4Q6 J U G G 
niarks of her teeth in it. Now, the commiffioners ob¬ 
serve, thefe two women were never touched, not even their 
pulfe felt. A more clear and demonftrative proof of the 
power and agency of the imagination could not have been 
afforded them. It may be added, however, that one of 
thefe women, being fent to M. Lavpifier’s, actually fell 
into the crilis in the antichamber, before fhe had feen ei¬ 
ther M. Deilon or any of the commiffioners ; but fne knew 
that the was to meet them there. While fhe was alone in 
the antichamber, a fliort time afterwards, different perfons 
went to her who had no connection with magnetifrn, and 
the convulfive motions began again. They remarked to 
her that no one magnetifed her; but fo much was her 
imagination excited, that flie replied, “If you did nothing 
to me, I fhould not be in this condition. 1 ’ She knew in 
fact that (lie came there for the purpofe of being the fub- 
jeft of experiment; and the approach of any one, or the 
leaft noife, attracted her attention, recalled the idea of 
magnetifrn, and produced a frefh acceffion of convulfions. 
It is unneceflary to carry this detail of faCts any farther. 
jSIo experimental inquiry could have been more ably pro- 
fecuted, and no philosophical truth more clearly deve¬ 
loped, than that the mere operation of the imagination is 
Sufficient to produce all thole great and extraordinary 
changes in the animal economy, which were afcribed to 
an hypothetical agent in nature, which was termed mag¬ 
net! fni. 
But the imagination muff not be too often trifled with, 
as the mod fatal confequences may enfue. The Hijloire de 
la Societe de Mcdecinc for 1784 and 173$, (Paris,) affords a 
very pertinent caution to thofe who might be prompted 
by idle curiofity to throw themfelves into the vortex of 
animal magnetifrn. M. Geoffroy, dating the dif'eales that 
were prevalent in the month of September 1784, met with 
two incidents which clearly manifeft that Such curiofity 
is not void of danger. The firll cafe is of a lady, aged 
about 37, of a delicate conftitution, and of great fenlibi- 
lity, who was induced by curiofity, to pay a vifit to M. 
Teflon ; and was perl’uaded by the partifans of animal 
magnetifrn to fubmit to the operation, in order to remove 
the remains of fome obdruftions, with which it was faid 
flte had been formerly attacked. She was thrown into 
convulfions, which continued for feveral hours. Perfever- 
ing, for the fpace of three months, in fubmiflion to the 
lame treatment, her convulfions finally became fo perpe¬ 
tual, that fhe could no longer be conveyed to M. Deflon’s 
lioufe; but, notwithdanding fhe was obliged to dilcon- 
tinue the operation, her convulfions increafed ; flie be¬ 
came delirious, and an obfiinate fpafm of the cefophagus 
impeded deglutition. I11 this date M. Geoffroy vifited 
her; but every application was in vain : fhe fell a facrifice 
to her folly on the fourth day after his attendance. The 
Second inftance rel'peCts a lady who had perfevered in the 
ufe of magnetifrn for the fpace of three years, with unre¬ 
mitted enthuflafm, defpifing the aid of every phyfician ; 
and who was at length reduced to a fituation fimilar to 
the preceding. Her hufband dated the particulars of her 
cafe to M. Baigneries, his phyfician. According to this 
narrative, the lady was regularly thrown into convulfions, 
•which continued for feveral hours; nor was flie perfectly 
free in the feafons of reniiflion : flie had a flow fever re- 
fembling the heCtic, and the fpafins in her throat were fo 
confiderable, that fhe fwallowed the blanded fluids with 
great difficulty. She was emaciated, and reduced to the 
lad ftage of a marafrnus. 
Driven from Paris, the jugglers foon found their way 
to England. In the year 1785, Dr. de Mainauduc, pub- 
liflied in London his Propofals to the Ladies, for eftablilhing 
an Hygicean Society. In this paper, the doClor informs 
us, “ That M. Mel’mer revived the fcience of animal 
magnetifm from the allies of the ancients; that, being in 
France when it was the general topic of converfation, he 
applied to M. Mefmer for inltruttions ; that he offered 
that gentleman two hundred guineas for his fecret, but 
had the mortification of being refilled ; that this event. 
LING. 
though mortifying at the tame, proved in the end a for¬ 
tunate one, as it procured him the acquaintance of Dr. 
Deflon ; that Dr. Deflon, being oppoled by the faculty in 
France, applied for conimiflioners to inlpeCt his treatment, 
and to report what they fhould obferve worthy notice ; 
that the commiffioners, though men of great edimation 
for perfpicuity of judgment, made a very unfavourable re¬ 
port,” as we have jail feen. The dottor adds, “That 
the perfecuted fubjeCt gained ground, and began to rife, 
under the indefatigable labours of Dr. Deflon, and a few 
others, from the crude ftate in which M. Mefmer left it, 
to that fuperior one to which it is now arrived, though 
Hill far fliort of what it will be brought to ; that there is 
fcarcely a town in France where it does not at this inltant 
flourifh, and fcarcely a corner of the globe in which it is 
not introducing ; that this accounts for Dr. de Mainau- 
due’s prefence in England, and for the Heps he has taken ; 
that he is happy in the character and reflection of being 
th ejirji who dared, in England, to flem the torrent of op- 
pofition, in a caufe which, from its own nature and pur¬ 
port, will foon need little aififtance to fupport i til If." 
“This, ladies,” continues Dr. de Mainauduc, “'is the Sub¬ 
ject I beg leave to addrefs to you. As this method of 
curing each other is not confined to lex, or to college- 
education, and the fair fex being in general the meft 
fympathifing part of the creation, and moil immediately 
concerned in the health and care of its offspring, I think 
myfelf bound in gratitude to you, ladies, for the partia¬ 
lity you have fliown me in the line of midwifery, to con¬ 
tribute, as far as lies in my power, to render you addi¬ 
tionally ufeful and valuable to the community. With this 
view, I purpofe immediately to form an Hygicean Society,, 
to be incorporated with that of Paris. As loon as twenty 
ladies have given in their names, the day (hall be ap¬ 
pointed for the firll meeting at my lioufe, where they are 
to pay fifteen guineas each; which will include the whole 
expence.”" 
The doCtor foon after publifhed a treatife, under the 
name of Veritas, in which we have a long account of 
cures and conjectures. In his pompous preface, he tells 
us, “ that animal magnetifm will flourilh in every corner 
of the world ; and that it will be received among the other 
improvements in the healing art, there can be no doubt ; 
and where,” lays the doCtor, “ fo likely as in this happy 
foil, where liberty, the encourager of improvements, and 
emulation, that radiant character of a Briton, hurries on 
to perfection! The only danger is, that fome unlkilled in 
the knowledge of dif'eales, and of the means of conduc¬ 
ing a patient through a crilis, may Hart into impolition 
on the public, and repeat, by his ignorance, the flab 
which animal magnetifm received from another caufe. 
Magnetifm is not a plaything for fools : but what it is, I fhali 
referve for a future publication.” If this was ever in¬ 
tended, it feems to have been given up ; for, in a paper 
which Dr. de Mainauduc calls “ The Terms for Induc¬ 
tions, Treatment, and Conl'ultation,” we find that what he 
there profeffes to teach is “ totally unconnected with ani¬ 
mal magnetifm, with eleClricity, and with the theories of 
Mefmer, and of every fociety or publication whati'oever.” 
This non-defeript fcience was to be taught on the follow¬ 
ing terms: “ For each courl'e of inftruCtions, from twenty- 
five guineas to one hundred and fifty guineas. The fub- 
J'eription to be paid when the name is given in. For treatment 
and conl'ultations, from one guinea to fifteen guineas. 
Each month's treatment to be paid for at its commencement." 
The rapid manner in which magnetilts multiplied at 
this time may feem incredible, Mainauduc fays, in 1785, 
that Mefmer had taught his fecret to three hundred difei- 
ples ; and that, in the fame year, Deflon had inftruCted 
one hundred and fixty phyficians. He alfo informs us, 
that an infinite number of people have, either by their 
own ftudies, or from inftmClions given them by others, 
not only acquired a knowledge of, but praCtifed, this me¬ 
thod ; lo that a general prohibition would be impractica¬ 
ble. Surrounded with fuch (warms of magnetilts, a few 
3 only, 
