Chapter IV: Part 4

The effects are not less correspondent. There are crises equally frequent, and accompanied by similar symptoms, at the house of M. Deslon and at the house of M. Mesmer; the effects do not therefore belong to the method of an individual, but to the practice of the magnetism in general. The experiments of the commissioners demonstrate that the effects obtained by M. Deslon are due to compression, to imagination and to imitation. These are therefore the causes of the magnetism in general. The observations of the commissioners have convinced them that these convulsive crises and these violent means cannot be useful in medicine any otherwise than as poisons, and they have judged independent of all theory that wherever it shall be the object to excite convulsions they may become habitual and pernicious, they may be epidemically diffused, and even extend to future generations.

The commissioners were of consequence obliged to conclude that not only the measures in a particular mode of proceeding, but the measures of the magnetism in general, might in the end produce the most pernicious effects.

Transcriber’s Note

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Small caps have been converted to ALL CAPS.

Erroneously placed or missing punctuation has been silently corrected.

Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to the end of the book.

The following typographical errors have been changed:

p. 16: “administred” changed to “administered” (have been and are
administered to the diseased)

p. 30: “seness” changed to “senses” (capable of being perceived by
the senses)

p. 33: “difrent” changed to “different” (may be observed in two
different ways)

p. 39: “account account” changed to “account” (giving an exact and
faithful account of their sensations)

p. 84: “hiccuphings” changed to “hiccuppings” (hiccuppings, qualms of
the stomach and purgings)

Footnote 12: “chàteaux” changed to “châteaux” (conducted him without
noise to one of his châteaux)