ANIMAL MAGNETISM. 267 



The idea of a magnetic fluid is scarcely tenable ; and 

 the ferruginous nature of the Aurora borealis receives 

 no proof from any investigation ; indeed, we have pro- 

 cured evidence to show that iron is not at all necessary for 

 the production of magnetic phenomena. The leaf of a 

 tree, a flower, fruit, a piece of animal muscle, glass, paper, 

 and a variety of similar substances, have the power of 

 repelling the bar of iron which we call a magnet, and 

 of placing it at right angles to the direction of the force 

 exerted by them. This is a point which must be con- 

 stantly borne in mind when we now consider the 

 mysteries of magnetic phenomena. 



Any two masses of matter act upon each other 

 according to this law, and although by the power of 

 cohesion the force may be brought to an equilibrium, or 

 to its zero point, it is never lost, and may be readily and 

 rapidly manifested by any of the means employed for 

 electrical excitation. 



Reasoning by analogy, the question fairly suggests 

 itself: If two systems of inorganic atomic constitution 

 are thus invested with a power of influencing each other 

 through a distance, why may not two more highly 

 developed organic systems equally, or to a greater ex- 

 tent, produce an influence in like manner ? Upon such 

 reasoning as this is founded the phenomenon known as 

 Animal Magnetism. There is no denying the fact that 

 one mass of blood, muscle, nerves, and bone, must, 

 magnetically, influence another similar mass. This is, 

 however, something totally different from that abnormal 

 condition which is produced through some peculiar and, 

 as yet, unexplained physiological influences. 



With the mysterious operations of vital* action, the 

 forces which we have been considering have nothing 



between two such bodies, the assertion will need proof, and the 

 proof will be hard to find.'*' The above is a translation from. 

 Hansteen's work On Magnetism. 



