On the sentient faculty, and principles of human magnetism / translated from the French of Count de Redern, and elucidated with notes by Francis Corbaux.

  • Redern, Sigismund Ehrenreich, Graf von, 1761-1841.
Date:
1819
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the sentient faculty, and principles of human magnetism / translated from the French of Count de Redern, and elucidated with notes by Francis Corbaux. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    long series of volumes, a great number ought to be discarded; the narrators not being always competent, accurately to observe the facts, to state and class them distinctly, to discriminate real causes, or the essentials from indifferent circumstances, and to avoid even gross mistakes. It shall further be conceded, that many of those facts are tainted with exaggeration; principally, from the delusive tendency of enthusiasm, against which it is difficult to guard in the commencements of Magnetic practice, the inexperienced observer being then bewildered by the ap¬ parent wonders daily unfolded to his view : at the same time, it is probable thatfew only, of such exaggerations, could with justice be imputed to insincerity. But when a scrupulous selection shall have been made,—when the line of distinction shall have been strictly draw'n, it will certainly be found that the remaining facts, wearing an indisputable character, (from their resting upon mul¬ tifarious and unexceptionable testimonies, of respectable and well informed persons of different countries, who had no intercourse with each other, and yet have witnessed, at different periods, and carefully observed substantial facts of the same order,) are still a greatdeal more than is strictly necessary, for justifying every thing asserted in this book concerning them, and to call forth the serious attention of every impartial person, not absolutely indifferent to the improvement of general knowledge, and to the well being of mankind. Human Magnetism, it is true, does not always cure the dis¬ eases to which it is indiscriminately applied, by all descriptions of persons. It is conceived to be of little or no service, in cases where the vital powers require reduction : an organ actually destroyed, a constitution originally defective, are not susceptible