ART. 15. 



HISTORY OF MEDICINE EXHIBITS WHITEBREAD. 



21 



ritability greatly increased, and variou'S and often remarkable nerv- 

 ous phenomena exhibited. As one of the magic arts it was practiced 

 by tlie ancient Egyptians, Hindus, and Greeks; as a demoniacal pos- 

 session, or a miraculous interposition of Divine Providence, it is 

 familiar in the religious history of eveiy nation and period of time. 

 Friedrich Anton Mesmer. Born in Weil, Germany, in the year 

 1733; died in the year 1815. He gave the name to that form of 

 psychic medicine known as mesmerism or hynotism. At first he ef- 

 fected cures by stroking the diseased parts of the body with magnets. 

 Afterward, with the aid of the mysterious surroundings of the pro- 



FiG. 12. — Mirror IIitnotizer. 



fessed magician, he produced upon his patients the well-known nerv- 

 ous phenomena of hypnotism by a touch, by " passes " with his hands, 

 or even by a look. Though many of his methods were those of the 

 charlatan, yet the effects produced were real, and were attributed by 

 liim to what he called animal magnetism, and not to any form of 

 magic. (See pi. 3.) Cat. No. 1431.51, IT.S.N.M. 



Mirror hypnotizer. — Consists of two wooden ai'ms about 9 inches long, in 

 eacli of which are set circular mirrors, seven on each side. The two arms are 

 made to revolve in opposite directions b.v means of clockworlj. Some subjects 

 are peculiarly susceptible to the dazzling effect of the revolving- mirrors, es- 

 pecially rhose who have been hynotized before. (See "Man and Abnormal 

 Man." Arthur MacDonald, p. 189.) (Fig. 12.) Cat. No. 143.204, U.S.N.M. 



