The Facts in the case of M. Valdemar

MesmerismAnimal magnetism TranceHypnosisAltered state Medical fraudEarly evidence of PNI

Franz Anton MesmerAustrian Physician (1734-1815)

Invisible ‘fluid’ – ‘the force’

Invisible ‘fluid’ – ‘the force’

The Mesmeric ProcessAffected by magnets & ‘passes’Mesmeric tubs & chains

Surgery without anaesthetic!

Dismissed by Royal Commission (1784)It’s clearly a load of old codswallop!

But persists as ‘pseudo-science’

What if…There was a Mesmeric fluid?

What if…It could induce a ‘suspension’ of consciousness?

And what if…You mesmerised a man about to die from terminal illness?

Could life be extended indefinitely until a cure could be found?

Medical VocabularyIn articulo mortis = ‘at the point of death’Phthisis = tuberculosis (disease of the lungs – consumption)Semi-osseous = partly ‘fossilised’Cartilaginous = gristlyAneurism = abnormal enlargementAorta = heart’s artery

‘amid ejaculations of ‘Dead! Dead! absolutely bursting from the tongue …’Ejaculation = ‘outburst’