Mesmer Magnetisme Animal

THOURET (Michel Augustin), SOUSSELIER DE LA TOUR: 1- THOURET (Michel Augustin). Recherches et doutes sur le Magnetisme animal. Paris, Prault, 1784. xxxv, 251 p. 2- SOUSSELIER DE LA TOUR. L'Ami de la nature, ou maniere de traiter les maladies par le pretendu magnetisme animal. Lausanne, Aux depens de la Societe typographique, 1784. iij, 194, (1) p.

2 ouvrages relies en un volume in-12, pleine basane mouchetee de l'epoque, dos lisse orne de compartiments fleuronnes richement ornes, piece de titre de maroquin rouge, tranches rouges (petit accroc a une coiffe et a un coin). 1- Edition originale de cet examen critique du magnetisme animal. L'auteur etait medecin, directeur de l'Ecole de Sante des sa creation, un moment proche de Mesmer. "Thouret attempted to disprove Mesmer's claim to originality by showing that Mesmer was in fact only the latest in a long line of occult healers, and that theories similar to Mesmer's had been held by Paracelsus, Kircher, and Fludd, among others. Thouret's erudite history of Mesmer's predecessors had an effect opposite to what he intended : by giving mesmeric thought a legitimate past, it tended to affirm the convictions of adherents of animal magnetism" (Norman, M-150). (Caillet, 10676. Crabtree, 116, Dorbon, 4855, Ellenberger, p. 58. Waller, 9569). 2- Edition originale. "L'auteur declare traiter depuis plus de 30 ans, 'soit par l'Electricite etincelante, soit par le pretendu Magnetisme animal qui n'est qu'une electricite deguisee', mais d'une facon differente de celle de Mesmer" (Dorbon, n° 4629). (Crabtree, n° 113. Caillet, n° 10286). Tres bon exemplaire, tres frais, tres bien relie a l'epoque.

[SW: Esoterisme - Occultisme, Psychiatrie - Psychanalyse - Psychologie - Neurologie, Medecine, Magnetisme animal,]

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[Bailly, Jean Sylvain (1736-1793), ed]: Rapport des commissaires charges par le roi, de l'examen du magnetisme animal. <BR>BOUND WITH</BR> [Poissoinier, Pierre Isaac, et al.]. Rapport des commissaires de la Societe Royale de Medecine, nommes par le Roi pour faire l'examen du magnetisme animal. [Paris]: Imprimee par ordre du Roi, 1784. 32pp. Crabtree #101, Norman M130/131 -- variant imprint and probably the true first octavo printing of the report. BOUND WITH [Bailly, Jean Sylvain]. Expose des experiences qui one ete faites pour l'examen du magnetisme animal. Lu a l'Academie des sciences, par M. Bailly en son nom & aux nom de Mrs. Franklin, Le Roy, de Bory, et Lavoisier, le 4 Septembre 1784. [Paris]: Imprimee par ordre du Roi. 16pp. Crabtree #30, Norman M82. BOUND WITH D'Eslon, Charles. Observations sur les deux rapports de MM. les commissaires nommes par sa majeste pour l'examen du magnetisme animal. [Paris?]: 1784. 47+[1]pp. Lacking title leaf. Crabtree #52, Norman M81, Paris 1784

Paris: les Marchands de Nouveautes, 1784. 4 vols bound in 1. [2]+66pp. Twentieth century 1/2 ocher leather with cloth-covered boards and gilt-stamped spine. Joints and edges lightly rubbed and slight foxing, else a near fine copy. Scarce. First octavo edition and the second printing of the Franklin report. "In the spring of 1784 the French government, no longer able to ignore the challenges to established medicine and politics posed by Mesmer and his followers, appointed two separate commissions to investigate animal magnetism, the first consisting of nine members -- five from the Academie des Sciences, four from the Faculte de Medecine -- and the second composed of five members of the Societe Royale de Medecine. The first commission, presided over by Benjamin Franklin (then the United States' Ambassador to France), decided to investigate animal magnetism as practiced by Eslon, since Eslon, unlike Mesmer, welcomed an official inquiry" [Norman Catalog #124]. Crabtree #31; Norman Catalog M125 (this copy with a variant ornament of a shield without the two cherubs in the Norman copy). Weight: 10.0 ounces = 285 grams. Size: 8.0 x 5.0 x 0.6 inches = 20 x 12.5 x 1.5cm. The reports of both Royal Commissions along with Bailly's summary of the Faculty's report and d'Eslon's spirited critique of both reports, in which he condemned their prohibition against the practice of animal magnetism. A nice collection of the most important documents relating to the reports of the two commissions, the highly negative conclusions of which destroyed Mesmer's scientific pretensions for animal magnetism, consigning it to fringe science for several generations, until it reemerged in the mid-19th century as a slightly more respectable hypnotism. Very controversial, the reports stimulated for years the publication of pamphlets and books defending or excoriating their negative conclusions. HB

[SW: Hypnosis French]

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D'Eslon, Charles (1750-1786): Observations sur le magnetisme animal. <BR>BOUND WITH</BR> [Salaville, Jean Baptiste (1755-1832)]. Le moraliste mesmerien, ou Lettres philosophiques sur l'influence du magnetisme. A Londres, et se trouve a Paris: Chez Belin ... chez Brunet, 1784. [2]+132pp. Crabtree #110 (not seen); not in Caillet (so far as I can tell, anyway). 9 copies located in OCLC.BOUND WITH [D'Eslon]. Confession d'un medecin, academicien, & commissaire d'un rapport sur le magnetisme animal, avec les remontrances & avis de son directeur. [no place, no publisher, or date but 1785]. 70+[2]pp. Issued without a title-page. Attributed to d'Eslon by Dureau; formerly attributed to Nicolas Bergasse. Crabtree #122 & Caillet #978 (attributed by both to Bergasse). OCLC lists copies only at NLM, Wellcome, & Coll of Physicians of Phila, London and Paris 1780

London and Paris: Chez P. Fr. Didot le jeune ... C. M. Saugrain ... Clousier, 1780. 1st Edition. 151+[1]pp. Small octavo. Contemporary mottled calf with gilt spine, red morocco spine label, marbled endpapers, and red-tinted edges. Front joint cracked, modest wear to the edges, a VG, clean copy. Uncommon. The Salaville and second d'Eslon are both rare -- neither was in Haskell Norman's collection. Crabtree 12; Caillet 3661; Norman M77 (later edition); Tinterow p. 49 (1781 edition). Weight: 12.0 ounces = 342 grams. Size: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.0 inches = 17 x 10.5 x 2.5cm. "Because of his standing in the medical world, D'Eslon gave Mesmer credibility among the intelligentsia of Paris. This book was his major opus on animal magnetism in which he describes his first exposure to animal magnetism and how he became convinced of its efficacy. He adheres to all of Mesmer's teachings about the nature of the phenomenon, although he does not emphasize the doctrine of a magnetic fluid. D'Eslon stresses the importance of the fact that animal magnetism is effective as a treatment for illness. He knew this from his own experience, having been cured by Mesmer of a life-long ailment [Crabtree]. HB

[SW: Hypnosis French]

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Servan, Joseph-Michel Antoine: + Valleton de Boissiere -: Doutes d' un Provincial, proposes a Messieurs les medecins-commissaires charges par le Roi de l'Examen du Magnetisme Animal. Lypn & Paris, Prault, 1784, 8°, (4), 134 pp., contemporary mottled calf, richly gilt and decorated spine, red lettering label.

And bound with:
VALLETON DE BOISSIERE. Lettre a M. Thouret, Medecin a Paris; pour servir de refutation a l'Extrait de la Correspondance de la Societe Royale de Medecine, relativement au Magnetisme Animal. Cette Lettre est suivi d'un precis des cures operees a Nantes, par les moyens magnetique. 240 pp. Philadelphie (i. e. Paris?), 1785.
AD I: ORIGINAL EDITION - The Most Able Defence of Mesmer (Caillet)
As there are at least three variant issues of this book printed by the same publishers in the same year but with three different paginations of 2,126 pages;2,136pp. (listed by Caillet); 4, 134 pages as offered here, I do not dare to decide which one is actually the real first edition. "Les plus habile plaidoyer qui ait ete ecrit en faveur du magnetisme; Ouvrage ecrit avec beaucoup d'esprit et d'elegance" (Caillet) by a well known legal philosopher, a Rousseauist, and a friend and correspondent of Voltaire, d'Alembert, Helvetius, and Buffon, Josef-Michel-Antoine Servan (1737-1807). Far from favouring blind leaps into the occult, he stressed the need to stick to observable facts, to stand firmly on the ground that had been won from the metaphysicians by Locke and Condillac. Scientific progress amazed Servan and he was a great enthusiast in the ground of spectators on those memorable days when in Paris, 1783, the age of modern aviation was initiated by the first manned flights in the history of mankind. J. H. Meister compared Servan's mesmerist writing with Pascal's Provinciales and compares him with Socrates.
First two gatherings with marginal dampstain; first two leaves with repaired paper margins; else a well preserved and fresh copy of a volume which contains two important early works on animal magnetism and Mesmerism.
Caillet 10163; Crabtree 111 (one ofthe most thoughtful contemporary criticism); Waller 8878.
AD II: About Valleton de Boissiere's biography little appears to be on record. He was practicing medicine at Grenoble, a glowing admirer of Mesmer and his animal magnetism. His letter to Thouret is an "ouvrage fort interessant et qui laisse fort a penser sur la maniere peu loyale dont Thouret auraitredige son memoire. Ainsi M. Valleton lui reproche d'avoir passe sous silence; les lettres en faveur du magnetisme adressees a la Societe de Magnetisme par MM. Fitz-Gibbon at Archebol, medecins a Bordeauxy, Mazlac medecin a Castres; Monbalon, medecin a Bayonne; Nicolas, medecin a Grenoble. II rectifie aussi plusieurs faits importants mal rapportes par d'autres correspondants de la Societe Royale, et s'eleve avec raison contre l'opinion de Thouret, de mettre hors la loi les medecins qui s'occupent de la doctrine de Mesmer. II pense au contraire que tout medecin est juge des moyens a employer dans l'exercise de son art (Caillet III, 10995).
Crabtree 155; Alicke 326/67

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