“Nothingismoreastonishingthanthespectacleoftheseconvulsions。Onewhohasnotseenthemcanformnoideaofthem。Thespectatorisasmuchastonishedattheprofoundreposeofoneportionofthepatientsasattheagitationoftherest-atthevariousaccidentswhicharerepeated，andatthesympathieswhichareexhibited。Someofthepatientsmaybeseendevotingtheirattentionexclusivelytooneanother，rushingtowardseachotherwithopenarms，smiling，soothing，andmanifestingeverysymptomofattachmentandaffection。Allareunderthepowerofthemagnetiser；itmattersnotinwhatstateofdrowsinesstheymaybe，thesoundofhisvoice——alook，amotionofhishand——bringsthemoutofit。Amongthepatientsinconvulsionstherearealwaysobservedagreatmanywomen，andveryfewmen。“[RapportdesCommissaires，redigeparM。Bailly——
Theseexperimentslastedforaboutfivemonths。Theyhadhardlycommenced，beforeMesmer，alarmedatthelossbothoffameandprofit，determinedtoreturntoParis。Somepatientsofrankandfortune，enthusiasticbelieversinhisdoctrine，hadfollowedhimtoSpa。OneofthemnamedBergasse，proposedtoopenasubscriptionforhim，ofonehundredshares，atonehundredlouiseach，onconditionthathewoulddisclosehissecrettothesubscribers，whoweretobepermittedtomakewhateverusetheypleasedofit。Mesmerreadilyembracedtheproposal；andsuchwastheinfatuation，thatthesubscriptionwasnotonlyfilledinafewdays，butexceededbynolessasumthanonehundredandfortythousandfrancs。
WiththisfortunehereturnedtoParis，andrecommencedhisexperiments，whiletheroyalcommissioncontinuedtheirs。Hisadmiringpupils，whohadpaidhimsohandsomelyforhisinstructions，spreadthedelusionoverthecountry，andestablishedinalltheprincipaltownsofFrance，“SocietiesofHarmony，“fortryingexperimentsandcuringalldiseasesbymeansofmagnetism。Someofthesesocietieswereascandaltomorality，beingjoinedbyprofligatemenofdepravedappetites，whotookadisgustingdelightinwitnessingyounggirlsinconvulsions。Manyofthepretendedmagnetiserswerenotoriouslibertines，whotookthatopportunityofgratifyingtheirpassions。AnillegalincreaseofthenumberofFrenchcitizenswasanythingbutarareconsequenceinStrasburg，Nantes，Bourdeaux，Lyons，andothertowns，wherethesesocietieswereestablished。
AtlasttheCommissionerspublishedtheirreport，whichwasdrawnupbytheillustriousandunfortunateBailly。Forclearnessofreasoningandstrictimpartialityithasneverbeensurpassed。Afterdetailingthevariousexperimentsmade，andtheirresults，theycametotheconclusionthattheonlyproofadvancedinsupportofAnimalMagnetismwastheeffectsitproducedonthehumanbody——thatthoseeffectscouldbeproducedwithoutpassesorothermagneticmanipulations-thatallthesemanipulations，andpasses，andceremoniesneverproduceanyeffectatallifemployedwithoutthepatient’sknowledge；andthatthereforeimaginationdid，andanimalmagnetismdidnot，accountforthephenomena。
ThisreportwastheruinofMesmer’sreputationinFrance。HequittedParisshortlyafter，withthethreehundredandfortythousandfrancswhichhadbeensubscribedbyhisadmirers，andretiredtohisowncountry，wherehediedin1815，attheadvancedageofeighty-one。