli nationhas too much curiofity for everything that occupies the neighbourkingdom from whom we have longiince been ufed to receive the laws ofpolitenefs and etiquette and who havelately feemed to take the lead of us inphilofophical difcovery for the pre-fent tranflation not to prove an acceptable prefent to a large and refpec-

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table clafs of our countrymen. It hasbeen thought proper in order that themoft uninformed reader may find inthis little compilation every fpecies ofinformation upon the fubje£t? to pre

fix to it a brief account of the pro-grefs of this fyftem.M. Mefmer the inventor of the.

animal magnetifm is a German phy-iician. The firft thing by whichhe diftinguifhed himfelf appears tphave been the publication of a Dif~fertation upon the Influence of theStars on the Human Body, printed atVienna 1766; and publicly defendedby him as a thefis in that univerfity.In 1774 father Hehl a erqian phi-lofopher ftrongly recommended theufe of the loadftone in the art of medicine. M. Mefmer became veryearly a convert to the principles ofthis writer and actually carried theminto practice with diftinguifhed fuc-cefs. In the midft however of hisattention to the utility of the load-

ftqne


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jftone he was led to the adoption ofa new fet of principles, which he con-ceived to be much more general intheir application and importance. Inconformity to thefe principles he laidalide the ufe of the loadftone, andproceededwith his cures in the methodwhich he afterwards publiihed to theworld. This apoftacy involved himin a quarrel with father Hehl and thecelebrated Ingenhouz, by whom hehad formerly been patronized; andas their credit in Vienna wasextremelyhigh, and their exertions againft himindefatigable, his fyftem almoft im-mediately funk into general difrepute.To parry their oppofition he appeal1-ed in 1776 to the academy of fciencesat Berlin. Here however his prin-ciples were rejected as eftitute offoundation and unworthy the fmalleftattention. Undifmayed by thefeimportant mifcarriages, he made aprogrefs through feveral. towns ofGermany, till pradtifing the methods

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credit for fin erity in his conduct andfolidity in his reafonings; and he wasconvinced, that the failure did notoriginate in the fault of his agent>but the indilpoiitiori of the fubjedls

\ipon which it was employed. InApril 1778 M. Mefmer Retired toGreteil with the patients he had collected, and ill a few months almoftallof therri returned to Paris perfectly

reftored. One of them in particularWas a paralytic^ deprived of the ufeof her limbs and who now walkedwith all the eafe arid firmnefs in theW orld. Irl November M. A. J S. D.introduced M. Mefmer to the houfeof a family of diftindtiori, and whoW ere actuated with the extremefturidfity refpefling all difcoveries

W hich had the benefit of humanityfor their obje£t. Here he made anexperiment fo remarkable that it isneceflary to extra


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turned his back, and M. Mefmer,feven or eight feet from his fubjedt,prefented his finger. This continuedfor two minutes, the governor reply-ing to the repeated queftions of the

do or with much humour and irony.M. Mefmer then nodded his head fig-nificantly to the company, and in themean time guided his finger upwards*downwards, and a little circularly.

The patientfaid

that he felt a kindof fhuddering in the fuperior part ofthe back; he however afcribed it tothe adtion of the fire near which heflood and accordingly removed taanother part of the room. The ex-periment was refumed, the fenfationaugmented, and the patient faid hecould compare it to nothing better,than a ftream of boiling water, cir-culating in the veins of his back an ^

fhoulders. The impreffion becamelo ftrong that he refufed to fubmit tothe experiment any longer. He wasperfuaded however; the mailer of the

houfe


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houfe held one of his arms, arid M yfelf the other. In the procefs of theexperiment the heat bec me fo in-fupportable, that he violently brokeaway from our grafp It was fuc-

ceeded by a profufe perfpiration inthe part affedted.M. Mefmer then placed the fore

finger of each hand upon the cheftof the patient. The fame ieniation,

but lefs violent, was produced in thispart; it afcended gradually to the faceand was fucceeded by a perfpirationof the forehead. The patient thenprefented his forefingers and thumbs,the reft of his hand being clenched;M. Mefmer didthe fame very Hear tothe patient, but without touchinghim. He complained lucCeflively ofa fhuddering, itching and ftiffnefs id.the palms of his hands; thefe Wereagain fucceeded by a local perfpiration.

To this remarkable experiment wewill beg leave to add the following

from


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xx 1

from the Journal de Paris, No. 4491 7 8 4

M. Mefmer being one day withmeffieurs Camp and d E -— -near the great canal at Meudon, pro-

pofed to them to go alternately to theother iide of the canal, while he remained where he was. He then directed them to tliruft their cane intothe water, in the mean time doing

the fame himfelf. At this diftanceM. Camp was feized with a fitof the afthma, and M . d E — witha pain in the liver to which he wasfubje


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out being able to quit it. The counttie Monf —-—, unable to ftand wasobliged to throw himfelf upon a bench.The effe s upon M. Ang — , a gentleman of a very mufcular frame,

were more terrible. M. Mefmer'sfervant, who was fummoned to remove the bodies, and who was inuredto thefe fcenes, found himfelf unable to move. The whole companywere obliged to remain in this iitua-tion for a confiderable time. Thefeinftances are cited by ,M. Thouret,Recherches c Doutes, p. 65.

M. Mefmer was from the firft de-flrous of fubmitting his fyftem to theexamination of the faculty of medicine but he would not fubmit to aregular and authentic committee appointed for that purpofe, apprehen- :live as he faid of the baleful effects of the fpirit of fociety. Thisexception occafioned a mifunder-ftanding between him and the faculty)and the examination was never made.

In


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In France the fuccefs of M. Mefmerwas the reverfe of what it had beenin Germany. His patients increafedrapidly. His cures were numerousand of the moft aftonilhing nature.He was obliged to form a number ofpupils under his infpe ion to ad-minifter his procefs In 1779 hepublifhed a Memoir refpeiting theDifcovery of the Animal Magnetifmand promifed a complete fyftem uponthe fubje£t which fhould make asgreat a revolution in philofophy as ithad already done in medicine. Struckwith the clearnefs and accuracy of hisreafonings the magnificence of hispreteniions and the extraordinary andunqtieftionable cures he performedfome of the greateft phyiicians andmoft enlightened philofophers ofFrance became his converts. Amongthefe M. Court de Gebelin particularly diftinguifhed himfelf a writerwho had attained the higheftreputation by his refearches into an

tiquity


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txquity, and who was, if poflible,ftill more diftinguifhed for the ele-gance of his tafte the beauty of hisconceptions and the richnefs of hisfancy. The houfe of M. Mefmer at

Creteil was crowded with patientsA numerous company was daily afrfembled at his houfe at Paris wherethe operationwas publicly performed;and M. Deflon, one of his pupils is

faid to have cleared £100 000. Hewas patronifed by people of the firflrank and as M. Thouret obferves,the animal magnetifm became amode an affair of bon ton an

intereit extremely precious andwarmly efpoufed by the fafliionableworld.

In the mean time the new fyftemwas by no means deftitute of enemies.Some of the firft pens in France weredrawn to oppofe it and among othersthat of M. Thouret regent-phyficiai)pf the faculty. The faculty indeedhad all along beheld its progrefs with

the


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the extremeft jealoufy. At lengthjt was thought to deferve the atten-rtion of government and a committeepartly phyficians and partly membersof the royal academyof fciences with

dodtor Benjamin Franklin at theirhead were appointed to examine itM. Mefmer refufed to have any com-munication with thefe gentlemen;frut M. Deflon the moft confiderableof his pupils confented to difclofe tothem his principles and aflift themin their enquiries. Their Report formsthe principal piece in the enfuingpamphlet. M. Mefmer however hasappealed from their decifion to theparliament of Paris.

In the mean time it can no longerbe concealed that the fyftem of theanimal magnetifm is to be regardedas an impofture an4 it may thereforebe afked why it fluoql be thoughtneceffary to give to the public atranflation of papers which may bethought interefting only to perfons

who


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xvi

who have been witneffes of the im-pofture. To this enquiry feveralgood anfwers may be given.

One at which we have alreadyhinted is the univerfal attention it has

excited at Paris, where it feems tohave divided the public fpeculationswith the celebrated and incomparabledifcovery of the aeroftatic globe.There are furely few people of aliterary turn among lis, who will con-fefs themfelves void of curiolity refpe&ing what engages all the facultiesof our neighbours, or who will notconfefs that their literary purfuitsare commonly at leaft as intereftingand inftrudtive a fubjedt of enquiry,as their politics.

Secondly, the Report of the com-miffioners and the enquiries refpeft-ing the animal magnetifm in generalmay be confidered as relating notmerely to a temporary and unfoundecjhypothecs, but to the general ancjmoft important queftion refpedting


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the influence of the imagination uponthe animal frame a queftion peculi-arly interefting to the metaphylicianarid of the laft confequence in medi-cine. Upon this fubjedt the Report

feems to throw new light and tohave a tendency to add precifion andaccuracy to our notions in regardto it.

But the argument upon which wewould place the principal ftrefs is theeffential importance of this fadl in thehiftory of the human mind. Per-haps the hiftory of the errors ofmankind all things confidered ismore valuable and interefting thanthat of their difcoveries. Truth is.uniform and narrow; it conftantlyexifts and does not feem to requirefo much an adtive energy as a paffiveaptitude of foul in order to encounterit. But error is endlefsly diverlified;it has no reality but is the pure andfimple creation of the mind that in-vents it. In this fiel the foul has

a room


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t f the eighteenth century; in a Wordto run a parallel between the borrowedfyftem of Mefmer, and the originalone of Paracelfus, Maxwel arid firKenelm Digby. And as every publication ought to be

ascomplete

aspoflible within itfelf, we have deftinedto allift the reader in this enquiry*the enfuing paper of the fociety ofmedicine refpedting Mi Thouret's performance.

S. 'The following extract of a letter1

from the beft authority fromParis, has been received whilethefe papers are in the prefs.It relates to the particulars offa6t alluded to at the bottortlof page xiv.

efmer has complained to the

parliament of the report of the royalcommiflioners, and requefted thatthey would appoint a new commif-fion, to examine — not his theoryand pra ice, but 5—a plan which fliall

ex-


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exhibit the only poffible means ofinfallibly demonftrating the exiflenceand utility of his difcovery. Thepetition was printed : many thoughtthe parliament would do nothing init. But they have laid hold of it toclinch Mefmer, and oblige him to ex-pofe all dire&ly; fo that it muft foonbe feen whether there is any difference between his method and Def-lon's.—I give you their

Arret, of the 6'Sept. 17.84.The parliament ordains that

Mefmer hall be obliged to expofe, before four doctors of the faculty of

medicine, two furgeons and twomatters in pharmacy, the dodtrine,which he profeffes to have difcovered,and the methods which he pretendsmuft be adopted for the application,

of his principles: they likewife ordain that a report of his communications fli ll then be delivered to theattorney general, to be laid beforeparliament for their fentence.

R P O R T


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[which M. Thouret undertakes to difplay.We will endeavour to lay before the focietyan idea of his performance.

The animal magnetifm held a principal,rank among the fyftems, which were' em-braced in that period of literary hiftory,when fuppofitions were admitted to hold

the place of fadts; and this hypothefisvanifhed, together with many others, whenexperimental philofophy began to diffipatethe impoftures of the imagination, and toafford an accurate meafure of the value ofarts and fciences.

The objeft of this fyftem was a fluid ex-tremely fubtle, upon which were bellowedthe magnificent titles of foul of the world,fpirit of the univerfe, and univerfal mag-netic fluid j and which was pretended to bediffufed through the whole fpace occupiedby the material creation, to animate thefyftem of nature, to penetrateall fubftances,and to be the vehicle to animated bodies in

-general, and their feveral regions in parti-cular, of certain forces of attraftion andrepulfion, by means of which they ex-»plained the phenomena of nature.

Nor were they contented to admit, orrather to imagine, the fluid we have de-scribed; they fl ttered themfelves thatthey were able, in certain methods, torender themfelves tnaftersof this fluid, andto direct; its operations. Even this did

ot


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Improper ufe of this vehicle of influ-e n c e ( 2 ) .

This picture of the animal magnetifm ? .as it was invented and applauded by theancients, is faithfully extracted from theper formance of M. Thouret. The prin?cipa l aij thors to which he has recoorfe in

the progrefs of his enquiry, are Parace l fusVa n Helmont, Qocleniys, Burgravius,Libavius, Wirdig, Maxwel, Santanelli,Tentzel, Kirc-her and Borel (3). The entire

P a ^ r

(2) f Far b e it f rom me, fays Maxwel, to l eadyou to imp ro p er a£lions. If from the p eru fa l of myworks, y o u become acquainted with the means of fuchaftions, you will


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paf lages are extrafled, and M. Thouret has

difplayed in this performance, as he hadal ready done in fo many others, an erudition, the moft various, the mofl precife,and the moft extenfive.

univerfal medicine. And he invented an elixir, in theufe of which a man could not fail to l ive to the age of

a thoufand years.Van Helmont was theimmediate fucceffor of Para-

celfus in the purfuit of the magnet ica lfcience and wrotean exprefs treatife De Magnetiea Vulnerum Curatione.

All the other perfons enumerated, l ived in thefeven-teenth century.

o Maxwel, we are part icular ly indebted for themofl: complete and copious treatifeupon the fubje£t, in

which he has endeavoured to fupport its decl ining creditby call ing in the affiftance of that theory of the univerfalfpirit, which he derived from the earlieft phi lofophersofantiquity, and in which we are prefented with theexaftcounterpart of the fyftem of M. Mefmer.

Another inhabitant of this if land, the learned andi l luftr ious f ir Kenelm Digby, is well known for hisinvention of the fympathetic powder; which it was ? n l y

neceffary to apply to the linnen which had imbibed theblood or pus of a wound, or to the arm or fword of h imwho inflifted it, provided they were ftill ftained with theblood of the wounded perfon. It was neceffary however, that the wound hould be kept perfectly clean, andprote£led from the air..

here was a fympathetic fweating powder, invented fo lately as the year 1745. The means of applying it was, by mixing it with the urine of the perfondifeafed, and keeping it boil ing over a fire as long asyou wifhed the perfpira t ion to continue. During theoperation, the patient was to keep his bed, to be covered up warm, and to drink feveral large bafonsof. tea.This medicine was never known to fail of its effeft.

houret•

£4 It


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[ JIt is eafy to fee, how analogousis the fyf-

tern we have defcribed to that of M.Mefmer. To demonftrate this analogy,M. Thou ret has confidered feparately eachof the propofitions published and avowedby the latter. They amount to twenty-feven, and the irefujt of this examination

is, that they areall pofitively announcedin ;fome of the authors whofe names havebeen recited.

Every part of Mefrner s fyflem, evendown to the experiments of the ring andthe fword, have been found by M. Thouretin the works of thefe writers (4). It istherefore certain, that theaffertions of M.Mefmer, which are reprefe nted by him asprinciples of his ownj clo riot belong to«im and that this theory, in the room ofbeing an attradiive novelty,- is an ancientfyftem, abandoned by the learned near acentury ago.

In afcending indeed to the original fyf-tems which were formed upon thefubjed,

4) The experiments < p fthe ring and fword, are tobe found in Kircher's Magncs, fivfede arte magnetica.'They are both well known. That of the fword confiits

in the balancing it upon the point of one of the fingersthe confequence of which will be a very rapid rotatorymotion, provided the perfon h properly magnetifed Thatof the ring is per formed by a perfon in i t ia ted in the ani-ipal magnqtiftn holding it fufpendedby a thread in thein f ide of a wine glafs, when i t will invariably itrike theJiour of the day. Thouret.... 1 ... w


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9 ]we aire unable to difcoverany thing butfuppofi t ionsdeftitute of proof and for thatreafon devoted to oblivion. The parts ofthis hypothefis w e r e not conneited togetherby any other tie than that of the imagi-nation. The fteps that w e r e propofed inorder to its eftablifhment were , the very-

f a m e tha t had been employed in favour ofthe art of cure now by enchantments andnow by exorcifms. It has b een a lwaysbyfenfat ionsthat they h a v e pre tendedto provethe exi f tenceof thefe differentagents andif this kind of proof werefufficient , thereis not one of them which would not haveb e e n demonftrated. Sound philofophy hastherefore refufed credit a s well to thisfpecies of proof as to the magnetifm fucha s it was propofed by Maxwel Gocleniusand Santanel l i ,and fuch a s we h a v edefcrib-*e d it in the opening of this report.

Has the an ima l magnetifm of M. Mef- ,mer any better claim to our confidence?M. Thouret without replying to thisqueftion in a pofi t ive manner has permit-ted to himfelf in the fecond part of hiswork certain refledtions re fpedt ing it

which he has propofedfimply a s doubtsand which rel te entirely to what M.Mefmer has publiflied or authenticallyadvanced. It m a y be objectedto him fays •M. Thouret

I Tha{


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1. That the touch frequently employedin his method for a confiderable time, andon regions extremelyfenfible fuch as thofeof the llomach, is of itfelf capable of producing effeflrs by communicating a vividimpulfeto the nervesof the plexufes whichare there fituated and which have an inti

mate connect ion with the whole nervousfyi tem • that authentic records prefent uswith a great number of fadts of this kind,and that in confequence the fenfat ionswhich originate in the applicat ion of thetouch, do not prove the exiftenceof a fepa-rate fluid or agent.

2. That the heat producedby the hand,and the motion communicated to the air,m a y occafion very lirong impreffions uponft perfon extremely fenfible and whofefibres are in a ftate of cohvulfion, withoutthefe impreffions being calculated to p rovea new agent.

3. That in fubduing the imaginationby folemn preparat ions by extraordinaryproceedings by the confidenceand enthu-f iafm infpired by magnificent promifes itis poflible to exalt the tone of fenfible and

nervous fibres and afterwards to diredt bythe applicat ionof the hands, their impulfetowards certain organs and to excite inthem evacuat ions or excretions withoutthere refulting any addition to.thefciencespither of philofophy or medicine .

That


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4 That the partifans of the animaltnagnetifm do not produce what they call.crifes, that is a ftate of convulfions, butin fubjedts extremely irritable extremelynervous and above all in women whofefenfibiljty has been already exci ted by themeans we have defcribed.

5. That among thefe difpofing caufes,particular ftrefs is to be laid upon the pre-rfence of a perfon alreadyin a ftate of conrvulfion, or ready to fall into that ftatethat juft as an organ attacked with fpaf-modic affedtions, eafily propagates thefeafFedtions to the other organs in like man-?per are they tranfmitted from one man toanother; that w e have therefore no reafonto be furprifed if in the haljs where thepretended magnet ical operations are performed fpafrris, and even convulfions arediffufed with extreme alacrity; and thathiftory furnifhes a great p umber of fadts.,of convulfions propagatedthrough wholevillages or towns in a manner ftill moreaftonifhing than that of which the animalmagnetifm prefents us with an example.

6. That hiftory has alfo tranfmitted tq

us a great number of cures operated byfear by joy or the commotion of any vio?lent paffion; which proves beyond con-troverfy, the power of nervous influencesoyer difeafes.

7. That


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»7 That in different ages, two famous

empirics, Valentine Greatrakes of the king-dom of Ireland, and GaiTner of Ratifbon,produced upon different perfons eiledtswhich appeared furprifing, and have hadtheir admirers j that they employed onlythe inftrumentality of the touch, either

•upon the «ape of the neck, or the limbaffedted; and that it has been univerfallyacknowledged, that they adted only uponthe imagination 5).

8. That.

(5} Valentine Greatrakes, efq; was a native of

Afane, in the kingdom of Ireland. We are told, thatone day he was confcious to a wonderful interna] revolution^ and at the fame time heard a voice like that ofa genius, which cried inceflantly for a long time :

endow you with the faculty of curing difeafes. Im-portuned by this falutation, from which hexould in noway diftradt his attention,. he determined to make anexperiment of the truth of the intelligence. The voice

bad firft announcedto

him the gift of curing the king'scyik He made an experiment upon this diftemper, andj fucceeded -He afterwards touched perfons; attackedwith an epidemical fevec, that raged in, his neighbourhood the voice had announced to him the gift of curingthis difeafe. In fine he wars enabled to cure every fpe-cies of difeafe j ^nd he fucceeded in all cafes exceptv^here, as he obferved ? the malady was too deeply rooted,or the patient laboured under a particular indifpofitionto this method of cure. The exterior of this man wasextremely fimple. His cures were accompanied withno degree of pomp and ceremony, unlefs we (hould callfuch, his afcribing his fuccefs to God, publicly expreffinghis gratitude, and inviting the patient to join with himin the a£t of thankfgiving. But he m a d © a yery exten-

itfe of the opejatioji of touch. The diftemper fled


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8 That in many inftances the partifanspf the magnetifm feem to beftow a greater

attention

before him, and he was able, we are told, to diflodge itFrom its feat, and remove it to parts the leaft ufeful .If its progrefs appeared to be fufpended in any part, heredoubled his friftions upon that part, to remove the

obftade. In this operation nature, exci ted by theftroking feemed f requently to operate crifes,and it produced ftools vomitings and perfpirations. ThoureU

Greatrakes cured not only internal difeafes, butalfc external ones, fuch as wounds and ulcers. Theiecond Villiers, duke of Buckingham, was one of hispatients. His atteftations were f igned by Boyle, Wil-kins, Whichcot, Cud worth and Patrick. He wasborn in 1628, received the gift of heal ing 1662, andremoved to London 1666. Des Maizeaux Vie dcSt Evremend

44 The cures of Gaflner are of a much later date,-and are not above ten or twelve years old . ThisGerman, having in his youth been afflided with an ill(late of health, which refi l led the efforts of all the phy-ficians, fufpe ed that his diftemper might have a fupcr-natural caufe, and der ive from the influenceof the devil*His conjecture was verified by his fuccefs in expell ingthe devil , having adjured him in the name of JefusChrift. From that moment he enjoyed the moft perfedlhealth for fixteen years. Encouraged by th is event, helaid afide the f tudy of medicine , to which his dif temperhad prompted him, and procured all the authors whohad treated of exorcifm. He began with heal ing h ispar ifhioners in an obfeure town upon the borders of

Switzerland and the Tirol, and his reputat ion increafedfo much, that, in the two laft years of his ref idence there,he had between four and f ive hundred patients who applied to him. He then made a progrefsthrough feveralof the Swtfs cantons, and fettled at Ratifbon in 1774-

' He dift inguifheddifeafes into two clafles, the naturaland the demoniac, the laft of which were much theihoft numerous. Over the former he pretended to no

power.


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[attention to excite furprife in the fpecftators than falutary effedts in their pa^

power. His cures were performed with much pompand folemnity; and it was obferved, that he conftantlyrubbed his hands upon his girdle and handkerchiefprevioufly to his touching the patient. He performedhis cures in the name of Chrift, and by the faithof the

difeafed in his holy name if their faith failed, the curedid not take place. He gave the fick, when he difmifledthem, balm and oil, which he confidered as fpiri tualmedicaments, together with certain waters and powders,and a little ring, inferred with the name of Jefus, toprevent a relapfe. Thouret

Thouret confiders the fyf tem of Gaflher ashaving had an influence on that of M. Mefmer,

Aftrology and pofleflions were extremely current inGermany; and as Gaflher had taken pofleflion of, andruined the latter pretenfion, Mefmer had recourfe to theformer* It fhould however be remembered, that Mefmer had wrjtten and publifhed his thefis upon ftrologybefore the pretenlionsof Gaflher were heard of*

Thefe inftances are produced by Thouret, as diftin-'guiflied proofs of the efficacy both of the touch and theimagination. In proof of thecontagion of convulfiveaffeflions, he cites the convulfionsof Saint Medard, andthe pofleflionsof Loudun. he former of thefe tookplace in 1732 ,9 an ^ made their appearance as foon asa*iy of the religious were approached to the tomb of theirpatron faint. They were expofed in the moft triumphant manner, and covered with ridicule by Hecquet, inhis Natural Hiftory of Convulfions, The pretendedpofleflions ofLoudun (1740) originated in an infamousfcheme of avarice and revenge againf t the unfortunateUrbain Grandier, re&or of Loudun, who became thevictim of the m chin tions of his enemies. The phy-f icians of Montpelier, charged with the examination ofthe affair, difcovered the whole fecret of the pofleflions

confift in factitious and pretended convulfiorts*Thouret

tients;


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tients; the fpafms and convulfionswhichthey produce being the fource of undo ubted evil ,were it only by the habitudeof that ft te which they are calculated toinduce, while the advantages of this method are not equally dem onftrated.

g That certain local difeafes not being

of the number of thofe upon which theanimal magnet i fmadts, and certain perfons,by the confeffion of M. Mefmer, notbeing fufceptible of its action, it may befufpecled, that the partifans of this fyftemhave contrivedfor themfelves this refource,in order to account for their fai lure offuccefs in certain cafes.

i o- That to pretend to the difcoveryofa means which hall extend to every kindof difeafe, that is, to an univerfal medicine, is an illufion which cannot be ex-cufed in an enlightenedage.

11. That the known effedts of fenfi-bility are fufficient to explain, withoutany new agent, the phenomena whichM. Mefmer produces by a method whichhe has no t yet imparted to the public.

12. That M. Mefmer, in luppofing a

part icularagent, has adopted a rout contrary to the interefts of his difcovery, infol lowing the exam ple of thofe who haveexerted their efforts to give credit to afyftem, worthy upon every account of theobl ivion into which it has fal len.

The


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The fociety may judge of the per«j formance from this extract: it is properhere to call to mind, that the royal f o 4ciety, acquainted with the zeal of M.Thouret, and his indefatigable enquiriesinto every thing that concerned the mag*netifm, charged him in their feffion of the

twelfth of March 1784, with the col-ledtion from the authors, s well ancientas modern, of all that had been written re-lpedting the an imal magnetifm. Thiscollection, which is fufficiently completeto fatisfy every reafonable defire, and ofwhich M. Thouret communicated the planto the fociety, compofes the firfl: part o fhis work, and is to be confidered as hisreport to the fociety upon that fubjedl.We are of opinion, that the fociety is extremely indebted to him in that reipe£l,The fecond part contains judicious reflec-tions and fagacious doubts. We thinkboth of them worthy of being printedwith the approbat ion and privilege of thefociety.

The fociety, charged by the king withthe examinat iono f all new inventions and

fecret methods of healing difeafes, has notbeheld without inquietude, the fpecies ofvogue acquired by the an im al m agne tifmwhofe procedures, whatever be . theirmerit, have been and are adminif tred tothe difeafed, and paid for by the public,

without


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« 7 1

without having previoufly, in obedienceto the exprefs provifions of the laws ofthe kingdom, undergone the examinationof the phylieal profefljon; an abufe, againftwhich the fociety, s in duty bound, hasexclaimed ever fince its introduction. Theyhave a right to take much pride to them-

felves, that one of their members is pub-Iifhi g fo learned enquiries upon a fubjedr,which has not been hitherto treated butin anonymous compofitions, which are, forthe greater part, deftined more for theamufement than the inflrudtion of theirreaders. The work of M. Thouret, fullof depth and fagacity, will enlighten thofewho are impartial in their enquiries,, andwill greatly tend to the folution of aqueftion, upon which the public interefl:requires that fentence fliould be pro-?pounced as foon as poffible.

louvre, July the 9th, 1784.

Signed) G E O F F R O YD E S P E R R I E R E SJ E A N R O ID E F O U R C R O YC H A M B O NVI C Q ^ P'A ?YR

R E P O R T


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js a fluid univerfal ly difFufedj the vehi-ff cl.e of a mutual influence be tween the

celef t ia l bodies , - the earth and the'' bodies of animated beings; it is fQ

ontinued as to admit of no v a c u u mts fubtlety does not admit of illuftra4

? t jon ; it is capable of rece iv ing , propaT

ating and communicating at the im?reffions that are incident to motion* * it is fufceptible of flux and ref lux. The

nimal b o d y is fubjedt to the effects off this agent j and thefe effedts are . im 7

media te ly p roduc ed bythe agent infinu- ting itfelf into the fqbf tance of the

erves . We particularly discover in theuman bofly qualities analogous to thofef the loadftone; we diftinguifh in itoles different and oppof i te . The adt ionnd the virtue of the an imal magnetifmre c p ble of being communicated from

ne body to another, an imated or in- nimate j they exert themfelves to con- iderable dif tances , and without the leafi

f l i f tance from any intermediate bodies:• * ' . this adt ion is increafed and ref lected by

mirror?; it is communicated, propa-

a ted and augmented by found j and thevirtue i t fel f is capab le of being-accu- mulated, concen t r a t ed and transferred.

Though'the fluid be univerfa l , all ani-V mal bodies are not equally f i i fcept ib le

f


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I 21 ]

of it) there even are fomej though very*few, of fo oppofite a nature, as by theirmere prefence to fuperfede its effedtsupon any other contiguous bodies;

The animal magnetifm is ; capable of* curing.immediately difeafesofthenefves,i and media te ly other diftempers; it im-

roves the aftion of medicines } itforwards and directs the falutary crifeso as to fubjedt them totally to the

t government of the judgment; by meansf it the phyfician becomes acquainted

with the ftate of health of each indi


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t 22 J

charged and whofe properties are avowedby M. Deffon who admits all the principles of M. Mefmer. This theory formsthe bafis of a memoir which was read atthe houfe of M. Deffon on the ninth dayof May in the prefence of M. the lieutenant general of the police and the com-

miflioners . It is afferted in this memoirthat there is but one nature one diftemperand one remedy j and this remedy is theanimal magnetifm. This phyfician at thefame time that he acquainted the com-miffioners with the doftrine and procefsof the magnetifm inftrudted them in itspradice by difcovering to them the polesand fhewing them the manner of touchingthe difeafed and directing in regard to themthe magnetic fluid.

M. Deffon undertook to the commiffioners in the firfl place to evince the exiftenceof the animal magnetifm; fecondly tocommunicate to them his knowledge re-fpedting this difcovery j and thirdly toprove the utility of this difcovery andof the animal magnetifm in the cure ofdifeafes.

After having thus made themfelves acquainted with the theory and pradtice ofthe animal magnetifm it was neceffary toobferve its effects. For this purpofe thecommiffioners adjourned themfelves ; and


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cach of them repeatedly vyitneftcd thepublic method of M. Deffon. They fawin the centre of a large apartment a circular box, m de of oak, and abbut a footor a foot and an half deep which is calledthe bucket 5 the lid of this box is piercedwith a number of holes, in which, are

inferted branches of iron, elbowed andmoveable. The patients are arranged iriranks about this bucket, and each has hisbranch of iron, which by n^eans of theelbow may be applied immediately to thepart affedled; a cord paffed round theirbodies connedts them one with the other:fometimes a fecond meansof communication is introduced, by the infertion of thethumb of each patient between the forefinger and thumb of the patient next him jthe thumb thus inferted is prefled by thejperfon holding it the impreffion receivedby the left hand of the patient, communiscates through his right> and thus paflesthrough the whole circle:

A piano forte is placed iri one corner ofthe apartment* and different airs are playedwith various degrees of rapidity j vocal

mufic is fometimes added to the inftru-hifintal-.The perfonS whti fupeririteqd the pro-

cefsj have each of them an iron rod in hishandi from ten to twelve inches in length.

C 4 '


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[ 4

M. Deflon made to the commiflioners

the following declarations, ift. That thisrod is a condudtor of the magnetifm, hasthe power of concentring it at its point,and of rendering its emanations more con-iiderable. 2dly. That found, conformably to the theory of M. Mefmer, is alfo

a conductor of the magnetifm, and thatto communicate the fluid to the pianoforte, nothing more is neceffary than toapproach to it the iron rod; that theperfon who plays upon the inftrumentfurnifhes alfo a portion of the fluid andthat the magnetifm is tranfmitted by thefounds to the furrounding patients. 3dly.That the cord which is paffed round thebodies of the patients is deftined, as wellas the union of their fingers to augmentthe efFedtsby communication. 4thly. Thatthe interior part of the bucket is fo con-

ftrudted as to concentre the magnetifm,and is a' grand refervoir, from which thefluid is difFuled through the branches ofiron that are inferted in its lid.

The commiflioners in the progrefs oftheir examination difcovered, by means

of an eleftrometer and a needle of ironnot touched with the loadftone, thatthe bucket contained no fubftance eithereledtric or v magnetical j and from thedetail that M. Deflon has made to themrefpedting the interior conftrudtion of the

4 bucket,


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bucket they cannot infer any phyficalagent capable of contributing to the imputed effedls of the magnetifm.

The patients then arranged in con-fiderable xnumber and in fuccefiive ranksround the bucket derive the magnet icvir tue at once from all thefe conveyances :

from the branches of iron which tranfm itto them that of the bucket j from the cordwhich is paffed round their bodies, andthe union of their fingers which communicate to them that of their neighbours;and from the found of the piano forte orof a mufical voice,which diffufes it throughthe air. The pat ients are befide magne-t ifed diredtly, by means of a finger or a barof iron guided before the face, above orbehind theiiead and over thefurfaeeof theparts affedted, the diftindtion of the polesftill obferved j they are alfo adted upon by

a look and by having their attention excited. But especially they are magnetifedby the appl icat ion of the hands and bythe preffure of the f ingers upon the hypo-chonders and the regions of the lowerbelly j an appl icat ion frequently continued

for a long time fometimes for feveralhours.In this fituation the patients offer a

fpedtacle extremely varied in proportionto their different habits of body. Someof them are calm tranquil and un-

confeious


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[ 28 5

t is impoffible not to recoghife in theferegular effects an extraordinary influence,adting upon the patients, making itfelfmatter of them, and of which he who faperintends the procefs, appears to be thedepofitory.

Thefe convulfive affections are impro

perly fliled crifes in the theory of the animal magnetifm according to this doctrine indeed they are regardedas a falutarycrifis, of the lame kind as thof whichnature produces, or which a fkilful phyfi-cian has the art to excite to facilitate theicure of difeafes. The commiffioners will-adopt this expreffion in the following report; and, wherever they employ the wordcrifis, they will always underftand theconvulfive, drowfy or lethargic affections,produced by the means of the animalmagnetifm.

The commiffioners obferved,. that inthe number of patien ts in the ftate of crifis,there were always, many women and fewmen hat it was one or two hours beforethefe crifes took place j and that, whenone had taken place, all the others com-,

menced fucceffively, and without any con-fiderable interval. But after having madethefe general remarks, the commiffionerswere fpeedily of opinion, that the publicprocefs could not be made the fcene oftheir experiments. The multiplicity of


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29

the effedts is oneobftacle; too many thingsare feen at once for any one of them to bef een well. Befide , the patients of rankwho repair hither upon account of theirhealth might be difpleafedwith the enquiries of the commiflioners; the very adtof watching them might appear a nui-

fance j and the recol lect ion of this mightbe burdenfome and impede the commiflioners in their turn. They thereforerefolved that as their frequent attendanceat the public procefs was unneceffary, itwould be fuff ic ient for a few of them togo from time to time to confirm.the former general obfervations to make new onesin cafe an opportunity fhould occur forthat purpofe and to report them to thecommiffion affembled

After having obferved thefe effe£ts atthe public procefs it behoved them in thenext place, to endeavour to difcover theircaufes and enquire into the proofs of theexiftence and utility of the magnetilm.The queftiop of its exiftence is firft inorder j that of its utility it wer e idle toexamine till the other fhall have been fully

/refolved. The animal magnetifm mayindeed exift without being ufeful but itcannot be ufeful if it do not exift.

Of confequence the fir ft objed t of attention with the commiflioners and thediredt tendency of their firft experiments

?ught


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ought to be the afcertaining this exigence.

Again, this was itfelf an objedt of confide-rable comprehenfion, and had need ofbeing Amplif ied. The animal magnetifrnembraces the whole compafs of nature;it is the vehicle, w e are told, of the influence exerted upon us by the celeftialbodies j

the commiffioners were of opinion, thatthey ought, in the firft place, to leave thismore extenfivein f luenceout of the queftion,and to confider only that part of the fluidwhich is diflfufed over the earth, withouttroubling themfel ves with whence it comes;in a word, to evince the aftion it exercifesupon us, around us, and within the fphereof our infpe ion, before they undertookto examine its relation to the univerfe.

The raoft certain method of determiningthe exiflence of the animal magnetic fluidwoulcLhavebeen, to have rendered its pre-fence capable of being perceived by. theienefsj but much time was not neceffary toconvince the commifiioners that this fluid istoo fubtle to be fubje£ted to their obfer-vation. It is not, like the eledlrical fluidluminous and vilible; itsa ionis not, like

the attraction of the loadf tone the objeftof our fight; it has neither tafte nor fmell;its procefs is filent and it furrounds youor penetrates your frame, without yourbeing informed of its prefence by the fenfeof touch. If therefore it exifl in us

and


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3

and around us, it is after a manner per

fectly i nfenfible. There are perfons amongthofe who profefs the magnetifm, who pre-tend that it may fometimes be feen paff ingfrom the extremity of the fingers whichferve it for conductors, or who believe thatthey feel its paffage when you guide your

finger before their face, or along theirhand. In the firfi: of thefe cafes, the emanation perceived is merely that of transpiration, which becomescompletely vif iblewhen viewed through a folar microfcope;in the fecond, the impreffion of cold orf refhnefs which is felt, an impreff ion byfo much the more perceptible the warmerone is, refults from the motion of the airwhich follows the finger and the degree-of whofe temperature is always below thatof animal heat. When, on the other hand,the finger is approached to the furface ofthe face, which is colder than the fingerand it is held at reft, the confequence is afenfat ion of heat, which is no other thanthe communication of the animal heat.

It is alfo pretended that this fluid has afmell, and that it is perceived when either

the finger or an iron conductor is broughtinto contiguity with the noftrilsj it is evenfaid, that the fenfat ion is different, according as the finger or the rod of iron is directed parallel with, or oppofite to thepoles. M. DelTon efiayed the experiment

upon


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r 3 * . ] •ttpon feveral of the cdmmiffionersj the

cpmmiff ioners themfe^ves h av e repea tedi t upon different fubjedts; not one has exper ienced this difference of fenfation: andjf by giving a clofe attention any fcenthas been perce ived , it has been that of theiron when the rod has been prefented

rubbed and hea ted j or that of the emanation of the tranfpiration when ihe fingerhas been prefented a fcent frequentlycombined with that of the i ron with whichthe f inger itfelf has been impreffed . Thefeeffedts have been erroneouf ly attributed tothe magnetifm but they may be t r aced inreal i ty to natural and defini te caufes.

Indeed M. Deflon has never infixedupon thefe tranfient impreflions he didnot think they-were to be offered in evidence j on the contrary he exprefs ly af-fured the commiflioners that he could not

demonftrate to them the exi f tence of themagnetifm otherwife than by the adtionof this fluid producing certain changes inanimated bodies . This exiftence is fomuch the more diff icul t to b e demonftratedby effedts, which fhal l be incontrovertible

and whofe caufes ihall be unequivocal; byauthentic fadts , in cafes where moral cir-cumftances cannot exert their influence: ina word by proofs calculated to convinceand compel the -underf tanding, the onlyones which can y ie ld any fo l id fat isfa ion

' tQ


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[

to perfons really proficient in the ftudy ofnature

The adtion of the.magnet i fm upon Ani-mated bodies may be obfervedin two dif-rent waysj either as it confifts in thatadtion continued for a long tin>e and inits falutary effedts in the treatmentof dif-

eafes or in its momentaryeffedts upon theanimal oeconomy and the perceptiblechanges there produced. M. Deflon in-iifted that the former of thefe methodsihould be employed principally and nearlyexclufively the commiffioners have beenof a different opinion and their reafonsareas follow.

The majority of difeafes have their featin the interior part of our frame. Thecollective experienceof a great number ofcenturieshas made us acquainted with thefymptoms which indicate anddifcriminatethem j the fame experiencehas taught themethod in which they are to be treated.What is the objedt of the efforts of thephyfician in this method? It is not to op-pofeand to fubdue nature it is to affift herin her operations. Nature fays the father

of the medical fcience cures the difeafed jbut fometimes lhe encounters obftacleswhich conftrain her in her courfe andufelefsly confume her ftrength Thephyfician is the minifter of nature; an attentive obferver he ftudies the method in

D which


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4

which fhe proceeds. If that method befirm ftrong regular and well directed, thephyfician looks oa in filence and bewaresof difturbing it by remedies which wouldat leaft be ufelefs; if the method be em-barrafled, he facilitates it if it be too flowor too rapid, he accelerates or retards it.

Sometimes, to accomplifh his objedt, heconfines himfelf to the regulation of thediet: fometimes he employs medicines.The aftion of a medicine, introducedinto the human body, is a new force, com--bined with the principal force by whichour life is maintained f the remedy followthe fame route, which this force has already opened for the expulfion of difeafes,it is ufeful, it is falutary; if it tend to opendifferent routes, and to turn afide this interior adlion, it is pernicious. In themean time it muft be confefled that thisialutary or pernicious influence, real as itis, may frequently efcape common obfer-vation. The natural hiftory of man pre-fents us in this refpedt with very lingularphenomena. It may be there feen that re-^gimens the moft oppofite, have not pre--

vented the attainment of an advanced oldage. We may there fee men, attackedaccording to all appearance with the famedifeafe, recovering in the purfuit of oppofite regimens,and in theufe of remediestotally different frbm each other; nature is

6 in


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[ 36 3rank and extremely poor, who lived at theGros-cailloU, was attacked in 1779 with amalignant fever in all its fymptoms j iherefolutely refufed every affiftance {he onlydefired that a veflel which fhe had near herfliould be kept conflantly replenifhedwith water: he rem ined quiet upon the

flraw which ferved her for a bed, drinkingwater continually and doing nothing more..The difeafe developed itfelf, paffed fuc-ceflively through its different ft ages andterminated in a complete cure *. Made-moifelle G who lived at the lefferroyal mews, had two indurations formedin her right breaft, which gave her greatpain; a furgeon recommended to herthe ufe of the Eau du Peintre as an excellent diflolvent j at the fame time informing her, that if this remedy did notfucceed in a month, it would be ne effkryt extirpate them by incifion. The younglady, terrified at this fentence, confultedM. Sallin, who gave it as his opinion thatthe indurations were fufceptible of refo-lution; M. Bonvart, who was alfo confulted, confirmed the opinion of M. Sallin.

JBeforeentering upon any courfe of remedy,The obfervation of this fact was laid in detail be

fore the faculty of medicine t Paris in an aflembly deprima menfis by M. Bourdois de la Mothe phyficianof the charity of Saint-Sulpice who vifited the.iickperfon regularly every day.

e

y


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they prefcribed diffipation j fift n days

after fhe was feized at the opera with aviolent cough and fo profufe an expedto-ration that fhe was obliged to be carried

Jiome i {he fpit in the fpace of four hoursabout three pints of a vifcid lymph onehour after .this M. Sallin examined the

breaft he difcovered no trace of induration. M. Bouvart called in the nextday proved on his part the happy effectof this natural crifis. If mademoifelleG had taken Eau du Peintre the honour of her cure would have been attributed to this medicine.

The uninterrupted observation of agesproves and the profeflorsof phyficacknow-ledge that nature alone and without ourinterference cures a great number of per-fons. If the magnetifm were abfolutelyinadtive the patients who undergo this

method of cure might be confidered asabandoned to nature. It would be absurdto chufe a method of deciding upon theexillence of this agent which by attributing to it all the cures performed by nature would tend to prove that it hadan adtion ufeful and curative when in reality it might have no adtion at all.

Upon this head the commiffioners areof the opinion of M. Mefmer. He rejected the cure of difeafes when this method of proving the magnetifm was pro-

3 pofed


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; [ s8 ]ipofed to him by a member of the academy:of fciences: t is a miftake, replied he,

•to imagine that this kind of proof isnanfwerable j it cannot be demonftrat-

ed that either the phyficianor the me-dicine caufes the recovery of the pa-.ient*.

The treatment of difeafes can thereforefurnilh nothing but a refult, always uncertain, often deceitful y nor can this uncertainty be diffipated and all the caufesofi l lufion com penfa ted .but by an infinity ofcures, perhaps by the experienceof fuccef-l ive centuries. The objedt and import-,ance of the commiff ion demand means ofa . fpeedier defcription. It was the dutyof the commiff ionersto confine themfelvesto arguments purely phyfical that is, tothe momentaneouseffectsof the fluid upon,the animal frame, excluding from thefe ;effedls all the illufions which might mixwith them, and alluring themfelves thatthey could proceed from no other caufethan the animal magnetifm.

They propofed to make experimentsupon fingle fubjedts who might be willing

to fubmit to the various experimentswhich they fhould invent; and who, fome«f them by their fimplicity and others bytheir intelligence, fhould be capable of

M. Mefmerj Hiftorical Abridgement pages 35 37.

giving


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f 9

giving an cxaft and faithful account ac

count of their fenfations. Thefe experiments we fliall not confine ourfelves torelate in the order of time, but fhall followthe order of the fadts they were intendedto elucidate.

The commiffioners in the firfl place

refolved to make their fir ft experimentsupon themfelves, and perfonally to experience the adlion of the magnetifm. Theywere extremely curious to become acquainted by their own fenfations with theeffedts afcribed to this agent. They therefore fubmitted themfelves to thefe effedtsand in fuch a difpofition, that they wouldnot have been forry to have undergonefome accidents and a partial derangementof health, which being evidently producedby the operation of the magnetifm, fhouldhave enabled them to decide this import

ant queftion upon the fpot, and with theirown teftimony. But in fubmitting themfelves to the magnetifm in this manner, thecommiffioners have employed one necef-fary precaution. There is not an individual, in a ftate of the fulleft health, who,

if he paid a clofe attention to the point,would not be fenfible to an infinityof interior motions and variationsj either of a pain infinitely flight or ofheat in different parts of his body 5thefe variations which exifl: at all timesare independent of the magnetifm. To

D 4 turn


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t 4°

turn and fix in this manner ones attentionupon onefelf is riot perhaps itfelf entirelywithout its effects. There is fo intimatea connection whatever be the vehicle ofthat connection between the volitions ofthe foul and the motions of the body thatit is not eafy to prefcribe limits to the in

fluence of attention which appears to benothing more than a train of volitionsdirefted conftantly and without interruption to the fame objedt. When we recoiled: that the arm is moved by the willas it pleafes how can we be certain thatthe attention being fixed upon fome interior part of our frame may not excite fomeflight emotion in it direCt the heat towards it and fo modify its aCtual litua-tion as to produce in it new fenfations?The firft thing therefore to which thecomrniflionerswere bound to attend was

not to obferve too minutely what pafTedwithin them. If the magnetifm were areal and operative caufe there was no needthat it fhould be made an objeCt of thoughtin order to its aCtion and manifefting itfelf: it ought fo to exprefs ourfelves to

compel ana arreft the attention and torender itfelf perceptible to a mind thatfhould even be diftraCted from it by defign.

But in determining to make experiments upon themfelves the commiffionersunanimoufly refolved to make thofe experiments private without admitting any

ftranger


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ftranger except M. Deflon by whom the

operation was to be performed or fuchperfons as they hould chufe j in likemanner they engaged not to fubmit to themagnetifm at the public procefs in orderthat they might difcufs freely their obfer-vations, and be . in all events the fole, P

at leaft the firft: judges of the fymptomsobferved.In purfuance of thefe determinations a

particular apartment and a feparate bucketwere deftined for their ufe in the houfe ofM. Deflon and the commifiioners repairedthither once in the courfe of every week.The operation was continued in each experiment for two hours and a half, thebranch of iron being in contact with theleft hypochonder, furrounded with a cordof communication, and forming from t imeto time the chain of fingers and thumbs.They were magnetifed either by M. Deflonor, in his abfence by one of his pupils;ibme of them for a longer time and morefrequently than others, and thofe withwhom this was the cafe were the com-miffioners who appeared from conftitution

and habit the moft fufceptible. The operation was performed fometimes with thefinger and the rod of iron prefented andguided along the different parts of thebody, fometimes by the application of thehands and the preffure of the fingers either

upon


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upon the hypochonders, or upon the pitof the ftomach.

Not one of the commiflloners felt anyfenfation or at leaft none which ought tobe afcribed to the action of the magnetifm.Some of the commiflloners are of a robuftconftitution; others have more delicate

habits, and are fubjed to interruptions oftheir health: one of thefe laft, was fenfibleof a flight pain at the pit of the ftomachin confequence of a confiderable preflfurethat was employed upon that part. Thispain continued all that and the next day,and was accompanied with a fenfation offatigue and dejedion. Another felt, in theafternoon of one of the days in which theexperiments were performed, a flight irritation of the nerves to which he is veryfubjedt. A third, endowed with a ftillgreater fenfibility, and efpecially with anextreme reftleffnefs of the nerves wasfubje£t to a higher degree of pain anda more perceptible irritation; but thefelefler accidents are the refult of perpetuala.nd ordinary variations in the ftate of theirhealth, and are of confequence foreign to

the operation they had undergone or proceed only from the preffure employed uponthe region of the ftomach. The com-miffioners do not fpeak of thefe flightdetails, but from a fcrupulous fidelity; theyrelate them, becaufe they have impofed it

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as. a. law upon themfelves conftantly andin every particular to fay the truth.

The commiffioners could not avoid beingftruck with the difference of the privateexperiment m de upon themfelves fromthe public procefs. All was calm andfilence in the one, all reftleffnefs and agi

tation in the othei^ j there multipliedfymptoms, violent crifes, the ordinary ft teboth of body and mind interrupted' andoverthrown, and nature wrought tip to thehigheft pitch; here the body free frompain, ana the mind from anxiety,, nature,preferving her ordinary courfe and herequilibrium, in a word the abfolute privation of every kind of effeft: the llu-pendous influence, which creates fuch anaftonifhment in the public procefs, appearsno longer; the magnetifm ftripped of itsenergy feems perfectly fupine and inadtive.

The commiffioners, having at firfl fub-mitted to the experiment only once a vveek,rwere defirous to afcertain whether a continuity of experiment would produce anyeffed: j they fubmitted to it three daysfucceffively, but their infenfibility was the

fame, and the magnetifm appeared withrefpedt to them perfectly impotent. Thisexperiment* m de at once upon eight different fubje s, feveral of whom were,fubjedt to habitual derangementsof health,authorifes the, conclufion that the mag

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r 44netifm has little or no adtion in a ftate ofhealth, or even in a ftate of lefier infirmity.We then refolved to make experimentsupon perfons really difeafed, and w e chofethem out of the lower clafs.

Seven of thefe were aflembled at Pally,at the houfe of Dr. Franklin; the opera

tion was performed upon them by M.Deflon in the prefence of all the com-miffioners.

The widow Saint-Amand, afthmatic,having the belly, legs and thighs fwelled;and dame Anfeaume, who had a fwellingupon her thigh, felt no fenfation j thelittle Claude Renard, a child of fix yearsof age fcrophulous, almoft consumptive,having the knees fwelled, the legs bentinward, and the articulation nearly deprived of motion, a very interefting child,and pofle fling a greaterdegree of under-

ftanding than is ufual at his age, was%like-wile confeious to no fenfation j any morethan GenevieveLeroux, nine years of age,fubje


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5

backward and forward the thumb very

near and for a confiderable time he wasfenfible of a pain in the ball of the eyeand the eye watered. When the operationwas directed to the right eye which wasthe moil difordered, he felt no fenfationin it; he felt the fame pain in the left

eye and nothing in any other part of thebody.Dame Charpentier whohad been thrown

•down againft a log of wood by a.cow twoyears before, had experienced the moft unfortunate confequences from this accident;fhe loft her fight recovered it afterwardsin part but remained in a ftate of habitualinfirmities; fhe declared that fhe had tworuptures and the belly of fo great fenfi-bility that fhe could not bear the preffureof the firings of her petticoats his jfenfi-1bility belongs to the cafe of nervous irritation ; he flighteft preffure upon the regionof the belly is capable of determining thisirritation and producing through thecorrefpondence of the nerves, effedts inevery part of the body.

The operation was performed upon this

woman as upon the reft by the application and the preffure of the fingers.; thepreffure was extremely painful to. herafterwards in directing the finger towardsthe rupture fhe complained of a pain inher head; the finger being placed before


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6

her Face, he faid fhe could not draw herbreath. Upon the repeatedmotion of thefinger upwards and downwards, Ihe hadfudden ftarts of the .head and fhoulderslike thofe which are commonly occafionedby furprife mixed with terror for inftancethat of a perfon who has fome drops of

cold water fuddenly thrown in his face.She appeared to have the fame jftartingswhen her eyes were clofed. The fingersbeing held under her nofe, while her eyes,were fliut fhe complained of a fenfationof faintnefs fo long as they were continuedthere. The feventh fubjedt, Jofeph En-nuye experienced fenfationsof a fimilarnature but much lefs confiderable.

Of thefe feven patients four felt nofenfation at all; three experienced fomeeffectsfrom the operation; Thefe effedtsdeferved to engage the attention of thecommiffioners, and demanded an accurate^examination.

The commiffioners, to obtain furtherlight and to define their ideas upon thispart of the fubjedt, refolved to make theexperiment upon patients placed in other

circumftances and feledtedfrom the politeworld j fuch as could not be fufpedtedoffinifter views, and whofe underftandingm ad e them capable of enquiring into andgiving a faithful account of their fenfations. Mefdamesde B- and de V

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7

meffieurs M—— and R were admitted to the private bucket together withthe commiffioners; they were intreated toremark their fenfations, without fixingupon them too regul r an attention. M.M— ;— and madame de V were theonly perfons who experienced any fenfa-

tion. M. M had an indolent tumourover the whole articulation of the kneeand a conftant pain in the patella. Hedeclared, during the operation that he feltnothing in any part of his body except irithe moment that the finger was guidedbefore the difeafed knee; he then thoughtthat he felt a flight degree of heat in theplace in which he has habitually the fen-fation of pain. Madame de V , attacked with a nervousdiforder was feveraltimes upon the point of falling afleepduring the operation. The experimenthaving continued for an hour and nineteenminutes without interruption and for thegreater part by the application of the hands,fhe was fenfible to nothing but a fen-fation of irritation and dejedtion. Thefetwo fubjedts underwent the experiment

only once. M. R , whofe diftemperwas the remainder of an obflrudtion in the,liver the confequence of a very violentdiforder of that kind ill cured underwentthe operation three times and felt nothing.Madame de B— •—, feverely attacked with

obftrudtions


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obftrudtions, underwent the experiment

conftantly at the fame t ime with the com-miffioners,and felt nothing j it is neceflaryto obferve, that fhe fubmitted to themagnetifm with an extreme tranquility,•which originated in the higheft degree ofincredulity.

Experiments were made at other t imesupon different fubjedts, but without theafliftance of the bucket. One of the com-miflioners, in a violent head-ach, had theoperation performed upon him by M. Def-Ion for half an hour; one of the fymptomsof his diforder was an extreme cold in hisfeet. M. Deflon brought his .foot nearthat of the patient, the foot was never thewarmer, and the head-ach lafted its ordinary term. The patient, having placedhimfelf near a fire obtained from it thefalutary effects which heat has conftantlyprocured him, without experiencing,eitherduring that day or the night following,any efFedt from the magnetifm.

Dr. Franklin, though the weaknefs ofliis health hindered him from coming toParis, and affifting at the experiments

which were there made, was magnetifedby M. Deflon at his own houfe at Pafly.The affembly was numerous; every perfonwho was prefent underwent the operation.Some lick perfons, who had come withM. Deflon, were fubjett to the effe s of


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50 Jaffefted. If the rednefs and tumour of thtfother eye had not furn iftied extern al fymp-toms, in judging from the e f f e < t of themagnetifm w e fliould have been led toconclude that it was undiftempered. M.R and madame de B both attacked with obftru ions, and madame de

B with great feveri ty as they were.confcious to no fenfation would have re-ceived n o intelligence, either refpe£ting thefpecies or the feat of their difeafe. And

,yet obftruflions are among the diforderswhich are faid to be particularly fubjeft tothe aflion of the magnetifm j fin e according to the new theory the,free andrapid circulation of this fluid through thenerves is a means of opening the channelsand deftroying the obftacles that is, theobftru6tions, which it encounters in itspalfage. It is at the fame time faid that

the magnetifmis the touchftone of health :if therefore M. R and madame-deB—— had not experienced the derangements and the Sufferings infeparable fromobftruttions, they would have had a rightto believe that they enjoyed the belt health

in the world. The fame thing may befaid of the American officer : the magnetifm therefore announced as the discoverer of difeafes completely failed ofits effeft.

The


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J ]

The heat that M. M — — • felt in thepatella, is an effe too flight and fugitiveto authorife ny conclufions. It may befufpe£ted that it proceeded from the caufealready defcanted on a too great attentionto obfervewhat pafles within us: the fameattention would difcover fimil r fenfations

at any other time when the magnet i fmwas not employed. The drowfinefs experienced by madamede V muft undoubtedly be afcribed to the regularity and.fatigue of preferving the fame fitu tionif flie was fenfible to any vaporous emotion it muft be remembered that it is a .known property of nervous afFedtions, tohave,much dependency, upon the attention,that is paid them j to-renew them it is.only neceflfary to. hear them fpoken of orto think of them. It i s eafy to judgewhat ought to be expedted from a woman

whofe nerves are extremely irritable andwho being magnetifed for an hour andnineteen minutes had during that timeno other fubjedt of reflection than that ofthe diforders which are habitual to her.She might have had a nervous crifis more

confiderable than that w e have defcribed,without our having a right to be furprifedat it-

There remains then only the effedtsproduced upon dame Charpentier Fran-£ois Grenet and Jofeph Ennuye which

E 2 can


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s _ J

can be fuppofed to derive from the opera-*tiori of the magnetifm. In comparingthefe three particular fadts to the reft thecommiffioners were aftonifhed that threefubjedts of the lower clafs fhould be theonly ones who felt any thing from theoperation while thofe of a more elevated

rank of more enlightened understandingsand better qualified to defcribe their fenfa-tions have felt nothing. Without doubtFranfois Grenet experiencied a pain and awatering in the eye when the thumb wasapproached very near to it dame Char-pentier complained that in touching herftomach the prefTure correfponded to herrupture j and the preffure might have beenin part the caufe of what {he felt; but thecommiffionersfufpedted that thefe fenfa-tions were augmented by moral caufes.

Let us reprefent to ourfelves the fituation of a perfon o f the lower clafs and ofconfequence ignorant attacked with adiftemper and defirousof a cure introducedwith fome degree of ceremony to a largecompany partly compofed of phyficianswhere an operation is performed upon

him totally new and from which he per-fuades himfelf before hand that he is aboutto experience prodigious effects. Let us-add to this that he is paid for his compliance that he thinks he fhall contributemore to our fatisfa iori by profeffing to

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5

experience fenfations of fome kind; andwe fhall have definite caufes to which toattribute thefe effeits j we hall at leafthave juft reafon to doubt whether theirtrue caufe be the magnetifm.

Befide this it may be enquired, why themagnetifm produced thefe effedts upon

perfons, who knew what was done to them,and might imagine they had an interest infaying what they faid, while it took no fortof hold upon the little Claude Renard,upon an organifation endowed with all thedelicacy of infancy, fo irritable, fo fufcep-tible The found underftanding and ingenuous temper of this child evince the vera-

•city of his relation. Why too has thisagent produced no effedt upon GenevieveLeroux, who was in a perpetual ftate ofconvulfion Her nerves were certainlyfufficiently irritable, how comes it that themagnetifm did not difplay its power,either in augmenting, or diminifhing herconvulfions Her indifference and impaf-fibility induced the belief that the reafonof her having felt nothing, was the idiot-ifm which did not permit her to judge

that he ought to have felt any thing.From thefe fa6ts the commiffioners areat liberty to obferve that the magnetifmhas feemed to have no exiftence for thofefubje6ts who have fubmitted to it withany degree of incredulity; that the com-

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miflloners, even thofe who have their

nerves moft irritable having exprefslyturned their attention to other obje s, andhaving armed themfelves with that philb-fgphic doubt which ought always to accompany enquiry have felt none of thofefenfations, which w ere experiencedby the

three patients of the lawer clafs j and theyhave a right to fufpedt that thefe fenfa-tions fuppofing their reality, were thefruits of anticipated perfuafion, and mightbe operated by the mere force of imagination. Of this fufpicion another clafs ofexperiments has been the refult. Theirfubfequent refearches w ere directedtowardsa new objed j it was neceflary to deftroyor confirm the fufpicion they had formedto determine to what degree the power ofthe imagination can influence our fenfa-tions and to demonftrate whether it can

be the caufe, in whole or in part of theefFedts attributed to the magnetifm.

At this time the commifl ioners heard ofthe experiments which were made at thehoufe of M. the dean of the faculty by MJumelin do£tor of phyfic; they were de-

firous of feeing thefe experiments andthey met M. Jumelin in a body at thehoufe of M. Majault one of the commif-fioners. M. Jumelin declared to themthat he was a difciple neitherof M. Mef-jner, nor of M Def|on; he had learned

nothin


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t

nothing refpe£ting the animal magnet i fmfrom them but had formed his principlesand digefted his procefs from what hehad heard upon the fubje£t in converfa-tion. His principles confift in regardingthe animal magnetic f luid as a fluid whichcirculates in the human body and which

f lows from it but which is effentially thefame with the principle of animal heat jl ike all other fluids he conceived that ittended to an equilibrium and that ittherefore pafles from the body in whichthe greateftquantity of it refides into thatwhich has the leaft. His method doesnot differ from that of meffieurs Mefiperand Deflon lefs than his principles; likethem he performs the operat ion with thef inger and the rod of iron as conductorsand by the applicat ion of the hands butwithout any dii l indt ion of poles.

Eight men and two wo men fubmittedto the operat ion in the firft experimentand felt nothing; at length a woman whowaits in the hall of M. Alphonfe le Roydodtor of phyfic having been magnetifedin the forehead b-ut without touching her

faid that fhe felt the fenfation of heat.M. Jumelin guiding his hand and pre-fenting the five extremities of his fingersover the whole of her face fhe faid that{he felt as it were a f lame that pafTed fromplace to place3 magnet i fed in the ftomach

E fhe


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J8 ]It may be obferved that while the

w o m a n was perm itted tofee the operat ionfhe placed her fenfations precifelyin thepart towardswhich it was directed; thaton the other hand when fhe did not feethe operat ion fhe placed t hem at hazardand in parts very diftantf r o m thofe which

were the objedt o f the magnet i fm. It wasnatural to conclude that thefe fenfat ionsreal or pretended were determined by theimaginat ion. Of this w e were co nv incedwhen w e faw. that being ent irely at reftthe precedingfenfationshaving ceafed andthe bondage being f ixed over h r eyes thisw o m a n exper ienced all the f ame effedtsthough no o perat ion was performed•> butthe demonft ra t ion was comple te whenafter a rem iffion o f a quarter of an hourher imaginat ion beingundoubtedlycooledand worn down th effects in the r o o mof augment ing diminifhed atthe m o m e n tin which the operat ion was adtually re-n ewed

If {h was feized with a faintnefsw o m e n are fomet imes l iable to this ac-cident f r o m their. garments. being tight

or otherwife burdenfome. The appl ica-tion of the hands upon the hypochonderswas capable of producing thefame effectupon a woman ex trem ely fufcept ib le butthere is no need of having recourfe to thiscaufe to explain the appearance. The

weather

8/16/2019 Report of Dr Benjamin Franklin and Other Commissioners Charged by the King

Report of Dr Benjamin Franklin and Other Commissioners Charged by the King of France With the Examination of the Animal Magnetism as Now Practised at Paris (1785)

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