ursula-第16章

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over。　But　this　event　needs　a　succinct　narrative　of　certain

circumstances　in　his　medical　career；　which　will　give；　perhaps；　fresh

interest　to　the　story。







CHAPTER　VI



A　TREATISE　ON　MESMERISM



Towards　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century　science　was　sundered　as

widely　by　the　apparition　of　Mesmer　as　art　had　been　by　that　of　Gluck。

After　re…discovering　magnetism　Mesmer　came　to　France；　where；　from　time

immemorial；　inventors　have　flocked　to　obtain　recognition　for　their

discoveries。　France；　thanks　to　her　lucid　language；　is　in　some　sense

the　clarion　of　the　world。



〃If　homoeopathy　gets　to　Paris　it　is　saved；〃　said　Hahnemann；　recently。



〃Go　to　France；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Metternich　to　Gall；　〃and　if　they

laugh　at　your　bumps　you　will　be　famous。〃



Mesmer　had　disciples　and　antagonists　as　ardent　for　and　against　his

theories　as　the　Piccinists　and　the　Gluckists　for　theirs。　Scientific

France　was　stirred　to　its　center；　a　solemn　conclave　was　opened。　Before

judgment　was　rendered；　the　medical　faculty　proscribed；　in　a　body；

Mesmer's　so…called　charlatanism；　his　tub；　his　conducting　wires；　and

his　theory。　But　let　us　at　once　admit　that　the　German；　unfortunately；

compromised　his　splendid　discovery　by　enormous　pecuniary　claims。

Mesmer　was　defeated　by　the　doubtfulness　of　facts；　by　universal

ignorance　of　the　part　played　in　nature　by　imponderable　fluids　then

unobserved；　and　by　his　own　inability　to　study　on　all　sides　a　science

possessing　a　triple　front。　Magnetism　has　many　applications；　in

Mesmer's　hands　it　was；　in　its　relation　to　the　future；　merely　what

cause　is　to　effect。　But；　if　the　discoverer　lacked　genius；　it　is　a　sad

thing　both　for　France　and　for　human　reason　to　have　to　say　that　a

science　contemporaneous　with　civilization；　cultivated　by　Egypt　and

Chaldea；　by　Greece　and　India；　met　in　Paris　in　the　eighteenth　century

the　fate　that　Truth　in　the　person　of　Galileo　found　in　the　sixteenth；

and　that　magnetism　was　rejected　and　cast　out　by　the　combined　attacks

of　science　and　religion；　alarmed　for　their　own　positions。　Magnetism；

the　favorite　science　of　Jesus　Christ　and　one　of　the　divine　powers

which　he　gave　to　his　disciples；　was　no　better　apprehended　by　the

Church　than　by　the　disciples　of　Jean…Jacques；　Voltaire；　Locke；　and

Condillac。　The　Encyclopedists　and　the　clergy　were　equally　averse　to

the　old　human　power　which　they　took　to　be　new。　The　miracles　of　the

convulsionaries；　suppressed　by　the　Church　and　smothered　by　the

indifference　of　scientific　men　（in　spite　of　the　precious　writings　of

the　Councilor；　Carre　de　Montgeron）　were　the　first　summons　to　make

experiments　with　those　human　fluids　which　give　power　to　employ　certain

inward　forces　to　neutralize　the　sufferings　caused　by　outward　agents。

But　to　do　this　it　was　necessary　to　admit　the　existence　of　fluids

intangible；　invisible；　imponderable；　three　negative　terms　in　which　the

science　of　that　day　chose　to　see　a　definition　of　the　void。　In　modern

philosophy　there　is　no　void。　Ten　feet　of　void　and　the　world　crumbles

away！　To　materialists　especially　the　world　is　full；　all　things　hang

together；　are　linked；　related；　organized。　〃The　world　as　the　result　of

chance；〃　said　Diderot；　〃is　more　explicable　than　God。　The　multiplicity

of　causes；　the　incalculable　number　of　issues　presupposed　by　chance；

explain　creation。　Take　the　Eneid　and　all　the　letters　composing　it；　if

you　allow　me　time　and　space；　I　can；　by　continuing　to　cast　the　letters；

arrive　at　last　at　the　Eneid　combination。〃



Those　foolish　persons　who　deify　all　rather　than　admit　a　God　recoil

before　the　infinite　divisibility　of　matter　which　is　in　the　nature　of

imponderable　forces。　Locke　and　Condillac　retarded　by　fifty　years　the

immense　progress　which　natural　science　is　now　making　under　the　great

principle　of　unity　due　to　Geoffroy　de　Saint…Hilaire。　Some　intelligent

persons；　without　any　system；　convinced　by　facts　conscientiously

studied；　still　hold　to　Mesmer's　doctrine；　which　recognizes　the

existence　of　a　penetrative　influence　acting　from　man　to　man；　put　in

motion　by　the　will；　curative　by　the　abundance　of　the　fluid；　the

working　of　which　is　in　fact　a　duel　between　two　forces；　between　an　ill

to　be　cured　and　the　will　to　cure　it。



The　phenomena　of　somnambulism；　hardly　perceived　by　Mesmer；　were

revealed　by　du　Puysegur　and　Deleuze；　but　the　Revolution　put　a　stop　to

their　discoveries　and　played　into　the　hands　of　the　scientists　and

scoffers。　Among　the　small　number　of　believers　were　a　few　physicians。

They　were　persecuted　by　their　brethren　as　long　as　they　lived。　The

respectable　body　of　Parisian　doctors　displayed　all　the　bitterness　of

religious　warfare　against　the　Mesmerists；　and　were　as　cruel　in　their

hatred　as　it　was　possible　to　be　in　those　days　of　Voltairean　tolerance。

The　orthodox　physician　refused　to　consult　with　those　who　adopted　the

Mesmerian　heresy。　In　1820　these　heretics　were　still　proscribed。　The

miseries　and　sorrows　of　the　Revolution　had　not　quenched　the　scientific

hatred。　It　is　only　priests；　magistrates；　and　physicians　who　can　hate

in　that　way。　The　official　robe　is　terrible！　But　ideas　are　even　more

implacable　than　things。



Doctor　Bouvard；　one　of　Minoret's　friends；　believed　in　the　new　faith；

and　persevered　to　the　day　of　his　death　in　studying　a　science　to　which

he　sacrificed　the　peace　of　his　life；　for　he　was　one　of　the　chief

〃betes　noires〃　of　the　Parisian　faculty。　Minoret；　a　valiant　supporter

of　the　Encyclopedists；　and　a　formidable　adversary　of　Desion；　Mesmer's

assistant；　whose　pen　had　great　weight　in　the　controversy；　quarreled

with　his　old　friend；　and　not　only　that；　but　he　persecuted　him。　His

conduct　to　Bouvard　must　have　caused　him　the　only　remorse　which

troubled　the　serenity　of　his　declining　years。　Since　his　retirement　to

Nemours　the　science　of　imponderable　fluids　（the　only　name　suitable　for

magnetism；　which；　by　the　nature　of　its　phenomena；　is　closely　allied　to

light　and　electricity）　had　made　immense　progress；　in　spite　of　the

ridicule　of　Parisian　scientists。　Phrenology　and　physiognomy；　the

departments　of　Gall　and　Lavater　（which　are　in　fact　twins；　for　one　is

to　the　other　as　cause　is　to　effect）；　proved　to　the　minds　of　more　than

one　physiologist　the　existence　of　an　intangible　fluid　which　is　the

basis　of　the　phenomena　of　the　human　will；　and　from　which　result

passions；　habits；　the　shape　of　faces　and　of　skulls。　Magnetic　facts；

the　miracles　of　somnambulism；　those　of　divination　and　ecstasy；　which

open　a　way　to　the　spiritual　world；　were　fast　accumulating。　The　strange

tale　of　the　apparitions　of　the　farmer　Martin；　so　clearly　proved；　and

his　interview　with　Louis　XVIII。；　a　knowledge　of　the　intercourse　of

Swedenborg　with　the　departed；　carefully　investigated　in　Germany；　the

tales　of　Walter　Scott　on　the　effects　of　〃second　sight〃；　the

extraordinary　faculties　of　some　fortune…tellers；　who　practice　as　a

single　science　chiromancy；　cartomancy；　and　the　horoscope；　the　facts　of

catalepsy；　and　those　of　the　action　of　certain　morbid　affections　on　the

properties　of　the　diaphragm；all　such　phenomena；　curious；　to　say　the

least；　each　emanating　from　the　same　source；　were　now　undermining　many

scepticisms　and　leading　even　the　most　indifferent　minds　to　the　plane

of　experiments。　Minoret；　buried　in　Nemours；　was　ignorant　of　this

movement　of　minds；　strong　in　the　north　of　Europe　but　still　weak　in

France　where；　however；　many　facts　called　marvelous　by　superficial

observers；　were　happening；　but　falling；　alas！　like　stones　to　the

bottom　of　the　sea；　in　the　vortex　of　Parisian　excitements。



At　the　bottom　of　the　present　year　the　doctor's　tranquillity　was　shaken

by　the　following　letter：





My　old　comrade；All　friendship；　even　if　lost；　as　rights　which　it

is　difficult　to　set　aside。　I　know　that　you　are　still　living；　and　I

remember　far　less　our　enmity　than　our　happy　days　in　that　old　hovel

of　Saint…Julien…le…Pauvre。



At　a　time　when　I　expect　to　soon　leave　the　world　I　have　it　on　my

heart　to　prove　to　you　that　magnetism　is　about　to　become　one　of　the

most　import