REALL News - Vol 07 No 03 - 1999

Magazine Overview

Title: The REALL News
Issue: Volume 7 Issue 3
Date: March 1999
Content Focus: This issue features an article titled "Dr. Kreider Speaks Out Part 3: On Mesmerism" by Randy Alley, which critically examines the historical practice of mesmerism and animal magnetism.

Dr. Kreider Speaks Out: On Mesmerism

The article details Dr. Michael Z. Kreider's strong skepticism towards mesmerism, which he categorizes alongside phrenology as a pseudoscience. Kreider's critique focuses on the claims and practices associated with Franz Anton Mesmer, the German physician who developed the theory of animal magnetism.

The Theory of Animal Magnetism

Mesmerism, or animal magnetism, posited that magnetic forces from celestial bodies and objects influenced all living things. Mesmer believed these forces could be directed to cure physical ailments. Kreider, however, recognized this as fraudulent and aimed to expose it.

Mesmerism and Its Practitioners

Kreider described mesmerism as "a peculiar influence, or general effect, which one person is able to produce on the system of another." He identified three main groups of mesmerists: manipulations, spiritualists, and those who combined physical and mental approaches. A subgroup, phreno-magnetists, merged mesmerism with phrenology.

The Power of the Somnambule

A key aspect discussed is the concept of the somnambule, a patient in a trance-like state who could allegedly exert influence over the physical, mental, and moral powers of others. Mesmerism taught that this influence could elevate the patient to an "exalted condition." In the third degree of clairvoyance, known as somnambulism, the patient was said to gain the ability to diagnose illnesses and prescribe remedies with remarkable accuracy, even without medical knowledge.

Skepticism and Caution

Despite the purported abilities of somnambules, even proponents expressed caution. Joseph Francois Deleuze, a French naturalist who supported Mesmer, advised that while mesmeric remedies might treat symptoms, they could overlook underlying causes. He suggested rigorous steps to confirm the efficacy and safety of prescribed remedies, a process Kreider found ludicrous.

Case Studies and Anecdotes

The article presents several anecdotes to illustrate the perceived follies of mesmerism:

• The Lady with Diseased Stomach and Lungs: A somnambule prescribed a remedy for the stomach that would have aggravated the lungs. Cautionary observations led her to defer taking it, and her lungs improved.
• The Chardel Sisters: Casimir Chardel mesmerized two sisters suffering from consumption. They remained in a mesmeric state for three months, during which they felt their health returning. They were completely cured, with no memory of the intervening period, which had seen winter turn to spring.
• Andrew Jackson Davis: A famed spiritualist and clairvoyant healer, Davis allegedly discovered his abilities during a mesmeric trance. His entourage claimed he could use technical terms of anatomy and physiology, and describe diseases and their remedies with great clarity, despite claiming no prior medical knowledge.

Kreider used these cases to highlight the perceived lack of scientific basis and the reliance on intuition rather than knowledge.

Official Investigations and Commissions

Kreider questioned how intelligent individuals, especially those in the medical profession, could embrace mesmerism. He referenced reports from the French Academies, including investigations ordered by King Louis XVI in 1784. The Royal Academy des Sciences appointed two commissions. The first's report found the claims of animal magnetism to be without merit. A second report from the Royal Society was not published. By 1825, another commission, the Commission of Royal Academy of Medicine of Paris, was formed but failed to conduct scientific studies, and its report was not issued. Kreider viewed these commissions' findings as definitive proof that mesmerism was a fraud, given the caliber of the scientists involved.

The Decline of Mesmerism

John Gideon Millingen, a medical doctor and author, believed that somnambulism was well-authenticated but often a fraudulent trick of animal magnetism. The article describes the peak of mesmerism in Paris in 1780, where the Marquis Chastenet de Puysegur used a magnetized tree for mesmerization. However, the movement eventually entered a period of "decadence," with its propagation involving fashionable young men and women in salons, leading to "ecstasies" and "hysteric attacks."

Conclusion

Kreider's analysis, presented by Randy Alley, concludes that the various commissions and the inherent absurdity of the claims confirmed mesmerism as a fraudulent practice. The article suggests that Kreider felt his own medical studies were almost rendered obsolete by the claims of somnambules who could cure without any scientific understanding.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this article is the critical examination and debunking of mesmerism as a pseudoscience. The editorial stance, as represented by Dr. Kreider's perspective, is one of strong skepticism and a commitment to exposing what is perceived as fraudulent or unscientific medical practices. The article emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and scientific investigation over anecdotal claims and purported supernatural abilities in the field of medicine.