AMONG the leading doctors of Paris, Mesmer had one firm friend in Dr. Deslon, a court physician of unprejudiced mind and wide reputation. Dr. Deslon firmly believed in Mesmer, and took a keen interest in his experiments. He was by no means satisfied with the attitude of the Royal Society of Medicine towards him, and persuaded him to make one more effort to gain their attention.
Mesmer therefore selected six new cases and asked the Royal Society of Medicine to examine them. Only three of its members, Drs. Bertram, Maloet, and Sollier, responded to his appeal. They did not deny the cures, but refused to certify them as conclusive. "Nature,” they said, "often cures without the help of man." Mesmer thereupon begged these three to select some patients themselves. This they refused to do. They could not be present, they said, during the months of treatment, and
therefore they could not be sure that the usual medicines were not given. Their faith in "the usual medicines " appears rather pathetic considered in conjunction with their belief that Nature often does the work popularly supposed to be done by the doctors.
Dr. Deslon, however, was not discouraged by these refusals. Shortly after this he brought Mesmer's famous "Twenty-seven Propositions" before a meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine.
In these brief axioms Mesmer's main doctrines are summarised. They are as follows:—
1. There exists a reciprocal influence between the heavenly bodies, the earthy and animated bodies.
2. A fluid universally diffused, and so continuous as not to admit of any vacuum, and the subtlety of which does not allow of any comparison, and which by its nature is capable of receiving, propagating, and communicating all impulses, is the vehicle of that influence.
3. This reciprocal action is governed by mechanical laws, at present unknown.
4. From this action there result alternative effects, which may be considered as a flux and reflux.
5. That flux and reflux is more or less general,
more or less particular, more or less composite, according to the nature of the causes that determine it.
6. It is by this operation, the most universal of those that Nature presents to us, that active relations are established between the heavenly bodies, the earth, and its constituent parts.
7. The properties of matter and of organized bodies depend upon this operation.
8. The animal body experiences the alternative effects of this agent; and it is by insinuating itself into the substance of the nerves that it directly affects them.
9. Properties similar to those of the magnet are found in the human body; different and opposite poles can be distinguished, which can be excited, changed, destroyed, or reinforced; even the phenomena of attraction and repulsion are observed in it.
10. The property of the animal body, which makes it susceptible to the influence of the heavenly bodies, and to the reciprocal action of those that surround it, has led me, from its analogy with the magnet, to call it Animal Magnetism.
11. The action and virtue of Animal Magnetism, thus characterised, can be communicated to other bodies, both animate and inanimate. Both are more or less susceptible.
12. This action and this power can be reinforced and propagated by the same bodies.
13. The flow of a matter whose subtlety penetrates all bodies without losing perceptibly its activity can be observed experimentally.
14. Its action takes place at a great distance, without the aid of any intermediary body.
15. It is augmented and reflected by mirrors like light.
16. It is communicated, propagated, and augmented by sound.
17. This magnetic virtue can be accumulated, concentrated, and transported.
18. I have said that animated bodies are not equally susceptible. There are some, though this is very rare, that have an opposite property, so that their mere presence destroys all the effects of this magnetism in other bodies.
19. The opposite property also penetrates other bodies; it can be communicated, propagated, accumulated, concentrated, and transported; reflected in mirrors, and propagated by sound; which shows that it is not a mere privation, but a positive opposing influence.
20. The magnet, whether natural or artificial, is, like other bodies, susceptible of Animal Magnetism, and even of the opposing virtue, without in either case its action on the iron, or needle,
undergoing any alteration; which proves that the principle of Animal Magnetism differs essentially from magnetism of the mineral kind.
21. This system will furnish new ideas about the nature of fire and light, and throw light upon the theory of attraction, of flux and reflux, of the magnet and of electricity.
22. It will show that the magnet and artificial electricity have an effect on maladies similar to that of several other natural agents; and if some useful effects have come from their employment, those effects are due to Animal Magnetism.
23. It will be recognised from the facts, according to rules which I will establish, that this principle will cure immediately all diseases of the nerves, and mediately all other diseases.
24. With its assistance the physician is enlightened as to the use of medicaments; can improve their action; and can bring on and direct beneficent crises, so as to make himself their master.
25. In communicating my method, I will demonstrate, by a new theory of diseases, the universal utility of the principle I oppose to them.
26. With this knowledge, the physician will judge with certainty as to the origin, the nature, and the progress of diseases, even the most complicated; he will check their advance, and will
succeed in curing them without ever exposing the patient to dangerous effects or unfortunate consequences, whatever be his age, temperament, or sex. Even women in pregnancy and childbirth will enjoy the same advantage.
27. Finally the doctrine will put the physician in a position to judge accurately the degree of health of each person, and to preserve him from diseases to which he might be exposed. The healing art will thus attain to the utmost perfection.
These strange doctrines proved too much for the Royal Society of Medicine. Its members were in no mood to sit at the feet of Mesmer. On September 18th, 1780, they rejected them in full and pronounced a decree depriving any qualified doctor ("doctor-regent") of his diploma who advocated or practised Animal Magnetism.