Nevada County picayune., 1889-03-27
MESMERISM.
cOurtesieS

system, in which the actor claims to control the actions, and communicate with the mind of the subject. It was first discovered and put into practice by Mesmer, German, in the year l775. It, therefore, derived its name from its founder; and, al- though the terms Hypnotlsm, Clair voyance, etc., are used to denote the same occult art, yet the meaning IS substantially the same. Perhaps the origin of this art is traceable to the well known theory of metallc magnet ism. It is well established fact that all bodies have more or less of magnetism, and are either in posi- tive or negative state.
 The properties of the magnetic needle have, for long time, been understood by navigators and scien- tiic men; indeed, the success of navigation is largely due to the dis covery of material magnetism. Reas- oning from analogy, it was supposed that the same kind of subtle influence pervaded animal bodies, and specu- lations of this kind doubtless led to the discovery of animal magnetism Perhaps Animal Magnetism would be a better term for the exact detini- tion of this art than Mesmersm, as it expresses more clearly and specifi- cally the nature of the process. Hyp- notism, Clairvoyance, Mind Reading, etc., are but phases or developments of the same principle.
 Mesmerism was practised by Mes mer, its founder, as therapeutic, or remedial agent, for the cure of diseases, and it must be confessed that he had considerable success on this line. Indeed, whatever may have been his claims to public con- fidence, numbers flocked to his office for treatment, many of whom were cured, or greatly benefited, and he succeed in accommodating a handsome fortune by his practice. While some scientific men had faith Tn the new theory, yet the truth of history com pels me to state that it was rejected by q majority of the scientific world. It was supposed by those who re- jected the theory that the various manipulations resOrted to in order to effect this abnormal state, together with the power of imagination and the faith of the subject, invoked for the accomplishment of the desired end, contributed largely to the sue cess of the experiments and hence, that the cures, being imaginary, were of short duration, and vanished into the air on the return of reason and sober realities.
 The subjugaton of the human will doubtless lies at the base of all sue cess III the mesmeric process, for the proof of which we have only to refer to initial, and all other steps, prac- ticed by the professor of this art. The very first thing that is done in order to bring a subject into the mes merle state, is to put them into neg ative or passive state, so far as the will, or volitional powers, is con cerned; and all the subsequent steps are on the very same line, viz: To subdue the positive character of the will, and to put it into quiescent, tractable condition. The amazing power of one strong-minded person over multitudes of men is too obvi- ous a historical fact to require special elaboration: familiar examples of which may he found in the history of of Julius Cmsar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Andrew Jackson. That these men possessed great personal mag netism, or perhaps it would be more proper to say, animal magnetism, no one conversant with the facts of his tory will deny for moment, The touch, or close proximity, is neces- sary to the dispensation of this mag netic influence, with most persons and perhaps actual contact is abso- lutely necessary to the highest de- gree of this mysterious attraction; but at the same time, 1t is an undoubted fact that the men referred to pos sessed this extraordinary power in a remarkable degree, even when not in contact with those whom they con trolled. The powerful effect of the elOquence of Demosthencs, the ire sistible entertainment of Henry Clay's oratory, are largely attributable to the same source.
 The claim that Mesmerism belongs to the realm of the supernatural is totally at variance with human expe- rience; and, while its phenomena are difficult of classification, or exact an alysis, the investigations of enlight- ened scientists show that they belong to the natural, though hitherto unex- planned, region of speculative science. The time may come in the progress of civilization and enlightenment, when an exact classification and an- alysis of all the remarkable phenom- ena connected with Mesmerism will be made so clearly and intelligibly that it will be seen at once they lie within the purview of natural law.
 In our next we propose to write a short essay on Spirituaism.