Both，however，wereinsensibleofitsinfluence；andmostcertainlyitisimpossibleineithercasetoattributethissensibilitytotheimagination。“Thefirstcasehasbeenalreadydisposedof。Withregardtothesecond，itisverypossibletoattributealltheresultstoimagination。Itcannotbecontended，thatbecausetheladwasdeafanddumbhehadnounderstanding，thathecouldnotseethestrangemanipulationsofthemagnetiser，andthathewasunawarethathiscurewastheobjectoftheexperimentsthatwerethusmadeuponhim。Hadhenofancymerelybecausehewasdumb？andcouldhe，forthesamereason，avoidfeelingaheavinessinhiseyelids，anumbness，andasleepiness，whenhewasforcedtositfortwoorthreehourswhileM。
Foissacpointedhisfingersathim？Asfortheameliorationinhishealth，noargumentcanbeadducedtoprovethathewasdevoidoffaithintheremedy；andthat，havingfaith，heshouldnotfeelthebenefitofitaswellasthousandsofotherswhohavebeencuredbymeanswhollyasimaginary。
Thethirdcaseisbroughtforwardwithastillgreatershowofauthority。Havingmagnetisedthechildandthedumbyouthwithresultssoextraordinary，M。FoissacnexttriedhishanduponaCommissioner。
M。Itardwassubjectedtoacourseofmanipulations；theconsequenceswereaflowofsaliva，ametallicsavourinthemouth，andasevereheadach。Thesesymptoms，saythereporters，cannotbeaccountedforbytheinfluenceofimagination。M。Itard，itshouldberemarked，wasaconfirmedvaletudinarian；andabeliever，beforetheinvestigationcommenced，inthetruthofmagnetism。Hewasaman，therefore，whosetestimonycannotbereceivedwithimplicitcredenceuponthissubject。
Hemayhaverepeated，andsomayhisbrotherCommissioners，thattheresultsabovestatedwerenotproducedbythepoweroftheimagination。ThepatientsofPerkins，ofValentineGreatraks，ofSirKenelmDigby，ofFatherGassner，wereallequallypositive:butwhatavailedtheirassertions？Experiencesoonmadeitmanifest，thatnootherpowerthanthatofimaginationworkedthewondersintheircase。
M。Itard’sisnothalfsoextraordinary；theonlywonderis，thatitshouldeverhavebeeninsistedupon。
TheCommissionershaving，astheythought，establishedbeyonddoubttheexistenceofthemagneticfluid，andthesearealltheirproofs，nextproceededtoinvestigatethemoremarvellousphenomenaofthescience；suchasthetransferofthesenses；thecapabilityofseeingintoone’sownorotherpeople’sinsides，andofdiviningremedies；andthepowerofprophecy。Afewexampleswillsuffice。
M。PetitwasmagnetisedbyM。Dupotet，whoassertedthatthesomnambulistwouldbeabletochoose，withhiseyesshut，amesmerisedcoinoutoftwelveothers。Theexperimentwastried，andthesomnambulistchosethewrongone。[ReportoftheCommissioners，p。
BaptisteChametwasalsomagnetisedbyM。Dupotet，andfellintothesomnambulicstateaftereightminutes。Asheappearedtobesufferinggreatpain，hewasaskedwhatailedhim，whenhepointedtohisbreast，andsaidhefeltpainthere。Beingaskedwhatpartofhisbodythatwas，hesaidhisliver。[Ibid，p。137。]
MademoiselleMartineauwasmagnetisedbyM。Dupotet，anditwasexpectedthathercasewouldprovenotonlythetransferofthesenses，butthepowerofdiviningremedies。Hereyeshavingbeenbandaged，shewasaskedifshecouldnotseeallthepersonspresent？
Shereplied，no；butshecouldhearthemtalking。Noonewasspeakingatthetime。Shesaidshewouldawakeafterfiveortenminutessleep。
Shedidnotawakeforsixteenorseventeenminutes。Sheannouncedthatonacertaindayshewouldbeabletotellexactlythenatureofhercomplaint，andprescribetheproperremedies。Ontheappointeddayshewasaskedthequestion，andcouldnotanswer。[ReportoftheCommissioners，p。139。]
MademoiselleCouturier，apatientofM。deGeslin，wasthrownintothestateofsomnambulism，andM。deGeslinsaidshewouldexecutehismentalorders。OneoftheCommitteethenwroteonaslipofpaperthewords“Goandsitdownonthestoolinfrontofthepiano。“HehandedthepapertoM。deGeslin，whohavingconceivedthewordsmentally，turnedtohispatient，andtoldhertodoasherequiredofher。Sheroseup，wenttotheclock，andsaiditwastwentyminutespastnine。
Shewastriedninetimesmore，andmadeasmanymistakes。[Idem，p。
PierreCazotwasanepilepticpatient，andwassaidtohavethepowerofprophecy。Beingmagnetisedonthe22ndofApril，hesaidthatinnineweeksheshouldhaveafit，inthreeweeksafterwardsgomad，abusehiswife，murdersomeone，andfinallyrecoverinthemonthofAugust。Afterwhichheshouldneverhaveanattackagain。[Idem，p。
180]Intwodaysafterutteringthisprophecy，hewasrunoverbyacabrioletandkilled。[ForeignQuarterlyReview，vol。xii。p。439]A
postmortemexaminationwasmadeofhisbody，whenitwasascertainedbeyonddoubt，thatevenhadhenotmetwiththisaccident，hecouldneverhaverecovered。[Attheextremityoftheplexuschoroideswasfoundasubstance，yellowwithin，andwhitewithout，containingsmallhydatids——ReportoltreCommissioners，p。186。]
Theinquestwhichhadbeenthemeansofelicitingthese，alongwithmanyotherfacts，havingsatforupwardsoffiveyears，themagnetisersbecameanxiousthatthereportshouldbereceivedbythesolemnconclaveoftheAcademie。Atlengthadaythe20thofJune1831wasfixedforthereading。AllthedoctorsofParisthrongedaroundthehalltolearntheresult；thestreetinfrontofthebuildingwascrowdedwithmedicalstudents；thepassageswereobstructedbyphilosophers。“Sogreatwasthesensation，“saysM。
Dupotet，“thatitmighthavebeensupposedthefateofthenationdependedontheresult。“M。Husson，thereporter，appearedatthebarandreadthereport，thesubstanceofwhichwehavejustextracted。Hewasheardatfirstwithgreatattention，butasheproceededsignsofimpatienceanddissentweremanifestedonallsides。TheunreasonableinferencesoftheCommissioners——theirfalseconclusions-theirtoopositiveassertions，werereceivedwithrepeatedmarksofdisapprobation。Someoftheacademiciansstartedfromtheirseats，andapostrophisingtheCommissioners，accusedthemofpartialityorstolidity。TheCommissionersreplied；until，atlast，theuproarbecamesoviolentthatanadjournmentofthesittingwasmovedandcarried。Onthefollowingdaythereportwasconcluded。Astormydiscussionimmediatelyensued，whichcertainlyreflectednocreditupontheopponentsofAnimalMagnetism。Bothsideslosttemper-theanti-magnetistsdeclaringthatthewholewasafraudandadelusion；
thepro-magnetistsremindingtheAcademythatitwastoooftenthefateoftruthtobescornedanddisregardedforawhile，butthateventuallyhercausewouldtriumph。“Wedonotcareforyourdisbelief，“criedone，“forinthisveryhallyourpredecessorsdeniedthecirculationoftheblood！“-“Yes，“criedanother，“andtheydeniedthefallingofmeteoricstones！“whileathirdexclaimed“Grandeestveritasetpraevalebit！“Somedegreeoforderbeingatlastrestored，thequestionwhetherthereportshouldbereceivedandpublishedwasdecidedinthenegative。Itwasafterwardsagreedthatalimitednumberofcopiesshouldbelithographed，fortheprivateuseofsuchmembersaswishedtomakefurtherexamination。
Asmighthavebeenexpected，magnetismdidnotsufferfromadiscussionwhichitsopponentshadconductedwithsomuchintemperance。Thefollowersofmagnetismwereasloudaseverinvauntingitsefficacyasacure，anditsvalue，notonlytothescienceofmedicine，buttophilosophyingeneral。ByforceofrepeatedoutcriesagainstthedecisionoftheAcademie，andassertionsthatnewfactswerediscovereddayafterday，itsfriends，sixyearsafterwards，prevaileduponthatlearnedandinfluentialbodytoinstituteanotherinquiry。TheAcademie，inthusconsentingtorenewtheinvestigationafterithadtwicesolemnlydecidedonceinconjunctionwith，andonceinoppositiontoacommitteeofitsownappointmentthatAnimalMagnetismwasafraudorachimera，gavethemoststrikingproofofitsownimpartialityandsinceredesiretoarriveatthetruth。
ThenewCommissionwascomposedofM。Roux，thePresident；andMessieursBouillard，Cloquet，Emery，Pelletier，Caventon，Oudet，Cornac，andDuboisd’Amiens。ThechiefmagnetiserupontheoccasionwasM。Berna，whohadwrittentotheAcademieonthe12thofFebruary1837，offeringtobringforwardthemostconvincingproofsofthetruthofthenew“science。“TheCommissionersmetforthefirsttimeonthe27thofFebruary，anddeliveredtheirreport，whichwasdrawnupbyM。Duboisd’Amiens，onthe22ndofAugustfollowing。Afteracarefulexaminationofalltheevidence，theydecided，asMessieursBaillyandFranklinhaddonein1784，thatthetouchings，imagination，andtheforceofimitationwouldaccountsatisfactorilyforallthephenomena；thatthesupposedMesmericfluidwouldnot；thatM。Berna，themagnetiser，labouredunderadelusion；andthatthefactsbroughtundertheirnoticewereanythingbutconclusiveinfavourofthedoctrineofAnimalMagnetism，andcouldhavenorelationeitherwithphysiologyorwiththerapeutics。
ThefollowingabridgmentofthereportwillshowthattheCommissionersdidnotthusdecidewithoutabundantreason。Onthe3rdofMarchtheymetatthehouseofM。Roux，thePresident，whenM。
Bernaintroducedhispatient，ayounggirlofseventeen，ofaconstitutionapparentlynervousanddelicate，butwithanairsufficientlycoolandself-sufficient。M。BernaofferedeightproofsofAnimalMagnetism，whichhewouldelicitinhercase，andwhichheclassedasfollow:——
Hewouldthrowherintothestateofsomnambulism。
Hewouldrenderherquiteinsensibletobodilypain。
Hewouldrestorehertosensibilitybyhismerewill，withoutanyvisibleoraudiblemanifestationofit。
Hismentalordershoulddepriveherofmotion。
Hewouldcauseher，byamentalorder，toceaseansweringinthemidstofaconversation，andbyasecondmentalorderwouldmakeherbeginagain。
Hewouldrepeatthesameexperiment，separatedfromhispatientbyadoor。
Hewouldawakeher。
Hewouldthrowheragainintothesomnambulicstate，andbyhiswillsuccessivelycausehertoloseandrecoverthesensibilityofanypartofherbody。