212 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
CONVERSAZIONE. 
(Ist October, 1885.) 
For an account of this, see the Report of the Secretaries. 
THEORIES OF MESMERISM AND COGNATE 
PHENOMENA. 
SYLLABUS OF PAPER BY J. RICE. 
(Read 15th October, 1885.) 
MersmMeERIsM an ancient art. Its modern expositor, Dr. Anton 
Mesmer, a physician of Vienna. Mesmer’s definitions. Those of 
later writers. All concurring that its phenomena are caused by 
‘animal magnetism, an tmponderable fluid resembling the electric 
fluid.” Issue joined here. Modern science repudiates ‘ impon- 
derable fluids,” and acknowledges no electric fluéd, but only electric 
energy. Question: Are mesmeric phenomena objective or sub- 
jective? The methods of modern mesmerisers. How far the 
operator’s will, or any force supposed to reside in his organism, are 
causative factors? Analogy of the phenomena to trance and to 
the antics of the Jumpers of Maine. 
Reichenbach’s theory of “Od.” Muscle reading. Thought 
reading. Nerve reading. Thought a special molecular condition 
of brain, The theory that such molecular condition may be 
transmitted from one brain to another by means other than the 
ordinary channels of the senses. The principles laid down as 
governing such transmission. 
