North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826Various
History
North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826
Various
Medicine -- Periodicals
M. LAENNEC, agreed with M. DOUBLE, because after studying the subject
for twenty years, he is satisfied, that it is almost nothing but
deception and juggling; although, when he commenced the study, he was
prejudiced in its favour. According to M. LAENNEC, among the magnetic
influences, there are several, attributable to the impressions, which
one individual naturally makes on another in correlation with him; and
he cited a mistake, which he saw committed by a somnambulist woman. She
was magnetised by two persons, one of whom was handsome, but
anaphrodisiac, the other ugly, yet possessing in integrity, the genital
faculties. She received no impression, except from the first individual;
so that the impression which this female had received by the organs of
vision, before the experiment, superseded that, which the pretended
magnetic sense ought to have made on her. He thinks, the academy ought
to _observe_ the magnetisers, but what he has seen, has convinced him,
that nine-tenths of the facts in magnetism are supposititious. The
phenomena effected by magnetism, and the oracles uttered by the
somnambulist, vary with every magnetiser. MESMER excited convulsions;
DESLIN effected crises, such as are seen in diseases. The somnambulists
of Mr. DELEUZE, a learned man, are much better taught than those of
PUYSEGUR, who is ignorant of the sciences, and finally, Mr. LAENNEC has
seen a somnambulist under the direction of a pharmacien, who was quite
distinguished, by the art with which she compounded the medicines, she
recommended. The discussion was now adjourned to the next sitting.
On the 24th of January, it was resumed.
M. CHARDEL, bears witness to a reality of the magnetic phenomena, as he
has witnessed them himself, in a case of what is called somnambulism. He
dares not pronounce on the question of magnetism, as a therapeutical
agent; but is disposed to think it ought, if ever, to be used with great
reserve. Whether it consist of nervous phenomena of a particular order,
or whether it be a product of the imagination, in either case, it
deserves to be studied, &c. &c.
M. RONCHOUX, thought the proposed examination would be impossible; for
the magnetisers assert, that if one of the parties have a will opposed
to that of the magnetiser, no phenomena can be produced. Their confessed
inability to surmount any opposite will, seems to Mr. RONCHOUX, an
invincible obstacle to any exploration to be attempted by a commission.
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