BaptistaPorta，who，inthewhimsicalgenealogyoftheweapon-salve，givenbyParsonFosterinhisattackuponDr。aFluctibus，ismentionedasoneofitsfathers，hadalsogreatfaithintheefficacyofthemagnet，andoperatedupontheimaginationofhispatientsinamannerwhichwasthenconsideredsoextraordinarythathewasaccusedofbeingamagician，andprohibitedfrompractisingbytheCourtofRome。Amongotherswhodistinguishedthemselvesbytheirfaithinmagnetism，SebastianWirdigandWilliamMaxwellclaimespecialnotice。WirdigwasprofessorofmedicineattheUniversityofRostockinMecklenburgh，andwroteatreatisecalled“TheNewMedicineoftheSpirits，“whichhepresentedtotheRoyalSocietyofLondon。Aneditionofthisworkwasprintedin1673，inwhichtheauthormaintainedthatamagneticinfluencetookplace，notonlybetweenthecelestialandterrestrialbodies，butbetweenalllivingthings。Thewholeworld，hesaid，wasundertheinfluenceofmagnetism:lifewaspreservedbymagnetism；deathwastheconsequenceofmagnetism！
　　Maxwell，theotherenthusiast，wasanadmiringdiscipleofParacelsus，andboastedthathehadirradiatedtheobscurityinwhichtoomanyofthewonder-workingrecipesofthatgreatphilosopherwereenveloped。HisworkswereprintedatFrankfort，in1679。Itwouldseem，fromthefollowingpassage，thathewasawareofthegreatinfluenceofimagination，aswellintheproductionasinthecureofdiseases。“Ifyouwishtoworkprodigies，“sayshe，“abstractfromthematerialityofbeings——increasethesumofspiritualityinbodies——
　　rousethespiritfromitsslumbers。Unlessyoudooneorotherofthesethings——unlessyoucanbindtheidea，youcanneverperformanythinggoodorgreat。“Here，infact，liesthewholesecretofmagnetism，andalldelusionsofasimilarkind:increasethespirituality——rousethespiritfromitsslumbers，orinotherwords，workupontheimagination——inducebeliefandblindconfidence，andyoumaydoanything。Thispassage，whichisquotedwithapprobationbyM。Dupotetinarecentwork[“IntroductiontotheStudyofAnimalMagnetism，“p。318。]asstronglycorroborativeofthetheorynowadvancedbytheanimal-magnetists，isjustthereverse。IftheybelievetheycanworkalltheirwondersbythemeanssodimlyshadowedforthbyMaxwell，whatbecomesoftheuniversalfluidpervadingallnature，andwhichtheypretendtopourintoweakanddiseasedbodiesfromthetipsoftheirfingers？
　　Earlyintheeighteenthcentury，theattentionofEuropewasdirectedtoaveryremarkableinstanceoffanaticism，whichhasbeenclaimedbytheanimalmagnetists，asaproofoftheirscience。TheconvulsionariesofSt。Medard，astheywerecalled，assembledingreatnumbersroundthetomboftheirfavouritesaint，theJansenistpriestParis，andtaughtoneanotherhowtofallintoconvulsions。TheybelievedthatSt。Pariswouldcurealltheirinfirmities；andthenumberofhystericalwomenandweak-mindedpersonsofalldescriptionsthatflockedtothetombfromfarandnearwassogreat，asdailytoblockupalltheavenuesleadingtothespot。Workingthemselvesuptoapitchofexcitement，theywentoffoneaftertheotherintofits，whilesomeofthem，stillinapparentpossessionofalltheirfaculties，voluntarilyexposedthemselvestosufferings，whichonordinaryoccasionswouldhavebeensufficienttodeprivethemoflife。
　　Thescenesthatoccurredwereascandaltocivilizationandtoreligion——astrangemixtureofobscenity，absurdity，andsuperstition。WhilesomewereprayingonbendedkneesattheshrineofSt。Paris，otherswereshriekingandmakingthemosthideousnoises。
　　Thewomenespeciallyexertedthemselves。Ononesideofthechapeltheremightbeseenascoreofthem，allinconvulsions，whileatanotherasmanymore，excitedtoasortoffrenzy，yieldedthemselvesuptogrossindecencies。Someofthemtookaninsanedelightinbeingbeatenandtrampledupon。Oneinparticular，accordingtoMontegre，whoseaccountwequote[DictionnairedesSciencesMedicales——Article“Convulsionnaires，“parMontegre。]wassoenrapturedwiththisillusage，thatnothingbutthehardestblowswouldsatisfyher。Whileafellowofherculeanstrengthwasbeatingherwithallhismightwithaheavybarofiron，shekeptcontinuallyurginghimtorenewedexertion。Theharderhestruckthebettershelikedit，exclaimingallthewhile，“Welldone，brother；welldone；oh，howpleasantitis！
　　whatgoodyouaredoingme！courage，mybrother，courage；strikeharder；strikeharderstill！“Anotherofthesefanaticshad，ifpossible，astillgreaterloveforabeating。CarredeMontgeron，whorelatesthecircumstance，wasunabletosatisfyherwithsixtyblowsofalargesledgehammer。Heafterwardsusedthesameweapon，withthesamedegreeofstrength，forthesakeofexperiment，andsucceededinbatteringaholeinastonewallatthetwenty-fifthstroke。Anotherwoman，namedSonnet，laidherselfdownonared-hotbrazierwithoutflinching，andacquiredforherselfthenicknameofthesalamander；
　　whileothers，desirousofamoreillustriousmartyrdom，attemptedtocrucifythemselves。M。Deleuze，inhiscriticalhistoryofAnimalMagnetism，attemptstoprovethatthisfanaticalfrenzywasproducedbymagnetism，andthatthesemadenthusiastsmagnetisedeachotherwithoutbeingawareofit。AswellmightheinsistthatthefanaticismwhichtemptstheHindoobigottokeephisarmsstretchedinahorizontalpositiontillthesinewswither，orhisfingerscloseduponhispalmstillthenailsgrowoutofthebacksofhishands，isalsoaneffectofmagnetism！
　　Foraperiodofsixtyorseventyyears，magnetismwasalmostwhollyconfinedtoGermany。Menofsenseandlearningdevotedtheirattentiontothepropertiesoftheloadstone；andoneFatherHell，ajesuit，andprofessorofastronomyattheUniversityofVienna，renderedhimselffamousbyhismagneticcures。Abouttheyear1771or1772，heinventedsteelplatesofapeculiarform，whichheappliedtothenakedbody，asacureforseveraldiseases。Intheyear1774，hecommunicatedhissystemtoAnthonyMesmer。ThelatterimprovedupontheideasofFatherHell，constructedanewtheoryofhisown，andbecamethefounderofANIMALMAGNETISM。
　　IthasbeenthefashionamongtheenemiesofthenewdelusiontodecryMesmerasanunprincipledadventurer，whilehisdiscipleshaveextolledhimtotheskiesasaregeneratorofthehumanrace。Innearlythesamewords，astheRosicruciansappliedtotheirfounders，hehasbeencalledthediscovererofthesecretwhichbringsmanintomoreintimateconnexionwithhisCreator；thedelivererofthesoulfromthedebasingtrammelsoftheflesh；themanwhoenablesustosettimeatdefiance，andconquertheobstructionsofspace。Acarefulsiftingofhispretensions——andexaminationoftheevidencebroughtforwardtosustainthem，willsoonshowwhichopinionisthemorecorrect。Thatthewriterofthesepagesconsidershiminthelightofaman，whodeludinghimself，wasthemeansofdeludingothers，maybeinferredfromhisfindingaplaceinthesevolumes，andfiguringamongtheFlamels，theAgrippas，theBorris，theBoehmens，andtheCagliostros。
　　HewasborninMay1734，atMersburg，inSwabia，andstudiedmedicineattheUniversityofVienna。Hetookhisdegreesin1766，andchosetheinfluenceoftheplanetsonthehumanbodyasthesubjectofhisinauguraldissertation。Havingtreatedthematterquiteinthestyleoftheoldastrologicalphysicians，hewasexposedtosomeridiculeboththenandafterwards。Evenatthisearlyperiodsomefaintideasofhisgreattheoryweregerminatinginhismind。Hemaintainedinhisdissertation，“thatthesun，moon，andfixedstarsmutuallyaffecteachotherintheirorbits；thattheycauseanddirectinourearthafluxandrefluxnotonlyinthesea，butintheatmosphere，andaffectinasimilarmannerallorganizedbodiesthroughthemediumofasubtileandmobilefluid，whichpervadestheuniverseandassociatesallthingstogetherinmutualintercourseandharmony。“Thisinfluence，hesaid，wasparticularlyexercisedonthenervoussystem，andproducedtwostateswhichhecalledintensionandremission，whichseemedtohimtoaccountforthedifferentperiodicalrevolutionsobservableinseveralmaladies。Wheninafter-lifehemetwithFatherHell，hewasconfirmedbythatperson’sobservationsinthetruthofmanyofhisownideas。HavingcausedHelltomakehimsomemagneticplates，hedeterminedtotryexperimentswiththemhimselfforhisfurthersatisfaction。
　　Hetriedaccordingly，andwasastonishedathissuccess。Thefaithoftheirwearersoperatedwonderswiththemetallicplates。MesmermadeduereportstoFatherHellofallhehaddone，andthelatterpublishedthemastheresultsofhisownhappyinvention，andspeakingofMesmerasaphysicianwhomhehademployedtoworkunderhim。
　　Mesmertookoffenceatbeingthustreated，consideringhimselfafargreaterpersonagethanFatherHell。Heclaimedtheinventionashisown，accusedHellofabreachofconfidence，andstigmatizedhimasameanperson，anxioustoturnthediscoveriesofotherstohisownaccount。Hellreplied，andaveryprettyquarrelwastheresult，whichaffordedsmalltalkformonthstotheliteratiofVienna。Hellultimatelygainedthevictory。Mesmer，nothingdaunted，continuedtopromulgatehisviews，tillhestumbledatlastupontheanimaltheory。
　　OneofhispatientswasayoungladynamedOesterline，whosufferedunderaconvulsivemalady。Herattackswereperiodical，andattendedbyarushofbloodtothehead，followedbydeliriumandsyncope。Thesesymptomshesoonsucceededinreducingunderhissystemofplanetaryinfluence，andimaginedhecouldforetelltheperiodsofaccessionandremission。Havingthusaccountedsatisfactorilytohimselffortheoriginofthedisease，theideastruckhimthathecouldoperateacertaincure，ifhecouldascertainbeyonddoubtwhathehadlongbelieved，thatthereexistedbetweenthebodieswhichcomposeourglobe，anactionequallyreciprocalandsimilartothatoftheheavenlybodies，bymeansofwhichhecouldimitateartificiallytheperiodicalrevolutionsofthefluxandrefluxbeforementioned。Hesoonconvincedhimselfthatthisactiondidexist。WhentryingthemetallicplatesofFatherHell，hethoughttheirefficacydependedontheirform；buthefoundafterwardsthathecouldproducethesameeffectswithoutusingthematall，merelybypassinghishandsdownwardstowardsthefeetofthepatient——evenwhenataconsiderabledistance。
　　ThiscompletedthetheoryofMesmer。HewroteanaccountofhisdiscoverytoallthelearnedsocietiesofEurope，solicitingtheirinvestigation。TheAcademyofSciencesatBerlinwastheonlyonethatansweredhim，andtheiranswerwasanythingbutfavourabletohissystemorflatteringtohimself。Stillhewasnotdiscouraged。Hemaintainedtoallwhowouldlistentohimthatthemagneticmatter，orfluid，pervadedalltheuniverse——thateveryhumanbodycontainedit，andcouldcommunicatethesuperabundanceofittoanotherbyanexertionofthewill。WritingtoafriendfromVienna，hesaid，“I
　　haveobservedthatthemagneticisalmostthesamethingastheelectricfluid，andthatitmaybepropagatedinthesamemanner，bymeansofintermediatebodies。Steelisnottheonlysubstanceadaptedtothispurpose。Ihaverenderedpaper，bread，wool，silk，stones，leather，glass，wood，men，anddogs——inshort，everythingItouched，magnetictosuchadegreethatthesesubstancesproducedthesameeffectsastheloadstoneondiseasedpersons。Ihavechargedjarswithmagneticmatterinthesamewayasisdonewithelectricity。“