NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 9MESMER (with his back
turned) conducts a therapy
session in Paris, employing
a large ellipticalbaquet.A HEALING
VESSELMESMERbelieved that animal
magnetism “could be stored up
and concentrated, like electric
fluid.” To practice his technique,
he invented thebaquet,a wooden
vessel that he filled with “magne-
tized water” and attached ropes
and metal rods, each with a mag-
net at its base. Only one baquet
survives to this day (below); it is
housed in the Museum of Medi-
cine and Pharmacy, Lyon, France.The nine-member committee—which
included American inventor and states-
man Benjamin Franklin, astronomer Jean
Bailly, chemist Antoine Lavoisier, and
physician Joseph Guillotin—evaluated
Mesmer protégé Dr. Charles d’Eslon. The
committee’s purpose was to examine the
practice of animal magnetism in general,
not the methods of an individual practi-
tioner. After testing the contents of the
baquet, observing group treatment ses-
sions, and undergoing treatment them-
selves, the committee concluded that
Mesmer’s theory of animal magnetism
was “destitute of foundation,” as it was
impossible to prove the existence of a flu-
id that lacked taste, color, or scent. When
the commission’s report was published,
Mesmer lost much of the public’s support
and became the scorned subject of satires.
He left Paris, living in relative obscurity
until his death in 1815.Healing Powers
The commission had focused on wheth-
er Mesmer had discovered a new type of
universal fluid, not on whether a patient’s
symptoms were alleviated or cured. To
that end, they acknowledged that the
power of suggestion on the imagination
could have therapeutic value. Benjamin
Franklin agreed with d’Eslon’s proposi-
tion that “If Mesmer had no other secret
than that of making the imagination act
to produce health, would not that be a
marvelous benefit?” Astounded by the
patients’ responses during the group
therapy sessions, the committee wrote,
“All submit to the magnetizer... even
though they appear to be asleep, his voice,
a look, a signal pulls them out of it... one
cannot help but acknowledge the pres-
ence of a great power which moves and
controls patients, and which resides in
the magnetizer.”More than 200 years later, this de-
scription of Mesmer and his treatment
style have become part of the modern
lexicon. Webster’s defines animal mag-
netism as “a magnetic charm or appeal”
and mesmerize as “to subject to mesmer-
ism, also hypnotize... spellbind.”
Mesmer’s theory, much like the man
himself, was mystical and complex.
But in an era that offered sometimes
rather toxic and harsh medical treat-
ments, and which could often be as
deadly to the patient as the disease it-
self, Mesmer provided calming and
innocuous therapy. He understood
how inducing a suggestive mental state
could alleviate pain or afflictions, psy-
chosomatic or otherwise. His tech-
nique remains the basis of the modern
practice of therapeutic hypnosis.—Antonio FernándezJOSSE/SCALA, FLORENCEALAMY/ACI