REALL News - Vol 06 No 10 - 1998

Magazine Overview

Title: Mesmerism Considered
Issue: Volume 6, Issue 10
Date: December 1998
Author: Randy Alley

This issue of The REALL News delves into the history and nature of mesmerism, also known as animal magnetism, examining its rise as an 18th-century fad and its eventual decline.

Mesmerism: An Enlightened Fad

The article begins by characterizing mesmerism as an "enlightened fad" of the late 18th century, drawing parallels with phrenology. Both were promoted as revolutionary "sciences" promising adherents a higher level of human development and the fulfillment of desires, with mesmerism additionally promising cures for illness and hunger. Unlike phrenology, which offered observable physical evidence through skull protuberances, mesmerism required faith, with its only support being the word of the mesmerist, often called a "somnambulist."

Origins and Theories of Animal Magnetism

Mesmerism's roots are traced to ancient beliefs that comfort and sympathy aided healing, often attributed to "mysterious power" from music and amulets. The 18th century saw scientific experimentation with electricity and magnets for cures. Father Hell, a Catholic priest, claimed to have cured himself using magnets, and his discussions with a young doctor, Franz Anton Mesmer, led to the development of the theory of "animal magnetism."

Mesmer's initial theories, outlined in "Physical-Medical Treatise on the Influence of the Planets" (1766), proposed that orbiting planets influenced bodily fluids, causing imbalances that led to sickness. He called this "animal gravity." Later, in "Discourse by Mesmer on Magnetism," he posited that a thin, magnetic fluid coursed beneath the skin, controlled by external forces, and that sickness resulted from imbalances in this fluid, which could be corrected with magnets.

Mesmer's landmark 1779 paper, "Dissertation on the Discovery of Animal Magnetism," aimed to clarify his theories, stating that "NATURE AFFORDS A UNIVERSAL MEANS OF HEALING AND PRESERVING MEN." He proposed that all bodies could communicate a magnetic principle through a fluid that penetrated everything and could be stored. He identified two classes of animate bodies: those susceptible to magnetism and those whose opposite quality suppressed its action.

Practice and Practitioners

Mesmerists employed various methods to restore the body's fluid flow, including magnets, trees, and Mesmer's own "baquet" device. The baquet was a large tub filled with magnetized materials and water, with patients connected by cords and iron rods applied to afflicted areas. Patients undergoing treatment were called "somnambules," and mesmerists used their mental ability to achieve "clairvoyance" to intuit patient needs.

Mesmer conducted extravagant treatments in Paris, often for wealthy members of society. He would personally attend to excited patients, particularly young females, in private rooms called "Salle des Crises." These sessions were controversial, with d'Eslon admitting that women in a "magnetic excitement" were not in control of their actions and could not resist advances.

Scientific Scrutiny and Discrediting

By 1778, the Royal Academy of Sciences became interested. Mesmer's request for a joint scientific test with 24 patients was fraught with conflict, leading to accusations of quackery against Mesmer and censure for d'Eslon.

In 1781, the French Government offered Mesmer a substantial sum to train pupils, which he indignantly refused. He then withdrew and founded the secret "Society of Universal Harmony."

A significant investigation occurred in 1784 when two commissions, including prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin, Antoine Lavoiser, and Joseph de Guillotin, were appointed by King Louis XVI to examine Charles d'Eslon's practices. The commission's report, "Rapport des Comissaires charges par le Roy de l'examen du Magnetisme animal," concluded that there was no physical evidence for Mesmer's fluid and that cures were likely due to imagination. The report stated, "Magnetism, without the imagination can produce nothing."

Another examination by the Royal Academy of Medicine in 1825, after a preliminary study, involved 11 members. This commission, after examining 14 patients over five years, found only minor results in some sick patients and none in healthy ones, noting that results might be normal reactions. They concluded the commission failed to conduct scientific studies and refused to issue a report.

Decline and Legacy

The investigations led to the disillusionment with animal magnetism, which faded faster than phrenology. Knowledgeable people viewed mesmerism as a source of humorous stories, with practitioners often labeled as con-men and charlatans, and believers as fools and knaves. Despite brief reincarnations, mesmerism was largely scorned.

Even today, claims persist, such as professional golfer Jim Colbert attributing back pain relief to wearing magnets. The article concludes by noting that Randy Alley, the author, recently received his Masters Degree in History, and this article is part of that thesis.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this article are the historical development of pseudoscience, the nature of belief versus empirical evidence, and the role of scientific commissions in evaluating new theories. The editorial stance is critical of mesmerism, presenting it as a fad lacking scientific validity, ultimately debunked by rigorous investigation and ultimately dismissed as a form of fraud or delusion.