Thedroopingeyelidscannotberaised；thesensesofhearing，smelling，feeling，andtastingaremorethanusuallyexcited。Inaddition，avarietyofnervoussensationsarefelt，suchasspasmsofthemusclesandprickingsoftheskin，andinvoluntarytwitchingsinvariouspartsofthebody。
Inthethirdstage，whichisthatofmagneticsleep，allthesensesareclosedtoexternalimpressions；andsometimesfainting，andcatalepticorapoplecticattacksmayoccur。
Inthefourthstage，thepatientisasleeptoalltheworld；butheisawakewithinhisownbody，andconsciousnessreturns。Whileinthisstate，allhissensesaretransferredtotheskin。Heisintheperfectcrisis，ormagneticsomnambulism；abeingofsoulandmind——
seeingwithouteyes——hearingwithoutears，anddeadenedinbodytoallsenseoffeeling。
Inthefifthstage，whichisthatoflucidvision，thepatientcanseehisowninternalorganisation，orthatofothersplacedinmagneticcommunicationwithhim。Hebecomes，atthesametime，possessedoftheinstinctofremedies。Themagneticfluid，inthisstage，uniteshimbypowerfulattractiontoothers，andestablishesbetweenthemanimpenetrationofthoughtandfeelingsointenseastoblendtheirdifferentnaturesintoone。
Inthesixthstage，whichisatthesametimetherarestandthemostperfectofall，thelucidvisionisnotobstructedbyopaquematter，orsubjecttoanybarriersinterposedbytimeorspace。Themagneticfluid，whichisuniversallyspreadinnature，unitestheindividualwithallnature，andgiveshimcognizanceofcomingeventsbyitsuniversallucidity。
Somuchwassaidandwrittenbetweentheyears1820and1825，andsomanyconvertsweremade，thatthemagnetisersbecameclamorousforanewinvestigation。M。deFoissac，ayoungphysician，wrotetotheAcademieRoyaleduMedicinealetter，callingforinquiry，inwhichhecomplainedoftheunfairnessofthereportofMessrs。BaillyandFranklinin1784，andstatingthat，sincethattime，thesciencehadwhollychangedbytheimportantdiscoveryofmagneticsomnambulism。HeinformedtheAcademythathehadunderhiscareayoungwoman，whosepowersofdivinationwheninthesomnambulicstatewereofthemostextraordinarycharacter。Heinvitedthemembersofthatbodytogointoanyhospital，andchoosepersonsafflictedwithanydiseases，acuteorchronic，simpleorcomplex，andhissomnambulist，onbeingputenrapport，orinmagneticconnexion，withthem，wouldinfalliblypointouttheirailingsandnametheremedies。She，andothersomnambulists，hesaid，could，bymerelylayingthehandsuccessivelyonthehead，thechest，andtheabdomenofastranger，immediatelydiscoverhismaladies，with，thepainsanddifferentalterationstherebyoccasioned。Theycouldindicate，besides，whetherthecurewerepossible，and，ifso，whetheritwereeasyordifficult，nearorremote，andwhatmeansshouldbeemployedtoattainthisresultbythesurestandreadiestway。Inthisexaminationtheyneverdepartedfromthesoundprinciplesofmedicine。“Infact，“addedM。deFoissac，“I
gofurther，andassertthattheirinspirationsarealliedtothegeniuswhichanimatedHippocrates！“
InthemeantimeexperimentswerecarriedoninvarioushospitalsofParis。TheepilepticpatientsattheSalpetriereweremagnetisedbypermissionofM。Esquirol。AttheBicetrealsothesameresuitswereobtained。M。deFoissacbusiedhimselfwiththeinvalidsattheHospicedelaCharite，andM。DupotetwasequallysuccessfulinproducingsleeporconvulsionsatValdeGrace。ManymembersoftheChamberofDeputiesbecameconverts，andM。Chardel，theComtedeGestas，M。deLaseases，andothers，openedtheirsaloonstothosewhoweredesirousofbeinginstructedinanimalmagnetism。[Dupotet’sIntroductiontotheStudyofAnimalMagnetism，page23。]OtherphysiciansunitedwithM。deFoissacincallingforaninquiry；andultimatelytheAcademynominatedapreliminarycommitteeoffiveofitsmembers，namely，MessrsAdelon，Burdin，Marc，Pariset，andHusson，toinvestigatetheallegedfacts，andtoreportwhethertheAcademy，withoutanycompromiseofitsdignity，couldappointanewcommission。
Beforethiscommittee，M。deFoissacproducedhisfamoussomnambulist；butshefailedinexhibitinganyoneofthephenomenaherphysicianhadsoconfidentlypredicted:shewaseasilythrownintothestateofsleep，bylonghabitandthemonotonyofthepassesandmanipulationsofhermagnetiser；butshecouldnottellthediseasesofpersonsputenrapportwithher。Thecommitteeoffiveframedexcusesforthisfailure，bysaying，thatprobablythemagneticfluidwasobstructed，becausetheywere“inexperienced，distrustful，andperhapsimpatient。“Afterthis，whatcanbesaidforthejudgmentortheimpartialityofsuchacommittee？Theygaveatlasttheiropinion，thatitwouldbeadvisabletoappointanewcommission。Onthel3thofDecember1825，theypresentedthemselvestotheAcademietodelivertheirreport。Adebateensued，whichoccupiedthreedays，andinwhichallthemostdistinguishedmemberstookpart。Itwasfinallydecidedbyamajorityoften，thatthecommissionshouldbeappointed，andthefollowingphysicianswerechosenitsmembers:——Theywereeleveninnumber，viz。BourdoisdelaMotte，thePresident；Fouquier，GueneaudeMussy，Guersent，Husson，Itard，Marc，J。J。Leroux，Thillay，Double，andMajendie。
Thesegentlemenbegantheirlaboursbypublishinganaddresstoallmagnetisers，invitingthemtocomeforwardandexhibitintheirpresencethewondersofanimalmagnetism。M。Dupotetsaysthatveryfewansweredthisamicableappeal，becausetheywereafraidofbeingridiculedwhenthereportshouldbepublished。Fourmagnetisers，however，answeredtheirappealreadily，andforfiveyearswerebusilyengagedinbringingproofsofthenewsciencebeforethecommission。
ThesewereM。deFoissac，M。Dupotet，M。Chapelain，andM。deGeslin。
Itwouldbebutanunprofitable，andbynomeansapleasanttasktofollowthecommissionersintheirerraticcareer，astheywereledhitherandthitherbythefourlightsofmagnetismabovementioned；
thefour“Wills-o’-the-Wisp“whichdazzledthebenightedandbewildereddoctorsonthatwideandshadowyregionofmetaphysicalinquiry——theinfluenceofmindovermatter。Itwillbebettertostateatoncetheconclusiontheycametoaftersolongandlaboriousaninvestigation，andthenexaminewhethertheywerewarrantedinitbytheevidencebroughtbeforethem。
Thereport，whichisexceedinglyvoluminous，isclassedunderthirtydifferentheads，anditsgeneraltenorisfavourabletomagnetism。Thereportersexpresslystatetheirbeliefintheexistenceofthemagneticfluid，andsumuptheresultoftheirinquiriesinthefourassertionswhichfollow:——
1。Magnetismhasnoeffectuponpersonsinasoundstateofhealth，noruponsomediseasedpersons。
2。Inothersitseffectsareslight。
3。Theseeffectsaresometimesproducedbywearinessorennui，bymonotony，andbytheimagination。
4。Wehaveseentheseeffectsdevelopedindependentlyofthelastcauses，mostprobablyastheeffectsofmagnetismalone。
Itwillbeseenthatthefirstandsecondofthesesentencespresupposetheexistenceofthatmagneticpower，whichitistheobjectoftheinquirytodiscover。Thereportersbegin，bysaying，thatmagnetismexists，whenafterdetailingtheirproofs，theyshouldhaveendedbyaffirmingit。Forthesakeoflucidity，afavouriteexpressionoftheirown，letusputthepropositionsintoanewformandnewwords，withoutalteringthesense。
1。Certaineffects，suchasconvulsions，somnambulism，&c。areproducibleinthehumanframe，bythewillofothers，bythewillofthepatienthimself，orbybothcombined，orbysomeunknownmeans，wewishtodiscover，perhapsbymagnetism。
2。Theseeffectsarenotproducibleuponallbodies。Theycannotbeproduceduponpersonsinasoundstateofhealth，noruponsomediseasedpersons；whileinothereases，theeffectsareveryslight。
3。Theseeffectswereproducedinmanycasesthatfellunderournotice，inwhichthepersonsoperatedonwereinaweakstateofhealth，bywearinessorennui，bymonotony，andbythepowerofimagination。
4。Butinmanyothereasestheseeffectswereproduced，andwereclearlynottheresultofwearinessorennui，ofmonotony，orofthepoweroftheimagination。Theywere，therefore，producedbythemagneticprocessesweemployed:——ergo——AnimalMagnetismexists。
Everyone，whetherabelieverordisbelieverinthedoctrine，mustseethatthewholegistoftheargumentwillbedestroyed，ifitbeprovedthattheeffectswhichthereportersclaimedasresultingfromapowerindependentofweariness，monotony，andtheimagination，did，infact，resultfromthem，andfromnothingelse。Thefollowingareamongtheproofsbroughtforwardtosupporttheexistenceofthemagneticfluid，asproducingthosephenomena:——
“Achild，twenty-eightmonthsold，wasmagnetisedbyM。Foissac，atthehouseofM。Bourdois。Thechild，aswellasitsfather，wassubjecttoattacksofepilepsy。AlmostimmediatelyafterM。Foissachadbegunhismanipulationsandpasses，thechildrubbeditseyes，bentitsheadtooneside，supporteditononeofthecushionsofthesofawhereitwassitting，yawned，moveditselfabout，scratcheditsheadanditsears，appearedtostriveagainsttheapproachofsleep，andthenrose，ifwemaybeallowedtheexpression，grumbling。Beingtakenawaytosatisfyanecessityofnature，itwasagainplacedonthesofa，andmagnetisedforafewmoments。Butasthereappearednodecidedsymptomsofsomnolencythistime，weterminatedtheexperiment。“
Andthisinallseriousnessandsobrietywascalledaproofoftheexistenceofthemagneticfluid！Thattheseeffectswerenotproducedbytheimaginationmaybegranted；butthattheywerenotproducedbywearinessandmonotonyisnotsoclear。Achildisseateduponasofa，asolemnlookinggentleman，surroundedbyseveralothersequallygrave，beginstoplayvariousstrangeanticsbeforeit，movinghishandsmysteriously，pointingathishead，allthewhilepreservingamostprovokingsilence。Andwhatdoesthechild？Itrubsitseyes，appearsrestless，yawns，scratchesitshead，grumbles，andmakesanexcusetogetaway。Magnetism，forsooth！’Twasadecidedcaseofbotheration！
Thenextproofsocalled，thoughnotsoamusing，isequallydecisiveofthemystificationoftheCommissioners。Adeafanddumblad，eighteenyearsofage，andsubjecttoattacksofepilepsy，wasmagnetisedfifteentimesbyM。Foissac。Thephenomenaexhibitedduringthetreatmentwereaheavinessoftheeyelids，ageneralnumbness，adesiretosleep，andsometimesvertigo:——theepilepticattackswereentirelysuspended，anddidnotreturntilleightmonthsafterwards。
Uponthiscaseandthefirstmentioned，theCommitteereasonedthus:——
“Thesecasesappeartousaltogetherworthyofremark。Thetwoindividualswhoformedthesubjectoftheexperiment，wereignorantofwhatwasdonetothem。Theone，indeed，wasnotinastatecapableofknowingit；andtheotherneverhadtheslightestideaofmagnetism。