FRANZ ANTON M E SM E R

His Life and Teaching

By
R . B. IN GE
" In scientific truth there is no finality, and
there should therefore be no dogmatism.
When this is forgotten, then science will
become stagnant, and its high-priests will
endeavour to strangle new learning at its
birth."R. A. GREGORY.
LONDON
WILLIA M R IDE R & S O N , LTD.
8-11 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.4
1920
CONTENTS
PASS
CHAPTER I
EARLY THEORY AND PRACTICE . . 7
CHAPTER H
M ADEM OIS EL L E PARAD IS . . .13
CHAPTER HI
M ES M ER IN PARIS . . . .17
CHAPTER IV
M ESM ER'S FIGHT WITH THE DOCTORS .21
CHAPTER V
M ESM ER AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OR
M EDICINE . . . .27
CHAPTER VI
M ESM ER AND M ARIE ANTOINETTE . .33
6
6
CONTENTS
CHAPTER VII
THE ROYAL COMMISSIONS
CHAPTER VIII
MESMER M RETIREMENT
CHAPTER IX
MESMER'S THEORY
CHAPTER X
MESMER'S METHOD
CHAPTER XI
FAXLTOE OB SUCCESS ? .
F R A N Z A N T O N M E S M E R
CHA PT E R I
E A R LY T HE O R Y A N D PR A CT ICE
S UCH is the apathy prevailing, even at the
present day, concerning the science of which
mesmerism treats that comparatively few
people are interested in the life of the man
who gave his name to this studyFranz Anton
Mesmer.
Mesmer was born on May 23rd, 1734, at
Iznang, in the parish of Weiler, on the Lake
of Constance, where he was christened Fran-
ciscus Antonius. Little is known of his child-
hood and youth beyond the fact that he received
a good education, studied medicine, and took
his degree at the University of Vienna in 1766.
For the subject of his inaugural dissertation
he chose the influence of the planets on the
human body (De Planetarum Influxu). The
theory to which he devoted his life was already
germinating in his mind. In this essay he
7
8 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
maintained that "the sun, moon and fixed
stars mutually affect each other in their orbits;
that they cause and direct on earth a flux
and reflux, not only in the sea, but in the
atmosphere, and affect in similar manner all
organised bodies through the medium of a
subtle and mobile fluid, which pervades the
universe, and associates all things together
in mutual intercourse and harmony." This
theory, it should be remarked, bears a striking
resemblance to the theory of the ether of space
held by certain of the scientists of to-day.
While studying at the University of Vienna
Mesmer made the acquaintance of Professor
Hehl, a Jesuit and professor of astronomy at
the University. Professor Hehl was interested
in the theory advanced by Mesmer in his essay.
He had himself been experimenting with mag-
nets, and he believed that certain forms of
disease could be cured by their use.
Professor Hehl sent Mesmer some magnets
to try on a patient of his. Mesmer applied
them to the feet and heart, and a cure resulted,
followed by relapses which were quickly cured
by the same means. Hehl published an account
of this cure and claimed it as his own. Mesmer
resented this and a quarrel was the result, Hehl
becoming Mesmer's irreconcilable enemy.
EARLY THEORY AND PRACTICE 9
Shortly afterwards Mesmer happened to be
present when a patient was being bled. It
was on this occasion that he first entertained
the belief that there is magnetism of some kind
residing in the human body. He noticed that
the flow of blood differed in amount according
as he approached or receded. From this time
he began to discard the use of steel magnets
in his practice and relied mainly on the human
hand.
Previous to this Mesmer had attained some
notoriety owing to his treatment of Baron
Hareczky for spasms of the throat. The Baron
had consulted the leading physicians of Vienna,
but without benefit. One of the doctors, Van
Haen, suggested to the Baron to try Mesmer's
treatment, although, he admitted, he had no
faith in it himself. Mesmer was therefore in-
vited to the Baron's castle of Rohow, in Austria,
Mesmer, relying at that time mainly on the
use of magnets, took his magnetic apparatus
with him. The news of his coming spread
widely in the neighbourhood, and Mesmer
found a large number of patients waiting for
him.
From these he selected such as he considered
were nervously afflicted cases; the others he
recommended to the doctors or wrote prescrip-
10 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
tions for them himself. Among well-attested
cures performed by Mesmer at Rohow was that
of a young Jew suffering from phthisis. Mes-
mer treated him, with the result that the
sufferer, after a strong convulsion, was seized
with vomiting. His condition under treatment
steadily improved. A year later he was quite
well. In his own words, spoken in a chance
meeting with a friend, " I have taken nothing,
and yet now I am always fresh, lively, and
healthy as a fish."
But the Baron, on whose behalf Mesmer had
come to Rohow, did not appear to make pro-
gress, despite the use of electricity and magnets.
Baron Hareczky experienced no sensations of
any kind under treatment and was in despon-
dent mood. On the sixth evening, while treat-
ing him, Mesmer exclaimed, " Patience. You
will soon feel something assuredly." Next day
the Baron continued as usual. In the evening
Mesmer warned the Countess that she had
better fortify herself to bear the occurrences
of the morrow. She had, however, no belief
in Mesmer and placed no reliance on his words.
The following day, about eight o'clock in the
morning, there was confusion in the castle.
The Baron was in violent delirium. Be be-
sought everyone to shoot him and put him
EARLY THEORY AND PRACTICE 11
out of his misery. He swore frightfully at
Mesmer. The Countess ran up and down
wringing her hands. "Ah,"she cried, "that
cursed Mesmer will send my husband to the
grave." A note was despatched to the family
physician, Dr. Ungerhoffer, begging him to
come at once to the castle. Amid all the hubbub
the only person who appeared quite unper-
turbed was Mesmer. He sat by the bedside
holding the Baron's hand. The doctor, he
said, had better be asked to bring two doses
of cremor tartari with him. Nothing else would
be required, as the Baron would certainly be
up and about before his arrival. Mesmer then
let go the Baron's hand and held him by the
foot. The paroxysms thereupon gradually
abated. Then Mesmer took him by the hand
again, whereupon the paroxysms returned.
Having continued his alternate magnetisms for
a little while, Mesmer desisted. When Dr.
Ungerhoffer arrived, about noon, he found the
Baron in his usual health, playing the violin.
Dr. Ungerhoffer attributed the fever to
chance coincidence ; Mesmer maintained that,
had there been no magnetism, there would have
been no fever.
Two or three days later Mesmer desired to
magnetise the Baron again. After much re-
12 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
sistance the Baron consented. Bnt as soon as
the symptoms began to show themselves he
sprang out of bed. "Rather than endure such
torment," he said, "I will keep my spasm
lor ever."
In face of this resistance Mesmer could do
nothing more. Had he continued, he main-
tained that the cure would have been complete.
Finding the Baron obdurate, he decided to leave
the castle.
Just as he was taking his departure the
Countess found him holding a peasant lad by
both ears. "What is the matter with you ? "
she asked. "Six weeks ago,"the boy replied,
"I lost my hearing in a great wind, and this
gentleman is giving it back to me again.'*
Mesmer then walked down to his carriage
and took his leave.
CHAPTER II
MADEMOISELLE PARADIS
AFTEB a tour in Switzerland in 1776, Mesmer
returned to Vienna. His fame was already
considerable, and his unorthodox methods had
aroused the active hostility of the Medical
Faculty. Mesmer's patients were drawn chiefly
from desperate cases which the doctors had
failed to cure. Many remarkable successes were
reported. These the orthodox practitioners
denied. They were by no means satisfied that
"a charlatan,"as they called Mesmer, should
bring their own methods into disrepute. Baron
von Stoerck, President of the Faculty of Vienna,
and First Physician to the Emperor, advised
Mesmer not to make his discovery public, lest
he should incur the enmity of the profession.
This advice came somewhat late, since Mesmer
was already well hated by his professional
brethren. They laughed at his theory and
denied his practice, adopting the tactics which
they have used, in similar circumstances, since
13
14 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
the days of iEsculapius. They refused to ex-
amine his patients before treatment began, and
afterwards denied that there had been any
serious illness. Mesmer, however, had the
courage of his opinions, and refused to be
silenced or ignored. He considered the pursuit
of truth to be of more value than professional
reputation.
His final encounter with the medical men of
Vienna was brought about by his treatment of
a gifted young pianist, Mademoiselle Paradis.
Mademoiselle Paradis, a protegee of the
Empress Maria Theresa, from whom she received
a pension, had lost her eyesight from paralysis
of the optic nerve. Having undergone treat-
ment from the leading physicians of Vienna
without benefit, she was placed under the care
of Mesmer.
After a brief treatment from Mesmer Made-
moiselle Paradis was able to distinguish the
outlines of articles brought near her. At first
her returning sense of vision was very sensitive.
If a lighted candle was held near her eyes, even
though bound by a thick cloth, the effect upon
her sight was as a flash of lightning. The
appearance of the human form, seen for the
first time, distressed her greatly. The nose on
the human countenance moved her to laughter.
MADEMOISELLE PARADIS 16
Speaking of noses, "They seem,"she said, "to
threaten me, as though they would bore my
eyes out."
At first she found it of the utmost difficulty
to remember the names of colours. The rela-
tive distances of objects puzzled her so that
she was afraid to move about freely as formerly.
Her improving sight also occasioned her
difficulty in playing the piano. Whereas, when
she was blind, she could execute the most diffi-
cult movements, she now found it no easy task
to play even the simplest piece. Her eyes per-
sisted in following her fingers as they moved
over the keys, with the result that she was
continually missing the notes.
The case of Mademoiselle Paradis became
something like a cause celebre in the medical
circles of Vienna. Despite the obvious facts,
the doctors who had treated her without success
denied that any improvement of sight had taken
place. Mademoiselle Paradis, they declared,
merely "imagined that she could see."
At first Herr Paradis, her father, was de-
lighted. He caused particulars of the case to
be published in the newspapers. Herr von
'Stoerck himself came and witnessed the cure
and admitted its genuineness.
Opposition, however, came from Professor
16 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
Hehl, Herr Ingenhaus, a friend of his, and
Herr Barth, professor of anatomy and specialist
in diseases of the eye. To Mesmer, in private,
Herr Barth admitted that Mademoiselle Paradis
could see; but afterwards, in public, he declared
that she was " still quite blind."
These three united to get Mademoiselle Para-
dis out of Mesmer's hands before he should
have time to complete the cure.
With this object they successfully appealed
to the avarice of Herr Paradis. They per-
suaded him that, so soon as his daughter
regained her sight completely, the pension she
received from the Empress would cease.
The argumentum ad hominem proved entirely
successful. Mademoiselle Paradis was taken
home by her parents. For the time it appeared
as though Mesmer's enemies had triumphed.
CHAPTER III
MESMER IN PARIS
DISGUSTED with his treatment at Vienna, Mes-
mer shook the dust of the city off his feet and
went to Paris. His rapidly growing reputation
had preceded him. Expectation was a-tiptoe.
On all sides he was cordially received. The
medical profession alone stood aloof, sceptical,
unfriendly, suspicious. They saw in him only
a rival using other methods than theirs. They
also prepared for him a warm welcomebut
of a different nature.
At first, finding his methods strange, people
were inclined to laugh'. But he had absolute
confidence in himself, and a courage and per-
severance which triumphed over all obstacles.
Very soon the number of patients who sought
his aid became so great that he found it im-
possible to attend to them all personally. He
therefore had recourse to the baquet.
This curious device consisted of an oval
vessel, about four feet in diameter and one foot
2 W
18 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
deep. It was placed in the centre of the salon.
In it were laid a number of wine-bottles, filled
with magnetised water, well corked up, and
disposed in radii, with their necks outwards.
Water was then poured into the vessel until it
covered the bottles, and filings of iron were
thrown in occasionally "to heighten the mag-
netic effect." The vessel was then closed with
an iron cover and pierced through with many
holes. From each hole issued a long, movable
rod of iron which the patients applied to such
parts of their bodies as were afflicted.
In addition to the baquet assistant mag-
netisers, trained by Mesmer, were employed.
They made passes and laid their hands upon
the patients, with the object of increasing the
magnetism. Rigorous silence was maintained
during treatment, and, to produce a suitable
atmosphere of repose, music and singing were
employed.
A description of the scene was written by
an eye-witness, the historian Bailly.
"The sick persons,"wrote Bailly, "arranged
in great numbers, and in several rows, round
the baquet, receive the magnetism by all these
means: by the iron rods which convey it to
them from the baquet, by the cords round their
bodies, by the connection of the thumb, which
MESMER IN PARIS 19
conveys to them the magnetism of their neigh-
hours, and by the sounds of a pianoforte, or
of an agreeable voice, diffusing the magnetism
in the air. The patients are also directly
magnetised by means of the finger and wand
of the magnetiser moved slowly before their
faces, above or behind their heads, and on the
diseased parts, always observing the direction
of the holes. The magnetiser acts by fixing
his eyes on them. But, above all, they are
magnetised by the application of his hands and
the pressure of his fingers on the hypochondrium
and on the regi ons of the abdomen. . . .
" Meanwhile the patients, in their different
conditions, present a very varied picture. Some
are calm, tranquil, and experience no effect.
Others cough, spit, feel slight pains, local or
general heat, and have sweatings. Others,
again, are agitated and tormented with con-
vulsions. These convulsions are remarkable in
regard to the number affected with them, to
their duration and force. They are preceded
and followed by a state of languor or reverie,
a kind of depression, and sometimes drowsi-
ness. . . .
" Nothing is more astonishing than the spec-
tacle of these convulsions. One who has not
seen them can form no idea of them. The
20 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
observer is as much astonished at the profound
repose of one portion of the patients as at the
agitation of the restat the various accidents
that are repeated, and at the sympathies that
are exhibited. All are under the power of the
magnetiser. It matters not in what state of
drowsiness they may be, the sound of his voice,
a look, a motion of the handbrings them out
of it."
"It is impossible," wrote Baron Dupotet,
u
to conceive the sensation which Mesmer's
experiments created in Paris. No theological
controversy in the earlier ages of the Church
was ever conducted with greater bitterness."
His adversaries hurled all the hard names at
him they could find or invent, and the Abb6
Fiard asserted that he had, beyond a doubt,
sold himself to the Devil.
CHAPTER IV
MESMER'S FIGHT WITH THE DOCTORS
DURING his residence in Paris Mesmer was in-
volved in continual disputes with the doctors.
This was neither his intention nor his desire.
But the attitude of the Medical Faculty of Paris
towards him was such that he was compelled
in his own defence to waste valuable time in
unprofitable debate.
It was impossible for the medical profession
of Paris to ignore Mesmer as, no doubt, it would
like to have done. His reputation had preceded
him, and it was of that awkward kind which
springs from results obtained instead of being
founded upon honours and degrees which may-
be secured through favouritism or purchased
by hard cash. Therefore, at first, the Faculty
thought it wise at least to appear interested
and friendly.
The President of the Academy of Sciences.
M. Leroi, proposed that Mesmer should demon-
strate the usefulness of his discovery by treating
21
22 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
a selected number of cases, chosen by a Com-
mittee of the Royal Society of Medicine, com-
posed of Drs. Daubenton, Desperriers, Mauduyt,
Andry, Tessier, and Vicq d'Azyr.
This offer Mesmer declined. To have accepted
it would, he said, have been useless. His ex-
periences at Rohow and in Vienna had taught
him that those who do not desire to be con-
vinced will not be convinced by the most in-
contestable and sensational cures. His object,
he said, was to induce the Faculty to try his
system for themselves and not to set himself
in opposition to them. He wrote to M. Leroi:
"My principal object is to demonstrate the
existence of a physical agent hitherto un-
observed, and not to array against my discovery
medical men whose personal interests would
necessarily induce them to injure my cause,
and even my person. It is as a natural phil-
osopher myself, and not as a physician, that
I call on you, men of science, requesting you
to observe natural phenomena and to pronounce
on my system."
Wishing, however, to work in conjunction
with the Faculty, he made a counter-proposi-
tion. He asked that twenty patients should
be selected by the Committee of the Royal
Society of Medicine, comprising cases of all
ms FIGHT WITH THE DOCTORS 23
kinds, equally severe; half of these to be
treated by the Faculty according to the old
and approved methods, and the other half by
himself. The division was to be made by lot.
Neither the Academy of Sciences nor the Royal
Society of Medicine would listen to this propo-
sition.
In May 1778, weary of what he called the
" puerile objections " of the doctors, Mesmer
selected several bad cases and took themto his
establishment at Creteil, six miles fromParis,
first applying to the Royal Society of Medicine
to examine and certify them. The Society sent
two doctors for that purpose. But, on their
arrival, they apparently mistrusted their skill
in diagnosis, for they declined to make a report.
The maladies chosen (epilepsy, paralysis, blind-
ness, deafness) might, they said, be feigned.
Mesmer then applied to M. Vicq d'Azyr,
Secretary of the Royal Society of Medicine,
asking leave to present his patients before the
whole Society for certification. " For," as he
pertinently remarked, " men who thus doubt
their own ability to ascertain the truth of a
disease, would doubt still more when requested
to pronounce on restoration to health." At
the same time he enclosed certificates of inde-
pendent members of the Faculty as tq the
24 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
genuineness of the diseases of his patients. His
application was refused and the certificates
returned unopened.
Hearing nothing further, Mesmer wrote again
to M. Vicq d'Azyr, saying that he would pro-
ceed with the treatment, and hoping that,
when the time came,' the Society would not
refuse to hold an inquiry. In August Mesmer
wrote to M. Leroi. His patients, he said, were
almost ready for inspection. The President of
the Academy of Sciences took no notice.
Nothing daunted, he again applied to M. Vicq
d'Azyr, requesting the Royal Society of Medi-
cine to examine his patients. The only reply
was a curt refusal. Nothing remained for
Mesmer to do but to publish the sworn state-
ments of his patients and of his witnesses. The
most interesting of these sworn statements is
that of Charles du Hussay, Major of Infantry
and Knight of the Royal and Military Order
of St. Louis.
Major du Hussay had suffered from typhus
in the Indies. He was a physical wreck when
he consulted Mesmer, broken in mind and body.
His statement is as follows :
"After four years of useless experiments and
the constant attendance of eminent physicians,
among whom I Qm several members of
HIS FIGHT WITH THE DOCTORS 25
the Royal Society of Medicine of Paris, who
personally know me and my case, I consented,
as a last resort, to accept the proposition of
Dr. Mesmer to try the proceedings of a method
hitherto unknown. When I arrived at his
establishment my head was constantly shaking,
my neck was bent forward, my eyes were pro-
truding from their sockets and greatly inflamed,
my tongue was paralysed, and it was with the
utmost difficulty that I could speak; a per-
petual and involuntary laugh distorted my
mouth, my cheeks and nose were of a red
purple, my respiration was very much em-
barrassed, and I suffered a constant pain be-
tween the shoulders ; all my body trembled
and I staggered when walking. In a word,
my gait was that of an old drunkard, rather
than that of a man of forty. I know nothing
of the means resorted to by Dr. Mesmer; but
that which I can say with the greatest truth is
that, without using any kind of drugs, or other
remedy than
4
Animal Magnetism,' as he calls
it, he made me feel the most extraordinary
sensations from head to foot. I experienced
a crisis characterised by a cold so intense that
it seemed to me that ice "was coming out of
my limbs; this was followed by a great heat,
and a perspiration of a very fetid nature, and
26 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
B O abundant at times as to cause my mattress
to be wet through. The crisis lasted over a
month; since that time I have rapidly re-
covered, and now, after about four months, I
stand erect and easy. My head is firm and
upright, my tongue moves perfectly, and I
speak as well as anyone. My nose and cheeks
are natural, my colour announces my age and
good health, my respiration is free, my chest
has expanded, I feel no pain whatever, my limbs
are steady and vigorous, I walk very quickly,
without care and with ease. My digestion and
appetite are excellent. In a word, I am per-
fectly free from all infirmities.
" I certify that this statement is in every
particular conformable to truth. Given under
my hand and seal, at Paris, the 28th of August,
1778.
" (Signed) CH. D TT HTXSSAY, ETC."
CHAPTER V
MESMER AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OP MEDICINE
AMONG the leading doctors of Paris, Mesmer
had one firm friend in Dr. Deslon, a court
physician of unprejudiced mind and wide repu-
tation. 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 aftd
asked the Royal Society of Medicine to examine
them. Only three of its members, Drs. Ber-
tram, Maloet, and Sollier, responded to his
appeal. They did not deny the cures, but re-
fused to certify them as conclusive.
u
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
27
28 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
therefore they could not be sure that the usual
medicines were not given. Their faith in "the
usual medicines "appears rather pathetic con-
sidered 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 Pro-
positions "before a meeting of the Royal Society
of Medicine.
In these brief axioms Mesmer's main doc-
trines 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 con-
tinuous 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,
MESMER AND THE R.S.M. 29
more or less particular, more or less composite,
according to the nature of the causes that deter-
mine 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 organised
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 Magnet-
ism, thus characterised, can be communicated to
other bodies, both animate and inanimate, Both
are more or less susceptible,
30 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
12. This action and this power can be rein-
forced and propagated by the same bodies.
13. The flow of a matter whose subtlety pene-
trates 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 aug-
mented by sound.
17. This magnetic virtue can be accumulated,
concentrated, and transported,
18. J 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 ; re-
flected 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 Mag-
netism, and even of the opposing virtue, without
in either case its action on the iron, or needle^
MESMER AND THE R.S.M. 31
undergoing any alteration ; which proves that
the principle of Animal Magnetism differs essen-
tially from magnetism of the mineral hind.
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, accord-
ing to rules which I will establish, that this prin-
ciple will cure immediately all diseases of the
nerves, and mediately all other diseases.
24. With its assistance the physician is en-
lightened as to the use of medicaments ; can im-
prove 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 com-
plicated ; he will check their advance, and will
32 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
succeed in curing them without ever exposing the
patient to dangerous effects or unfortunate con-
sequences, whatever be his age
9
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.
CHAPTER VI
MESMER AND MARIE ANTOINETTE
DB. DESLON'S reputation was embarrassing to
the Royal Society of Medicine. Thirty-three
more or less insignificant members of the
Faculty suffered deprivation under the decree
issued against Animal Magnetism. But they
were not in a strong enough position to enforce
it against Dr. Deslon, who laughingly defied
their thunderbolts. Deslon was therefore sepa-
rately reprimanded, suspended for a year from
voting at the meetings of the Society, and
threatened with loss of his diploma in a year's
time if he did not meanwhile abjure Animal
Magnetism. The meeting necessary to confirm
the decree before it became valid, however,
was never held, and Deslon openly defied the
Society.
Not content with their refusal to give coun-
tenance to Mesmer or his work some members
of the Faculty resorted to the basest means in
order to entrap him. A Dr. Portal, a well-
3 33
34 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
known practitioner in Paris, went to him,
feigned the symptoms of a disease, gave him a
fictitious history of it, and, after being operated
on magnetically, prdnounced himself cured.
He then published an account of how he took
in Mesmer, declaring that his allowing himself
to be duped showed his ignorance and the folly
of Animal Magnetism.
During Mesmer's residence in Paris Marie
Antoinette had become interested in him and
his work. Mesmer, despairing of gaining any
recognition from the Faculty, wrote to her with
the view of securing her influence in obtain-
ing for him the protection of the Government.
He wished to have a chateau given him, with
a yearly income, in order that he might con-
tinue his experiments at leisure, untroubled by
the persecution of his enemies. If he met with
no more encouragement, he would be compelled,
he said, to carry his discovery to some other
country more willing to appreciate him. "In the
eyes of your Majesty," he wrote, " four or five
hundred francs, applied to a good purpose, are
of no account. The welfare and happiness of
your people are everything. My discovery
ought to be received and rewurded with a
munificence worthy of the monarch to whom
I Bhall attach myself."
MESMER AND MARIE ANTOINETTE 36
M. de Maurepas, on behalf of the King, there-
upon opened negotiations with Mesmer to
induce him to remain in Prance and teach
his system publicly. At a conference between
M. de Maurepas and Mesmer it was agreed that
a certain large house and grounds should be
given to him for the accommodation of himself
and his patients, and a pension of 20,000 francs
for himself, on condition that he treated cases,
and taught the doctors. He was not to leave
Prance until he had established his system or
had obtained permission of the King.
Some weeks later Mesmer had another visit
from de Maurepas, proposing certain alterations
in the agreement: a sum of 10,000 francs was
substituted for the proposed property, with
which wholly inadequate sum Mesmer was to
provide an establishment for his patients. His
own pension was to remain the same, but the
ratification of the agreement was to be left to
the decision of his pupils, some of whom were
to be appointed by the Government. They
were at the same time to pronounce upon the
value, or otherwise, of his system.
Mesmer very naturally rejected these con-
ditions. " My intentions," he wrote, " when
I came to France were not to make my fortune
but to secure for my discovery the unqualified
36 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
approval of the most scientific men of this age.
And I will accept no reward so long as I have
not obtained this approval; for fame, and the
glory of having discovered the most important
truth for the benefit of humanity, are dearer
to me than riches." Moreover, " it is contra-
dictory and impossible," he said, " that I should
be judged by my pupils. What if Drs. Laffone,
Maloet, and Sollier were to be sent to me as
pupils ? " Obviously his pupils could give no
authoritative pronouncement on his discovery,
and, since this was what he desired above all
else, he decided that all further negotiation
was useless and prepared to leave France.
CHAPTER VII
THE ROYAL COMMISSIONS
IT has been argued that Mesmer's letter to the
Queen, asking for the assistance of the Govern-
ment, was proof of avarice and self-seeking on
his part. Such a view is surely as absurd as it
is unjust. Had his desire been merely to make
a large fortune, all he had to do was to continue
his work in Paris. But this did not satisfy
him. He wanted the leading scientists of his
day to make an honest investigation into the
natural forces at work in his cures. And he
wished to obtain a recognised position in France
which would leave him free to continue his
investigations instead of wasting time in dis-
puting with the doctors.
His insistence upon the need of a large estab-
lishment where he could treat his patients arose
out of the serious disadvantages which attached
to the baquet. He knew very well that many
of those who flocked to the public baquet came,
not because they were ill, but merely for the
?7
38 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
sake of excitement. The ignorant regarded him
as a magician and his work as miraculous.
Moreover, scandals had broken out in con-
nection with the baqiiet. Moral effects were
attributed to its action. It was said that the
moral influence of the baquet depended upon
which side of the apparatus the patient con-
nected himself with. To obviate these abuses
Mesmer was anxious to treat each patient sepa-
rately ; but owing to the large number of his
patients, this was not easy.
In 1784 the King appointed a Commission,
consisting of members of the Academy of
Sciences and of the Royal Society of Medicine,
to examine the claims of Animal Magnetism.
The sittings of the Commission took place
at the house of Dr. Deslon, and most of the
experiments before the Commissioners were
conducted by him. Against this Mesmer pro-
tested. Dr. Deslon, while fully convinced of
the phenomena of Animal Magnetism, did not
agree with Mesmer's theories. Mesmer abso*
lutely denied that imagination, or, as we should
term it, Suggestion, had anything whatever to
do with his cures. Deslon, on the other hand,
attributed considerable effect to it.
As a result of the Commission, three reports
were published in August 1784: the Report
THE ROYAL COMMISSIONS 89
of the Faculty of Medicine of the Academy of
Sciences, "the Report of the Royal Society of
Medicine, and an independent report by De
Jussieuone of the Commissioners.
The first two reports were regarded at the
time as a refutation of Mesmer's claims. They
were, as a matter of fact, nothing of the kind.
They constituted merely a refutation of Mes-
mer's theory of Animal Magnetism.
The modern theory of Suggestion, it should
be remembered, was unknown at that time.
Had the Commissioners been familiar with it,
they would undoubtedly hare worded their
report differently. To have got rid of Animal
Magnetism in favour of Suggestion would have
been merely to exchange the frying-pan for the
fire. But, in using the word "imagination,"
they fancied they had, once for all, given the
quietus to Mesmer's discovery. The conclusion
of the report states :
" That which we have learned, or at least
that which has been proved to us in a clear and
satisfactory manner, by the examination of the
process of Magnetism, is that man can act
upon man at any time, and almost at will by
striking his imagination; that the simplest
gestures and signs can have the most powerful
effects ; and that the action of man upon the
40 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
imagination may be reduced to an art, and
conduoted with method, upon subjects who
have faith."
De Jussieu's Report was more favourable to
Mesmer. In his opinion there was evidence of
the existence of a universal medium which was
responsible for the mysterious phenomena which
Mesmer had revealed. This medium appeared
to him to be of the nature of heat rather than
of magnetism. Other members of the medical
profession, while compelled to admit the occur-
rence of the phenomena, steadfastly refused to
trace them to that universal fluid which Mesmer
called Animal Magnetism.
Thus Dr. Virey, in an article on the subject
in the Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicates, de-
nied the existence of Animal Magnetism and
attributed the observed phenomena to some
vital principle of the soul. " In order to act
upon the body," he said, " the soul makes use
of a vital principle or nervous fluid, which is
capable of impressing motion and sensation on
our organs. The sensitive element is not of the
same nature as thought; it is secreted in the
brain; it descends into the nerves ; it exhausts
itself and is renewed."
Had the deliberate intention of the Com-
missioners been to render themselves ridiculous
THE ROYAL COMMISSIONS 41
they could not have succeeded in doing so
more successfully than was the case. Having
solemnly declared in 1784 that no such thing as
Animal Magnetism existed, the following year
they invited foreign and provincial doctors to
make observations on Animal Magnetism and
to forward to them their reports. At that
time there were upwards of a hundred doctors
in the ^French provinces who had established
magnetic practiceSj and many others were trying
it. Of these many sent in reports, but the
Royal Society of Medicine was careful to pub-
lish only those that were opposed to Animal
Magnetism.
Why, it may be asked, were the findings of
the Commissioners so uniformly unfavourable
to Mesmer ? Why were they so staunchly
opposed to the theory of Animal Magnetism?
The answer is not far to seek.
In the first place, they refused to examine
Mesmer's cases and his methods at first-hand.
Imagining Animal Magnetism to be a simple
and constant force, like terrestrial magnetism,
they expected to be able to test it themselves
by similar means. In this, as was only to be
expected, they failed.
Secondly, they believed their professional
reputations to be at stake, and these they
42 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
valued above every other consideration. In
their opinion it was the Materia Medica versus
Animal Magnetism. They were afraid of what
might be the result of such a contest. Conse-
quently Animal Magnetism had, at all costs,
to be suppressed.
CHAPTER VIII
MESMER IN RETIREMENT
IN 1781 Mesmer left Paris and retired to Spa.
His enemies lost no time in asserting that he
had quitted the French capital because he was
a beaten man. The evidence, however, points
in exactly the opposite direction. Had he
wished to escape observation it is hardly likely
that he would have chosen such a fashionable
resort as Spa. Neither would he ever have
returned to Paris; and this he did after a
short sojourn in Spa. He established a free
clinic in the Rue Coq-Heron, where from time
to time he was in residence, treating the poor
gratuitously and busied in propaganda of his
system.
The accusation brought against him by his
enemies that he was extravagant and avaricious
is not borne out by the facts. It is true that
he made a considerable fortune, but this he
spent with a lavish hand, employing it mainly
in the spread of his ideas. His enemies hated
48
44 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
him for his single-minded pursuit of truth; his
friends were attracted to him by his personal
qualities of heart and head. In the words of
Deleuze: "Those who knew Mesmer testified
to his goodness of heart; he gave the same
care to the poor as to the rich ; and being of
service was his greatest pleasure."
Many of Mesmer's patients followed him to
Spa. Among these was an attorney named
Bergasse. Bergasse and Kornmann, a banker,
assisted Mesmer in his scheme to establish cen-
tres of magnetic healing throughout France.
Bergasse issued an appeal for funds in which
he stated that he was impelled to take such
action " in order to protect a shamefully per-
secuted man from the fate prepared for him
by the blind hatred of his enemies."
The result of this appeal was that Mesmer's
project of " Societies of Harmony " came into
being. The Societies of Harmony were hos-
pitals in which students of magnetic healing
might study. Into these hospitals poor patients
were received gratis. Some twenty of these
societies were soon established in the most im-
portant towns of France. The medical schools
were furious; but they were powerless to pre-
vent the movement. All they could do was to
expel any of their members who dared to
MESMER IN RETIREMENT 45
express the least shadow of belief in Animal
Magnetism.
During the later years of his life Mesmer
lived in retirement at Frauenfeld. From thence
he moved to Constance. In 1814 he made his
home at a farm-house in the village of Reidet-
swilier. His friends frequently urged him to
return to Paris, but he steadily refused. The
Revolution had deprived him of a great part
of his fortune; he was an old man, and there
was nothing to be gained by beginning the
fight all over again. From the farm-house at
Reidetswiller he removed to Meersburg, where
he continued until his death.
The King of Prussia frequently urged him to
settle in Berlin. Mesmer declined, pleading age
and infirmity Frederick thereupon sent Herr
Wolfart, one of the Court physicians, to him,
and on his return Wolfart was appointed Pro-
fessor of Mesmerism in the Academy of Berlin.
A hospital of 300 beds was also founded, where
only mesmerism was employed.
Mesmer's life in his declining years was sin-
gularly happy and peaceful. The days of con-
tention were over; he had a long life of
strenuous and useful work to look back upon.
He was rarely seen on foot, but he kept a
horse and light carriage and drove out daily.
46 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
For his horse he had a great affection. He
appears to have possessed the faculty of taming
and attracting animals to himself. The story
of his canary sheds a charming light on this
side of his character.
This canary lived in an open cage in his room.
Every morning the bird would fly out, perch
upon Mesmer's head while he slept, and waken
him with its songnor would the concert
end until Mesmer arose and dressed himself.
Always he had the power of putting the canary
to sleep with a light stroke of the hand and of
awakening it by stroking the feathers in the
reverse direction.
Living thus in quiet seclusion, he was able
to satisfy his love of music. When supper
was over and twilight gathering he would sit
and improvise on his loved harmonica. Some-
times he would accompany the music with his
voice, which even now, in advanced age, was
an agreeable tenor. While in Paris he had
become intimately acquainted with Gluck, who
made him promise that he would never play
otherwise on the harmonica than thus impro-
vising without notes or art. He also employed
himself in modelling and drawing, and he still
found time for attending the sick people of
the neighbourhood.
MESMER IN RETIREMENT 47
On February 20th, 1815, Mesmer, feeling
unwell, did not visit the Casino as he was
accustomed to do on Sundays. His illness
gradually increased, and upon March 5th he
begged that his friend, a young priest, Fessler
by name, might be sent for. Before he
arrived, however, Mesmer passed peacefully
away. The body was left untouched until
morning, but the canary did not, as usual, fly
out of its cage to perch upon his head and
awake him. The bird neither sang nor ate
any more, and very shortly afterwards was
found dead in its cage.
Mesmer had expressed a wish in his will that
he should be interred very simply, but the
people of Meersburg disregarded his wishes in
this respect. Clergy and citizens united in
giving him a ceremonious funeral, whilst num-
bers who were indebted to him for health and
life followed the procession. His mortal re-
mains were laid to rest in the churchyard of
Meersburg, where subsequently a monument
was erected to his memory by his Berlin
admirers and disciples.
Throughout his life Mesmer had one single
aim : to demonstrate the natural force he had
discovered and to use it for the benefit of
humanity.
48 FRANZ ANTON MESSIER
His reward was mainly a plentiful harvest
of anger, hatred^ malice, and all uncharitable-
ness. And the intrinsic greatness of his char-
acter is vindicated chiefly in this : that he
never allowed himself to become embittered by
the treatment he received. His nature con-
tinued sweet and amiable to the end.
CHAPTER IX
MESMER'S THEORY
MESMER, as we have seen, maintained the
thesis in his inaugural address in 1766 that the
sun, moon, and fixed stars mutually affect each
other and cause a tide in the atmosphere,
similar to that which they cause in the ocean;
that they affect in similar manner all organised
bodies, through the medium of a subtle fluid
which he believed to pervade the universe and
to associate all things together in .mutual har-
mony. This fluid, which, in his conception,
bears a striking resemblance to the ether of
modern theorists, he believed to be in constant
circulation, producing rhythmic tides which
serve to keep the universe in health. This
magnetic flux and reflux, he considered, is also
to be found in man in a state of health. But,
if checked in any way, obstructions and disease
result.
" There is," Mesmer asserted, " only one
disease and only one cure."- It is, he said,
4 49
50 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
the throwing of the system out of equilibrium
that constitutes disease, and cure can only be
obtained by bringing the system back into
equilibrium. He was not averse to the use of
drugs, but he taught that drugs only do good
by arousing the curative power of Nature. In
his own practice he used drugs very sparingly.
Mesmer was not satisfied with the views the
Medical Faculty of his day took with regard
to the causes of disease. The doctors only
took cognisance of physical causes. This, in
his opinion, was not going deep enough. In
his own words :
" To these physical causes must be added
moral causes : pride, envy, avarice, ambition,
all the vile passions of the human mind, are
so many causes of visible maladies. How can
the effects of these continually acting causes
be radically cured ? Moreover, Animal Mag-
netism cannot cure the loss of an income of a
hundred thousand francs, nor relieve one of a
brutal and jealous husband, nor of a faithless
and nagging wife, nor of an unnatural father
or mother, nor of ungrateful children, nor of
unfortunate propensities, nor of disagreeable
vocations."
Instinct Mesmer considered to be of far
greater importance than reason. " Man," he
MESMER'S THEORY 61
wrote in his Aphorisms, "who alone uses what
he calls his reason, is like a person who uses
glasses in order to look at the thing he wishes
to see; this gives him the habit of never
looking at things with his own eyes, and never
seeing things as other people do." He taught
that, whereas instinct puts us into rapport with
the whole of Nature, reason, as often as not,
is a misleading guide, founding its conclusions
on fallacies and prejudices which it helps to
perpetuate. Instinct he regarded as the "in-
ternal sense "which serves to keep us in touch
with the whole physical creation.
Something has already been said about the
"crisis "which Mesmer regarded as of vital
importance in the cure of disease. He believed
that by discovering how to bring on and regu-
late "crises "he had found a method of arous-
ing that curative power which is inherent in
man's physical organism. The term "crisis,"
as used by Mesmer, indicates a change in the
magnetic condition of the patient which re-
acts beneficially on the disease. Magnetism,
by breaking down the obstruction, brought
on a "crisis "which violently agitated the
patient's organs and forces and temporarily
increased their action.
There is no doubt that Mesmer had dis-
62 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
covered a very effective method of inducing
the crisis, and with highly beneficial results.
By what means did he effect this ? Tardy de
Montravel, one of his most successful disciples,
attributed to Mesmer a power of self-induction
whereby he could increase in himself the in-
tensity of the magnetic fluid and transmit it
to his patients.
CHAPTER X
MESMER'S METHOD
IN treating individual patientsMesmer's method
was as follows :
If the disease was general he passed his
hands, with fingers extended, all down the
body, beginning with the head, passing over
the shoulders, and then down the back and
front of the body. This movement, varied in
accordance with the special needs of the
patient, he would repeat many times, bringing
the hand round in a circle. Sometimes he used
an iron rod in place of his fingers. For violent
headache he would place one thumb on the fore-
head, the other at the back of the head. In
some cases he would place his hands on the
solar plexus, stretching his fingers towards the
hypochondrium. His endeavour was always
directed towards putting the magnetic fluid in
equilibrium in every part of the body. And
for all bodily pains he advociated the placing of
one hand on one side and the other on the
opposite side*
64 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
Mesmer's influence on the patient is said to
have continued several days after treatment;
and in cases where the patient was susceptible
he could produce sensations in him at will,
without resorting again to touch, and this at a
considerable distance.
Magnetism, he said, could be augmented by
establishing a direct communication between
several persons. This could be done either by
the sitters holding hands and forming a chain
or by means of the baquet.
Mesmer did not trouble to demagnetise his
patients. His main object was to produce the
crisis. In this he was usually successful, the
crisis lasting a longer or shorter time according
to circumstances and gradually wearing itself
out.
The baquet was believed to act in a way some-
what similar to an electric battery. The large
oaken tub which formed the centre of the
baquet was usually filled with magnetised
water, but sometimes the water was omitted,
in which case the baquet was referred to as
"dry." No apparent will power was used,
although passes were occasionally made, and
no verbal suggestions were given. The pa-
tients sat round the tub holding the iron rods
which projected from it.
MESMER'S METHOD 55
Modern theorists would be inclined to ascribe
the curious developments which followed to
the power of suggestion. But to any such
theory Mesmer himself was utterly and con-
sistently opposed.
These developments, the truth of which is
well attested, were curious and appeared some-
what alarming. Patients experienced more or
less violent perspiration, palpitations, hysterics,
catalepsy, and sometimes a condition resem-
bling epilepsy. When the crisis was at its
height the patient was carried by attendants into
one of the adjoining " salles des crises " ; he was
there laid on a couch, and usually he subsided
gradually into a deep sleep from which he
awoke refreshed and benefited. No harm ap-
pears ever to have resulted from the crisis, no
matter how violent or of how long duration.
At all times Mesmer possessed the power of
instantly arresting the most violent crisis by
a word, a look, or a movement of his iron
rod.
Music also was used to bring patients into a
condition of restfulness and to fix their atten-
tion, Mesmer on some occasions playing on a
wind instrument in order to exert influence
upon them and to diffuse magnetise
CHAPTER XI
FAILURE OB SUCCESS 1
THE day has long gone by when it was worth
while asking the question: Was Mesmer a
charlatan ? We know enough now of hypnotic
and mesmeric phenomena to be able to con-
sider impartially the curiouB developments
which resulted from his treatment.
If Mesmer is to be regarded as a " quack"
then the term must in justice be bestowed on
every doctor, no matter what his diplomas, who
has ever practised. The epithet was applied
to Mesmer because he was dealing with forces
that are imperfectly understood. But ortho-
dox medical men, who rely on drugs, are also
dealing with forces that are imperfectly under-
stood. Mesmerism, it was said (and the same
objection is frequently raised by the ignorant
to-day), is dangerous. If there are dangers,
then Mesmer was extraordinarily fortunate in
his practice, for there is no evidence that he
ever caused injury to a single patient through
06
FAILURE OR SUCCESS? 57.
the use of magnetism. If surgeons and medical
practitioners could substantiate a similar claim
on behalf of drugs and the knife they might
consider themselves fortunate indeed.
Hostile critics sneered at Mesmer because he
was simple enough to believe in the baquet;
because he made use of an iron rod which they
wittily referred to as a "wand "; and because
he wore a silk garment when treating his
patients. No doubt the baquet was an amaz-
ingly simple contrivance, but the phenomena
which resulted from its application were simply
amazing. The iron rod likewise was amply
justified by its use in Mesmer's hands, and, as
for the clothes most suitable for him to wear
that, surely, was a problem for himself to
decide.
Mesmer was undoubtedly unfortunate in his
age. It was a time of tumult and of violent
change. The good seed which he sowed was
trampled underfoot in the French Revolution.
The scientific method of research was hardly
understood, and the prejudices of medievalism
were only beginning to melt away in the light
of more exact knowledge.
In challenging the Royal Society of Medicine
of Paris, the most important scientific corpora-
tion of his day, Mesmer may have been over-
58 FRANZ ANTON MESMER
bold. But it is hard to see how else he could
have focussed the attention of Europe, for a
brief space, on the strange phenomena of
Animal Magnetism.
For the time, medieval orthodoxy, as repre-
sented by that Society, triumphed. But the
Faculty were utterly unable to get rid of Animal
Magnetism. Having explained it away to their
own satisfaction, it was distressing to find that,
like Frankenstein, it turned up again and yet
again, and asked for a further explanation.
To-day the tables are turned, and, such are
the revenges of Time, the doctors who do not
"believe in" hypnotism and its allied pheno-
mena run the risk of being considered " rusty "
and " old-fashioned."
There are even signs that Mesmer's own
special theory, which has been for the most
part disregarded since his death, is in process
of rehabilitation. Professor Boirac, late Rector
of the Academy of Dijon, in his recently
published book, La Psychologie Jnconnue*
supports the view, after years of research and
experiment, that the human body is a store-
* Psychic Science (La Psychologic Inconnue), An In-
troduction and Contribution to the Experimental Study
of Psychical Phenomena. By Emile Boirac, Hector of
Dijon Academy. Translated by Dudley Wright. Demy
8vo. London: W. Bider & Son, Ltd. 10*. 6d, net.
FAILURE OR SUCCESS? 59
house of magnetic energy. The hypothesis is
not of recent date. It did not entirely originate
with Anton Mesmer. But Mesmer, by fearlessly
devoting his life to it, did more than any other
man to give it"a local habitation and a name."
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Deals in an interesting way with a number of old superstitions."
Westminster Gazette.
THE BOOK OF TALISMANS, AMU-
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a series of very clear descriptions, but there are also many ex-
cellent illustrations of the various talismans of prehistoric, classic
and medieval peoples. . . The work, from whatever point of
view it is approached, is certain to entertain."The Outlook.
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ASTROLOGY. How to Make and Read your own
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HAND-READING ; or, the Science of Chirology. By
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CARD-READING. Practical methods of Divination by
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41
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New Thought Library
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Have You a Strong Will ? How to Develop and Strengthen
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The Gift of the Spirit. A Selection from the Essays of
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Essays of Prentice Mulford: 4th Series. Completing
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Every Man a King; or, Might in Mind Mastery. By
ORISON SWETT MARDEN and ERNEST RAYMOND HOLMES.
The Law of the Rhythmic Breath. Teaching the
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Creative Thought/' etc.
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