Duringthefirsttwelveyearsofthepresentcentury，littlewasheardofAnimalMagnetisminanycountryofEurope。EventheGermansforgottheirairyfancies；recalledtotheknowledgeofthisevery-dayworldbytheroarofNapoleon’scannonandthefallortheestablishmentofkingdoms。Duringthisperiod，acloudofobscurityhungoverthescience，whichwasnotdisperseduntilM。Deleuzepublished，in1813，his“HistoireCritiqueduMagnetismeAnimal。“Thisworkgaveanewimpulsetothehalf-forgottendelusion；newspapers，pamphlets，andbooksagainwagedwaruponeachotheronthequestionofitstruthorfalsehood；andmanyeminentmenintheprofessionofmedicinerecommencedinquiry，withanearnestdesigntodiscoverthetruth。
TheassertionsmadeinthecelebratedtreatiseofDeleuzearethussummedup:[Seetheverycalm，clear，anddispassionatearticleuponthesubjectinthefifthvolume1830of“TheForeignReview，“page96，etseq。]——“Thereisafluidcontinuallyescapingfromthehumanbody，“and“forminganatmospherearoundus，“which，as“ithasnodeterminedcurrent，“producesnosensibleeffectsonsurroundingindividuals。Itis，however，“capableofbeingdirectedbythewill；“
and，whensodirected，“issentforthincurrents，“withaforcecorrespondingtotheenergywepossess。Itsmotionis“similartothatoftheraysfromburningbodies；““itpossessesdifferentqualitiesindifferentindividuals。“Itiscapableofahighdegreeofconcentration，“andexistsalsointrees。“Thewillofthemagnetiser，“guidedbyamotionofthehand，severaltimesrepeatedinthesamedirection，“canfillatreewiththisfluid。Mostpersons，whenthisfluidispouredintothem，fromthebodyandbythewillofthemagnetiser，“feelasensationofheatorcold“whenhepasseshishandbeforethem，withouteventouchingthem。Somepersons，whensufficientlychargedwiththisfluid，fallintoastateofsomnambulism，ormagneticecstasy；and，wheninthisstate，“theyseethefluidencirclingthemagnetiserlikeahalooflight，andissuinginluminousstreamsfromhismouthandnostrils，hishead，andhands；
possessingaveryagreeablesmell，andcommunicatingaparticulartastetofoodandwater。“
Onewouldthinkthattheseabsurditieswerequiteenoughtobeinsisteduponbyanyphysicianwhowishedtobeconsideredsane，buttheyonlyformasmallportionofthewondrousthingsrelatedbyM。
Deleuze。Hefurthersaid，“Whenmagnetismproducessomnambulism，thepersonwhoisinthisstateacquiresaprodigiousextensionofallhisfaculties。Severalofhisexternalorgans，especiallythoseofsightandhearing，becomeinactive；butthesensationswhichdependuponthemtakeplaceinternally。Seeingandhearingarecarriedonbythemagneticfluid，whichtransmitstheimpressionsimmediately，andwithouttheinterventionofanynervesororgansdirectlytothebrain。Thusthesomnambulist，thoughhiseyesandearsareclosed，notonlyseesandhears，butseesandhearsmuchbetterthanhedoeswhenawake。Inallthingshefeelsthewillofthemagnetiser，althoughthatwillbenotexpressed。Heseesintotheinteriorofhisownbody，andthemostsecretorganizationofthebodiesofallthosewhomaybeputenrapport，orinmagneticconnexion，withhim。Mostcommonly，heonlyseesthosepartswhicharediseasedanddisordered，andintuitivelyprescribesaremedyforthem。Hehaspropheticvisionsandsensations，whicharegenerallytrue，butsometimeserroneous。Heexpresseshimselfwithastonishingeloquenceandfacility。Heisnotfreefromvanity。Hebecomesamoreperfectbeingofhisownaccordforacertaintime，ifguidedwiselybythemagnetiser，butwandersifheisill-directed。“
AccordingtoM。Deleuze，anypersoncouldbecomeamagnetiserandproducetheseeffects，byconformingtothefollowingconditions，andactinguponthefollowingrules:——
Forgetforawhileallyourknowledgeofphysicsandmetaphysics。
Removefromyourmindallobjectionsthatmayoccur。
Imaginethatitisinyourpowertotakethemaladyinhand，andthrowitononeside。
Neverreasonforsixweeksafteryouhavecommencedthestudy。
Haveanactivedesiretodogood；afirmbeliefinthepowerofmagnetism，andanentireconfidenceinemployingit。Inshort，repelalldoubts；desiresuccess，andactwithsimplicityandattention。
Thatistosay，“beverycredulous；beverypersevering；rejectallpastexperience，anddonotlistentoreason，“andyouareamagnetiserafterM。Deleuze’sownheart。
Havingbroughtyourselfintothisedifyingstateoffanaticism，“removefromthepatientallpersonswhomightbetroublesometoyou:
keepwithyouonlythenecessarywitnesses——asingleperson，ifneedbe；desirethemnottooccupythemselvesinanywaywiththeprocessesyouemployandtheeffectswhichresultfromthem，buttojoinwithyouinthedesireofdoinggoodtoyourpatient。Arrangeyourselfsoasneithertobetoohotnortoocold，andinsuchamannerthatnothingmayobstructthefreedomofyourmotions；andtakeprecautionstopreventinterruptionduringthesitting。Makeyourpatientthensitascommodiouslyaspossible，andplaceyourselfoppositetohim，onaseatalittlemoreelevated，insuchamannerthathiskneesmaybebetwixtyours，andyourfeetatthesideofhis。First，requesthimtoresignhimself；tothinkofnothing；nottoperplexhimselfbyexaminingtheeffectswhichmaybeproduced；tobanishallfear；tosurrenderhimselftohope，andnottobedisturbedordiscouragediftheactionofmagnetismshouldcauseinhimmomentarypains。Afterhavingcollectedyourself，takehisthumbsbetweenyourfingersinsuchawaythattheinternalpartofyourthumbsmaybeincontactwiththeinternalpartofhis，andthenfixyoureyesuponhim！Youmustremainfromtwotofiveminutesinthissituation，oruntilyoufeelanequalheatbetweenyourthumbsandhis。Thisdone，youwillwithdrawyourhands，removingthemtotherightandleft；andatthesametimeturningthemtilltheirinternalsurfacebeoutwards，andyouwillraisethemtotheheightofthehead。Youwillnowplacethemuponthetwoshoulders，andletthemremainthereaboutaminute；
afterwardsdrawingthemgentlyalongthearmstotheextremitiesofthefingers，touchingveryslightlyasyougo。Youwillrenewthispassfiveorsixtimes，alwaysturningyourhands，andremovingthemalittlefromthebodybeforeyouliftthem。Youwillthenplacethemabovethehead；and，afterholdingthemthereforaninstant，lowerthem，passingthembeforetheface，atthedistanceofoneortwoinches，downtothepitofthestomach。Thereyouwillstopthemtwominutesalso，puttingyourthumbsuponthepitofthestomachandtherestofyourfingersbelowtheribs。Youwillthendescendslowlyalongthebodytotheknees，orrather，ifyoucandosowithoutderangingyourself，totheextremityofthefeet。Youwillrepeatthesameprocessesseveraltimesduringtheremainderofthesitting。Youwillalsooccasionallyapproachyourpatient，soastoplaceyourhandsbehindhisshoulders，inordertodescendslowlyalongthespineofthebackandthethighs，downtothekneesorthefeet。Afterthefirstpasses，youmaydispensewithputtingyourhandsuponthehead，andmaymakethesubsequentpassesuponthearms，beginningattheshoulders，anduponthebody，beginningatthestomach。“
SuchwastheprocessofmagnetisingrecommendedbyDeleuze。Thatdelicate，fanciful，andnervouswomen，whensubjectedtoit，shouldhaveworkedthemselvesintoconvulsionswillbereadilybelievedbythesturdiestopponentofAnimalMagnetism。Tositinaconstrainedposture——bestaredoutofcountenancebyafellowwhoenclosedherkneesbetweenhis，whilehemadepassesupondifferentpartsofherbody，wasquiteenoughtothrowanyweakwomanintoafit，especiallyifshewerepredisposedtohysteria，andbelievedintheefficacyofthetreatment。Itisjustasevidentthatthoseofstrongermindsandhealthierbodiesshouldbesenttosleepbytheprocess。Thattheseeffectshavebeenproducedbythesemeanstherearethousandsofinstancestoshow。ButaretheytestimonyinfavourofAnimalMagnetism？-dotheyprovetheexistenceofthemagneticfluid？Everyunprejudicedpersonmustanswerinthenegative。Itneedsneithermagnetism，norghostfromthegrave，totellusthatsilence，monotony，andlongrecumbencyinonepositionmustproducesleep，orthatexcitement，imitation，andastrongimagination，actinguponaweakbody，willbringonconvulsions。Itwillbeseenhereafterthatmagnetismproducesnoeffectsbutthesetwo；thatthegiftofprophecy-supernaturaleloquence-thetransferofthesenses，andthepowerofseeingthroughopaquesubstances，arepurefictions，thatcannotbesubstantiatedbyanythinglikeproof。
M。Deleuze’sbookproducedquiteasensationinFrance；thestudywasresumedwithredoubledvigour。Inthefollowingyear，ajournalwasestablisheddevotedexclusivelytothescience，underthetitleof“AnnalesduMagnetismeAnimal；“andshortlyafterwardsappearedthe“BibliothequeduMagnetismeAnimal，“andmanyothers。Aboutthesametime，theAbbeFaria，“themanofwonders，“begantomagnetise；andthebeliefbeingthathehadmoreoftheMesmericfluidabouthim，andastrongerwill，thanmostmen，hewasverysuccessfulinhistreatment。Hisexperimentsaffordaconvincingproofthatimaginationcanoperateall，andthesupposedfluidnone，oftheresuitssoconfidentlyclaimedasevidenceofthenewscience。Heplacedhispatientsinanarm-chair；toldthemtoshuttheireyes；andthen，inaloudcommandingvoice，pronouncedthesingleword，“Sleep！“Heusednomanipulationswhatever——hadnobaquet，orconductorofthefluid；
butheneverthelesssucceededincausingsleepinhundredsofpatients。Heboastedofhavinginhistimeproducedfivethousandsomnambulistsbythismethod。Itwasoftennecessarytorepeatthecommandthreeorfourtimes；andifthepatientstillremainedawake，theAbbegotoutofthedifficultybydismissinghimfromthechair，anddeclaringthathewasincapableofbeingactedon。Andhereitshouldberemarkedthatthemagnetisersdonotlayclaimtoauniversalefficacyfortheirfluid；thestrongandthehealthycannotbemagnetised；theincredulouscannotbemagnetised；thosewhoreasonuponitcannotbemagnetised；thosewhofirmlybelieveinitcanbemagnetised；theweakinbodycanbemagnetised，andtheweakinmindcanbemagnetised。Andlest，fromsomecauseorother，individualsofthelatterclassesshouldresistthemagneticcharm，theapostlesofthesciencedeclarethattherearetimeswheneventheycannotbeactedupon；thepresenceofonescornerorunbelievermayweakenthepotencyofthefluidanddestroyitsefficacy。InM。Deleuze’sinstructionstoamagnetiser，heexpresslysays，“Nevermagnetisebeforeinquisitivepersons！“[“HistoireCritiqueduMagnetismeAnimal，“p。60。]Yetthefollowersofthisdelusionclaimforittherankofascience！
Thenumerouswritingsthatappearedbetweentheyears1813and1825showhowmuchattentionwasexcitedinFrance。Witheverysucceedingyearsomenewdiscoverywasputforth，untilatlastthemagnetisersseemedtobeverygenerallyagreedthatthereweresixseparateanddistinctdegreesofmagnetisation。Theyhavebeenclassedasfollow:-
Inthefirststage，theskinofthepatientbecomesslightlyreddened；andthereisafeelingofheat，comfort，andlightnessalloverthebody；butthereisnovisibleactiononthesenses。
Inthesecondstage，theeyeisgraduallyabstractedfromthedominionofthewillor，inotherwords，thepatientbecomessleepy。