“Fools are here below for our amusement?"[8]

However this may be, the austerity of Mesmer did not prevent his being most violently angry when he learnt at Spa that Deslon continued the magnetical treatments at Paris.  He returned in all haste.  His partisans received him with enthusiasm, and set on foot a subscription of 100 louis per head, which produced immediately near 400,000 francs, (16,000_l._) We now feel some surprise to see, among the names of the subscribers, those of Messrs. de Lafayette, de Segur, d’Epremesnil.

Mesmer quitted France a second time about the end of 1781, in quest of a more enlightened government, who could appreciate superior minds.  He left behind him a great number of tenacious and ardent adepts, whose importunate conduct at last determined the government to submit the pretended magnetic discoveries to be examined by four Doctors of the Faculty of Paris.  These distinguished physicians solicited to have added to them some members of the Academy of Sciences.  M. de Breteuil then recommended Messrs. Le Roy, Bory, Lavoisier, Franklin, and Bailly, to form part of the mixed commission.  Bailly was finally named reporter.

The work of our brother-academician appeared in August, 1784.  Never was a complex question reduced to its characteristic traits with more penetration and tact; never did more moderation preside at an examination, though personal passions seemed to render it impossible; never was a scientific subject treated in a more dignified and lucid style.

Nothing equals the credulity of men in whatever touches their health.  This aphorism is an eternal truth.  It explains how a portion of the public has returned to mesmeric practices; how I shall still perform an interesting task by giving a detailed analysis of the magnificent labours published by our fellow-academician sixty years ago.  This analysis will show, besides, how daring those men were, who recently, in the bosom of another academy, constituted themselves passionate defenders of some old women’s tales, which one would have supposed had been permanently buried in oblivion.

The commissioners go in the first place to the treatment by M. Deslon, examine the famous rod, describe it carefully, relate the means adopted to excite and direct magnetism.  Bailly then draws out a varied and truly extraordinary table of the state of the sick people.  His attention is principally attracted by the convulsions that they designated by the name of crisis.  He remarked that in the number of persons in the crisis state, there were always a great many women, and very few men; he does not imagine any deceit, however; holds the phenomena as established, and passes on to search out their causes.

According to Mesmer and his partisans, the cause of the crisis and of the less characteristic effects, resided in a particular fluid.  It was to search out proofs of the existence of this fluid, that the commissioners had first to devote their efforts.  Indeed, Bailly said, “Animal magnetism may exist without being useful, but it cannot be useful if it does not exist.”