New-York daily tribune., 1842-11-11
THE TRIBUNE.
MESMERISM.

attention in this country, and which has ben much
talked about and so little understood, Is from
notice in the London Times OF BRANDE's Die
tonary of Science and Art. 1t has no little intc-
rest at the present day
This pretended influence, or agent, had its Oh
ginin Vienna about the year 1875, when person
Of the name of Anthony Mesmcr published a the
lis On The Influence of the Planets on the Hu-
sGn Body About the same year Jesuit called
Father He'll, imagined that by the help of load
stone and certain steel plates rendered magnetic
he had cured several Diseases and being struck
with the analogy of Mesner's views to his own
they entered into kind of partnership as Joint
practitioners, and attracted considerable notice ;
So that, although they soon euarreled, their sys-
ZEN of treatment had acquired some notorety and
many powerful advocates. He'll continued TO
practice this and occult science in Germany !;
and Mesmer, in 1875, went to Paris, and in the
course OF 4 short time performed such wonderful
cures. and took TO have them so satisfacto-
riy aiteSted, that his apartments daily throng
ed with patients OF ell ranks, and fees and reputa
tion poured In from all quarters. He here, how
ever unluckiy associated himself with NJ d'Es-
Ion, medical man, who, being more sk(u in
the art OF pleasing patients than his master, con-
trived TO gain the ascendancy, and so to disgust
Me.mer, that he was induced to quit Paris for
Spa, where ne soon contrlved, under the pretence
Of initiating others into the secrets of his trade TO
raise about / 1000, with which he retired to his
uatise place (Alersburg, in Suaba } and left mag
ne,sm and the magnetzers TO their own resources.
As the largon of Mesmer has been revived in
our own days, 1t may be worth while to give bis
own definition of his art, which is quite as intei-
sibe as SONS of the latter versions of it which
have recently appeared in London for, in this
he'd pT Mea ic coll lsd
has occasionally taken root, and at one time but
Tor an accident, which we shall presently notice.
threatened to thrive and prosper.
animal magnetism, says Mesmer, is fluid
universally dhused: is the medium Of a mutual
influence between the heavenly bodies, the earth
and animated bodies it is continuous, SO as TO
Leave no void; its subtilty admits of no compari-
SON. IL is capable OF receiving, propagatng, com
municatng, all the impressions of motion it is
susceptible of fux aud of rehux. The animal
body experiences the effects of this agent; by in
sinuating itself into the substance Of the nerves.
affects them Immediately. There are observed
particularly in the human body, properties analo
gous those OF the magnet; and in it are dis
cerned poles equally different and opposite. The
action aud The virtues of animal ma gnetism may
bs communicated from one body to other bodies,
animate and inanmate. This action takes place
atarsmote distance, without the aid of any inter-
mediate body; it is increased and reflected by
mirrors; communicated, propagated, augmented
by sound its virtues may be accumulated, coRcon
,Yated trans sorted. Although this fluid is uni
verssl all animal bodies not equally suscePti-
bic of it; there are even some, though 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 dis
eases of the nerves immediately, and others me-
datey. 1t periects the action OF medicines 1t
excites and directs sautary crises in such man
ner that the physician may render himself master
of them by its means he knows the of health
of each individual, and judges with certainty OF
the origin, the nature, and the progress, OF the
most complicated diseases; he prevents their in
crease and succeeds in healing them, without at
any time exposing his patient to dangerous effects
OF troublesome consequences, whatever be the
age, the temperament and the sex. In animal
magnetism nature presents universal method OF
healing and preserving mankind"
Many of our readers have probably witnessed
the silly and disgraceful exhibitions in this line OF
practice which have lately been tolerated in Lon
DON and are therefore aware of the means by
which the masnetized are brought under the IN
fuence 1t is always necessary that the magnetl-
ger himself should be charged with the fluid, and
that the magnetizecs should be susceptible OF It's
influence, which be it observed, all persons are
net; nor can all persons be magnetizees: some
want power, and others faith; in short, there
must be due share Of folly or of imposturc, or
both on the one hand, aud of credulity, cunning,
or morbid irritability the other, and then all
goes right The magnetzcr, with his wand OF
Office performs certain antics before the patient,
and the patient either falls asleep iRto tit, or
:dumb, or deaf, garrulous and painfully sensl-
tive to sounds, as the case may be. But 1t is by
no means necessary that the doctor and the rer-
son rnagnetized should see each other. skittul
artist, well charged, can nagnetize a hit subject, IN
another room house, street, or town, and can
moreover tell by his own sensations to what cN-
tent the influence is communicated, and how the
persons receive 1t.
Mesmcr availed himself Of certain aids, which
our modern practitioners have rejected, such as
boxes Of steel bars, magnotized water, and musi-
cal Instruments imbued with the magnetic inf
ence he also frequently tied his customers to-
se,her or made them link their thumbs, when sew
eralwere to be magnetized at once. When pa
tents arc in the crisis under the full iaiiuence
Of the power, they can be Immediately reused out
OF 1t by certain looks gestures, and touches of Inc
adept
10 ascertain how far the ptetensions OF the an
imal nagnetisers entitled to any attention OF
support, the French Government very properly aP-
posted oommitieez of scientific aud unpreJu-
diced persons to investigate its merits among
when were Brilly, franklin, and Laycisier; and
It IS eurtons that their report which was transi.-
ted INTO English, and published here in 1885, is
not more often quoted This pretended agent,
say they, is no, magnetism; for on examining
the grand reservoir of the auid by needle and
eleciso-meter, neither magnetism nor electricity
could be detected, We tried it upon ourselves