K 



662 MESMERISM. 



presume that blood would never have been seen flowing up the 

 cava inferior and down the aorta unless Harvey had first taught 

 the circulation ; and I observe that the remedies always depend 

 upon the country and the period, that, in Paris, leeches to the 

 anus and vulva, ptisans, baths of Bareges, and extract of nux 

 vomica if the person has heard of Dr. Fouquier's treatment of 

 paralysis, gummed water and gummed lemonade, diet drinks of 

 borage, and M. Dupuytren's remedy of mercurialised milk 

 procured by milking a goat previously rubbed with mercurial 

 ointment, are ordered : and suppose that calomel, sulphate of 

 magnesia, porter, and port wine would be called for in England ; 

 and that neither quinine for ague, nor iodine for bronchocele, 

 were ever commanded before Pelletan and Dr. Coindet had 

 made known their virtues. 



This state is called hellsehen, clairvoyance , or lucid vision ; and, 

 if the lucidity extends to all objects of space and time, so that 

 things long past relating to others, things passing at a great dis- 

 tance, and things to come, are revealed, it is universal lucidity, or 

 allgemeine klarheit. 



They affirm not only that water can be magnetised so as to 

 taste chalybeate, but inanimate bodies made conductors no less 

 than a chain of persons. 



It was said to have been discovered by Dr. Mesmer, a very 

 glutton in all that was marvellous, in the latter part of the last 

 century, who, knowing that the magnet was much employed as a 

 remedy, and hearing from Hell, a Jesuit, the professor of astro- 

 nomy at Vienna, that he had cured himself by magnetic plates of 

 a severe cardialgia, opened a house for curing every disease in 

 this way, and began to imagine the existence of an universal 

 magnetic power, distinct from that of the common magnet, de- 

 pending upon a fluid pervading all living and inanimate matter, 

 and the source of all in art and nature. To throw this fluid into 

 persons, to magnetise them, he manipulated as we have men- 

 tioned, and employed other processes which are now omitted. 

 He travelled, performed many great cures, and often failed ; was 

 praised, and deservedly abused, for he adopted the course of all 

 quacks, whether regular or irregular practitioners. He depre- 

 ciated others, affected mystery, and extolled himself. He insisted 

 that there was but one health, one disease, and one remedy, which 



