The principle had been admitted with regard to man by Fludd, Heller, Mesmer, and a little later by Scoresby, and has been defended in our day by Chazarain, Decle, Durville, Rochas and Barety. But they contradict one another so flatly concerning the divergence of these poles, that I feel constrained for the moment to look upon the supposed polarity as an involuntary outgrowth of professional training, - in other words, as a piece of unconscious self-deception on the part of the experimenter. Baraduc even alludes to an instrument by means of which he thought it possible to measure the exact magnetic relations of human beings one to the other, and to reduce them to a formula.

The doctrine of animal magnetism has been turned to practical account in its use in therapeutics by the so-called magnetopaths or medical magnetizers. Already some time ago, Goler von Ravensburg and others called attention to the numerous sources of error in this field, and these are equally prolific at the present day. Magnetopaths claim that the existence of animal magnetism is demonstrated by their cures, overlooking the very important point that these cures are partially assisted by suggestion, partially by spontaneous improvement in the health of the patient. They also pretend, it is true, to effect cures in cases of such diseases as cancer, tabes dorsalis, etc., incurable by scientific medical treatment. But in spite of all their noisy self-assertion, the true position of affairs is this: not one single well-authenticated case exists of a disease of this nature having been cured by magnetic treatment. To start with, it would be a necessary condition of such cures that a proper diagnosis of cancer, or whatever the disease might be, should be established in an unassailable fashion by scientifically qualified medical practitioners prior to the magnetic treatment.

The absence of a serious scientific diagnosis (cf. p. 319) can never be compensated for either by those furnished by the patients themselves, or by the magnetopaths, quite capable of taking an inflammation for cancer, or neurasthenia for tabes dorsalis. As to the manner in which their diagnoses are made, a single instance may suffice. A good many years ago I had a visit from a Fraulein von X., "qualified medical magnetizer," as was stated on her card, who wished to convince me of her magnetic powers. When I inquired how she proposed to accomplish this, she assured me that she had quite recently cured a case of erysipelas in the face by a course of magnetizing. To my next inquiry as to how her diagnosis had been made, she replied: - "It was a red spot that turned white on pressure; consequently it must have been erysipelas." And this is the sort of diagnosis we are asked to accept as evidence of the curative powers of magnetism! The very names given to some of the illnesses are enough to arouse suspicion.

Thus one patient is said to have been cured by magnetism of "swelling of the cardiac valves." Another is described as having suffered from "gout in the head"; while in a third case, that of a patient one of whose lungs was seriously affected, a three weeks' treatment is reported to have caused the diseased organ to "scab over." Another patient had "serious oppression of the stomach," and one woman's organs were "all of a wobble." The more appalling the diagnosis, the greater should be our caution in accepting it as correct. Nor must it be forgotten that magnetopaths very often employ other methods simultaneously with their own. They prescribe, for instance, rules of diet which are in reality the principal factors in their treatment, the magnetizing itself having no specific action. But it is to magnetism that the good results are ascribed, which are, of course, in fact due to diet. An alcoholic patient while being magnetized, received the injunction from the magnetopath to abstain from drink. It will be very readily believed that the condition of a man suffering from alcoholism will improve as long as he gives up drinking.

Only this is no argument whatever for the existence of animal magnetism.

Magnetopaths constantly complain that science does not recognize their powers. In point of fact one magnetopath does not, as a rule, recognize the power of a fellow magnetopath. The magnetopath A. hears with a pitying smile of the magnetic power over which the magnetopath B. claims to hold control. It may not be uninteresting to my readers if I here reproduce a letter written to an acquaintance of mine by a magnetopath. It shows how these gentry make their diagnoses, and also what one magnetopath thinks of another. The gentleman, who had once been a patient of mine, wrote a description of his malady to the magnetopath and received the following reply: -

"Dear Sir, - I have received your esteemed communication, and will make an exception in your case, a thing I otherwise never do without a fee of twenty marks (£1), because I have been taken in too often by the general public. As your complaint is neither dilatation of the heart nor poverty of blood, kindly give up taking iron, or your stomach will be completely ruined. Your whole trouble is the result of a perfectly normal circulation of the blood caused by the abdomen, which does not functionate properly. The best I can say and advise is come to me, then you will certainly be cured of your complaint. You should write to me beforehand, so as to enable me to make an appointment, as my services are in great request. Yours faithfully, [here follows the signature]. I do not know of a magnetizer named N., in the locality you mention, and I must warn you to be very careful whom you take to be a magnetizer 1!!"

This magnetopath also exhibited the virtue of being a friend to his own family. When he was again questioned about a magnetizer in Magdeburg or Mlinster, he replied, he did not know of any such in those towns: "There are very few trustworthy magnetizers in Germany." To this communication there was also a postscript: " My son Henry can also cure diseases at a distance. You may apply to him here" (address given) "with perfect confidence."