Report of the Commissioners on Animal Magnetism

...to know through their own sensations the announced effects of this agent Referring to the "magnetic fluid" claimed by Franz Mesmer.. They therefore submitted themselves to these effects, and with such resolution that they would not have been sorry to experience accidents In 18th-century medical terminology, "accidents" refers to sudden symptoms, side effects, or physical crises. and a disruption of health, which, if clearly recognized as a certain effect of Magnetism, would have allowed them to resolve this important question immediately and through their own testimony.

Precaution that they believed necessary.

But in submitting themselves thus to Magnetism, the Commissioners used a necessary precaution. There is no individual, even in the state of the best health, who, if they wished to listen to themselves attentively, would not feel within themselves an infinity of movements and variations, whether of infinitely slight pain or of heat in different parts of their body; these variations, which take place at all times, are independent of Magnetism. It is perhaps not a matter of indifference to focus and fix one's attention upon oneself in this way. There are so many connections—whatever the means—between the will of the soul The "soul" (l'ame) here refers to the mind or conscious will, reflecting the period's philosophical view of the mind-body connection. and the movements of the body, that one cannot say how far the influence of attention may go; for attention seems to be but a series of acts of will, directed constantly and without interruption toward the same object. When one considers that the will moves the arm as it pleases, can one be sure that attention, fixed on some internal part of the body, cannot excite slight movements there, bring heat to it, and modify its current state so as to produce new sensations? The first concern of the Commissioners had to be not to make themselves too attentive to what was happening within them. If Magnetism is a real and powerful cause,