on the actual Stale of Magnetism in Germamj. OGl 



diviuuals who have recourse to the baquet, more or less strongly, 

 as thev niav be more or less sensible of magnetic action. I 

 should repeat what has been said a thousand times, were I to 

 attempt here to detail the course of those phaenomena which, 

 notwithstanding an infinity of hypotheses, are still ineomprehen- 

 eible. 



To convince oneself of their reality, a transitory visit, a super- 

 ficial view, is not sufficient : — an attentive examination, impartial 

 researches, and observations closely followed up, are necessary to 

 give this conviction. Had Mr. F., in his examination of this, 

 exercised the same impartiality of which he has given proofs in 

 other branches of science, he could not have stated the cases 

 with the want of accuracy so evident in his letter : he would 

 not have permitted himself to criticize so unjustly; he would 

 not have endeavoured to deter the physicians of France from 

 making trial of a means of cure, whicli, under their direction, 

 would pro<hice results the most advantageous to the progress of 

 physiology and of the art of healing. 



Mr. Wolfart's institution has existed, as I have already said, 

 above ten years, and his practice has gradually increased. Most 

 of his patients are individuals who had already exhausted all the 

 resources of medicine; — yet this servesonly to enhance the value 

 of that agent of nature of which the powers are but beginning 

 to be known, and to increase our respect for those physiciatis 

 who are willing to study them and superintend their effects. Mr. 

 Wolfart's success has been very greet: and as his experiments 

 have Iieen multiplied, the confidence of the public has increased; 

 and the number of the sick who have resorted to his treatment 

 has become so considerable in these last years, that he found 

 himself under the necessity of sending some of these patients to 

 other gentlemen of the faculty who have established treatments 

 fimilar to his own. As to the result of the numerous experi- 

 ments made by Mr.Wolfart, the method he follows, the theories 

 bv which he explains these effects, — it is to him we look for a 

 detail of these, which he will not delay any longer than until the 

 I.ibours which he has undertaken shall aflford him leisure : — to 

 anticipate the explanations he intends to offer, would be both 

 haz.ardous and indiscreet. 



To one assertion of Mr. F. I must however reply in this |)lace, 

 because it might give ground for a serious attack on Mr. Wol 

 fart's system. It is, that this gentleman prescribes and distri- 

 butes medicines to his patients — so that the salutary effects of his 

 treatment ought to be attributed to these common remedies, and 

 not to magnetism. In the first place, these remedies are very 

 simple, and have for the most part been employed only to ac- 

 quire 



