BeforeanyattemptatmagnetisationwasmadebyM。Berna，theCommissionersdeterminedtoascertainhowfar，inherordinarystate，shewassensibletopricking。Needlesofamoderatesizewerestuckintoherhandsandneck，tothedepthofhalfaline，andshewasaskedbyMessieursRouxandCaventonwhethershefeltanypain。Sherepliedthatshefeltnothing；neitherdidhercountenanceexpressanypain。TheCommissioners，somewhatsurprisedatthis，repeatedtheirquestion，andinquiredwhethershewasabsolutelyinsensible。Beingthuspressed，sheacknowledgedthatshefeltalittlepain。
　　Thesepreliminarieshavingbeencompleted，M。Bernamadehersitclosebyhim。Helookedsteadfastlyather，butmadenomovementsorpasseswhatever。Afterthelapseofabouttwominutesshefellbackasleep，andM。BernatoldtheCommissionersthatshewasnowinthestateofmagneticsomnambulism。Hethenarose，andagainlookingsteadfastlyatherfromashortdistance，declared，afteranotherminute，thatshewasstruckwithgeneralinsensibility。
　　Toascertainthis，thegirl’seyeshavingbeenpreviouslybandaged，MessieursBouillard，Emery，andDuboisprickedheroneaftertheotherwithneedles。Bywordshecomplainedofnopain；andherfeatures，wherethebandageallowedthemtobeseen，appearedcalmandunmoved。ButM。Duboishavingstuckhisneedleratherdeepunderherchin，sheimmediatelymadewithmuchvivacityamovementofdeglutition。
　　Thisexperimenthavingfailed，M。Bernatriedanother，sayingthathewould，bythesoleandtacitinterventionofhiswill，paralyzeanypartofthegirl’sbodytheCommissionersmightmention。Toavoidthepossibilityofcollusion，M。Duboisdrewupthefollowingconditions:——“ThatM。Bernashouldmaintainthemostperfectsilence，andshouldreceivefromthehandsoftheCommissionerspapers，onwhichshouldbewrittenthepartstobedeprivedofmotionandsensibility，andthatM。Bernashouldletthemknowwhenhehaddoneitbyclosingoneofhiseyes，thattheymightverifyit。Thepartstobedeprivedofsensibilitywerethechin，therightthumb，theregionoftheleftdeltoid，andthatoftherightpatella。“M。
　　Bernawouldnotaccepttheseconditions，givingforhisreasonthatthepartspointedoutbytheCommissionersweretoolimited；that，besides，allthiswasoutofhisprogramme，andhedidnotunderstandwhysuchprecautionsshouldbetakenagainsthim。
　　M。Bernahadwritteninhisprogrammethathewoulddeprivethewholebodyofsensibility，andthenapartonly。Hewouldafterwardsdeprivethetwoarmsofmotion——thenthetwolegs——thenalegandanarm-thentheneck，andlastlythetongue。AlltheevidencehewishedtheCommissionerstohavewasafteraveryunsatisfactoryfashion。Hewouldtellthesomnambulisttoraiseherarm，andifshedidnotraiseit，thelimbwastobeconsideredparalyzed。Besidesthis，theCommissionersweretomakehastewiththeirobservations。Ifthefirsttrialsdidnotsucceed，theyweretoberepeatedtillparalysiswasproduced。“These，“astheCommissionersveryjustlyremarked，“werenotsuchconditionsasmenofscience，whoweretogiveanaccountoftheircommission，couldexactlycomplywith。“Aftersometimespentinafriendlydiscussionofthepoint，M。Bernasaidhecoulddonomoreatthatmeeting。Thenplacinghimselfoppositethegirl，hetwiceexclaimed，“Wake！“Sheawakenedaccordingly，andthesittingterminated。
　　Atthesecondmeeting，M。Bernawasrequestedtoparalyzetherightarmonlyofthegirlbythetacitinterventionofhiswill，ashehadconfidentlyassuredtheCommissionershecould。M。Berna，afterafewmoments，madeasignwithhiseyethathehaddoneso，whenM。
　　Bouillardproceededtoverifythefact。Beingrequestedtomoveherleftarm，shedidso。Beingthenrequestedtomoveherrightleg，shesaidthewholeofherrightsidewasparalyzed——shecouldneithermovearmnorleg。OnthisexperimenttheCommissionersremark:“M。
　　Berna’sprogrammestatedthathehadthepowerofparalyzingeitherasinglelimbortwolimbsatonce，wechoseasinglelimb，andthereresulted，inspiteofhiswill，aparalysisoftwolimbs。“Someotherexperiments，equallyunsatisfactory，weretriedwiththesamegirl。M。
　　Bernawassoonconvincedthatshehadnotstudiedherpartwell，orwasnotcleverenoughtoreflectanyhonouruponthescience，andhethereforedismissedher。Herplacewasfilledbyawoman，agedaboutthirty，alsoofverydelicatehealth；andthefollowingconclusiveexperimentsweretrieduponher:-
　　Thepatientwasthrownintothesomnambulicstate，andhereyescoveredwithabandage。Attheinvitationofthemagnetiser，M。Duboisd’Amienswroteseveralwordsuponacard，thatthesomnambulemightreadthemthroughherbandages，orthroughherocciput。M。DuboiswrotethewordPantagruel，inperfectlydistinctromancharacters；
　　thenplacinghimselfbehindthesomnambule，hepresentedthecardclosetoherocciput。ThemagnetiserwasseatedinfrontofthewomanandofM。Dubois，andcouldnotseethewritinguponthecard。Beingaskedbyhermagnetiserwhatwasbehindherhead，sheanswered，aftersomehesitation，thatshesawsomethingwhite——somethingresemblingacard——avisiting-card。ItshouldberememberedthatM。BernahadrequestedM。Duboisaloudtotakeacardandwriteuponit，andthatthepatientmusthaveheardit，asitwassaidinherpresence。Shewasnextaskedifshecoulddistinguishwhattherewasonthiscard。
　　Shereplied“Yes；therewaswritingonit。“——“Isitsmallorlarge，thiswriting？“inquiredthemagnetiser。“Prettylarge，“repliedshe。
　　“Whatiswrittenonit？“continuedthemagnetiser。“Waitalittle-I
　　cannotseeveryplain。Ah！thereisfirstanM。Yes，itisawordbeginningwithanM。“[Thewomanthoughtitwasavisiting-card，andguessedthatdoubtlessitwouldbeginwiththewordsMonsieurorMadame。]M。Cornac，unknowntothemagnetiser，whoaloneputthequestions，passedaperfectlyblankcardtoM。Dubois，whosubstituteditquietlyfortheoneonwhichhehadwrittenthewordPantagruel。
　　ThesomnambulestillpersistedthatshesawawordbeginningwithanM。Atlast，aftersomeefforts，sheaddeddoubtinglythatshethoughtshecouldseetwolinesofwriting。Shewasstillthinkingofthevisiting-card，withanameinonelineandtheaddressontheother。
　　Manyotherexperimentsofthesamekind，andwithasimilarresult，weretriedwithblankcards；anditwasthendeterminedtotryherwithplaying-cards。M。Bernahadapackofthemonhistable，andaddressingM。Duboisaloud，heaskedhimtotakeoneofthemandplaceitattheocciputofthesomnambule。M。Duboisaskedhimaloudwhetherheshouldtakeacourtcard。“Asyouplease，“repliedthemagnetiser。
　　AsM。Duboiswenttowardsthetable，theideastruckhimthathewouldnottakeeitheracourtoracommoncard，butaperfectlyblankcardofthesamesize。NeitherM。Bernanorthesomnambulewasawareofthesubstitution。Hethenplacedhimselfbehindherasbefore，andheldthecardtoherocciputsothatM。Bernacouldnotseeit。M。Bernathenbegantomagnetiseherwithallhisforce，thathemightsublimateherintothestageofextremelucidity，andeffectuallytransferthepowerofvisiontoherocciput。Shewasinterrogatedastowhatshecouldsee。Shehesitated；appearedtostrugglewithherself，andatlastsaidshesawacard。“Butwhatdoyouseeonthecard？“Afteralittlehesitation，shesaidshecouldseeblackandredthinkingofthecourtcard。
　　TheCommissionersallowedM。Bernatocontinuetheexaminationinhisownway。Aftersomefruitlesseffortstogetamoresatisfactoryanswerfromthesomnambule，heinvitedM。Duboistopasshiscardbeforeherhead，closeagainstthebandagecoveringhereyes。Thishavingbeendone，thesomnambulesaidshecouldseebetter。M。Bernathenbegantoputsomeleadingquestions，andsherepliedthatshecouldseeafigure。Hereupon，therewererenewedsolicitationsfromM。
　　Berna。Thesomnambule，onherpart，appearedtobemakinggreateffortstogleansomeinformationfromhermagnetiser，andatlastsaidthatshecoulddistinguishtheKnave。Butthiswasnotall；itremainedforhertosaywhichofthefourknaves。Inanswertofurtherinquiries，shesaidtherewasblackbythesideofit。Notbeingcontradictedatall，sheimaginedthatshewasintherighttrack；andmade，aftermuchpressing，herfinalguess，thatitwastheKnaveofClubs。
　　M。Berna，thinkingtheexperimentfinished，tookthecardfromthehandsofM。Dubois，andinpresenceofalltheCommissionerssawthatitwasentirelyblank。Blankwashisowndismay。
　　Asalastexperiment，shewastriedwithasilvermedal。Itwaswithverygreatdifficultythatanyanswerscouldbeelicitedfromher。M。Cornacheldtheobjectfirmlyclosedinhishandclosebeforethebandageoverhereyes。Shefirstsaidshesawsomethinground；shethensaiditwasflesh-coloured——thenyellow——thenthecolourofgold。Itwasasthickasanonion:and，inanswertoincessantquestions，shesaiditwasyellowononeside，whiteontheother，andhadblackaboveit。Shewasthinking，apparently，ofagoldwatch，withitswhitedialandblackfiguresforthehours。Solicited，forthelasttime，toexplainherselfclearly——tosay，atleast，theuseoftheobjectanditsname，sheappearedtobeanxioustocollectallherenergies，andthenutteredonlytheword“hour。“Then，atlast，asifsuddenlyillumined，shecriedoutthat“itwastotellthehour。“
　　Thusendedthesitting。SomedifficultiesafterwardsarosebetweentheCommissionersandM。Berna，whowishedthatacopyoftheprocesverbalshouldbegivenhim。TheCommissionerswouldnotagree；andM。
　　Berna，inhisturn，refusedtomakeanyfreshexperiments。Itwasimpossiblethatanyinvestigationcouldhavebeenconductedmoresatisfactorilythanthis。ThereportoftheCommissionerswasquiteconclusive；andAnimalMagnetismsincethatdaylostmuchofitsreputeinFrance。M。Dupotet，withaperseveranceandingenuityworthyabettercause，hasfoundasatisfactoryexcuseforthefailureofM。
　　Berna。Havingtakencareinhisworknottopublishtheparticulars，hemerelymentions，inthreelines，thatM。BernafailedbeforeacommitteeoftheRoyalAcademyofMedicineinanendeavourtoproducesomeofthehighermagneticphenomena。“Thereareavarietyofincidentalcircumstances，“saysthatshininglightofmagnetism，“whichitisdifficulteventoenumerate。Anover-anxietytoproducetheeffects，oranyincidentalsuggestionsthatmaydisturbtheattentionofthemagnetiser，willoftenbesufficienttomarthesuccessfulissueoftheexperiment。“[“IntroductiontotheStudyofAnimalMagnetism，“byBaronDupotetdeSennevoy，London，1838，p。