. The funny side of physic : or, The mysteries of medicine, presenting the humorous and serious sides of medical practice. An exposé of medical humbugs, quacks, and charlatans in all ages and all countries. alling out with thelatter, Mesmer resorted to the arts of his great predecessor,Greatrakes, but professed to cure, without the help of Godor man, all curable diseases. He produced marvellouseffects (but only temporary, however) in both Vienna andParis, to which latter place he repaired to practise animalmagnetism. Among the little episodes relative to his treatment is oneof Madame Campan,
. The funny side of physic : or, The mysteries of medicine, presenting the humorous and serious sides of medical practice. An exposé of medical humbugs, quacks, and charlatans in all ages and all countries. alling out with thelatter, Mesmer resorted to the arts of his great predecessor,Greatrakes, but professed to cure, without the help of Godor man, all curable diseases. He produced marvellouseffects (but only temporary, however) in both Vienna andParis, to which latter place he repaired to practise animalmagnetism. Among the little episodes relative to his treatment is oneof Madame Campan, a lady of the royal household, authorof Memoires de Marie Antoinette. The husband of thiscelebrated lady sent for Dr. Mesmer — for all Paris wasrunning mad after him — to cure him of lung fever. Hecame with great pomp, and having timed the pulse, and A STRANGE BEDFELLOW. 477 made certain inquiries respecting the case, he gravely in-formed the husband and wife that it was not in the way ofmagnetism, and the only mode of cure lay in the following:You must lay by his side — for he was confined to hisbed — one of three things, an old empty bottle, a blackhen, or a young woman of brown A BOTTLE, A HEN, OR A WOMAN. Sir,exclaimed the wife,let us try the empty bottlefirst. The bottle was tried, with what result is easily Campan grew worse. Improving the opportunityof the ladys absence, Mesmer bled and blistered the patient,who recovered. Imagine the ladys astonishment when Mesmer asked forand actually obtained a written certificate of cure by mag-netism (Mesmerism). 478 MESMER DECLINES. This is more easily believed when one learns that Mesmerobtained his degree on an address, or thesis, relating toplanetary influence on the human body, and that after-wards, in answer to the inquiry by a learned Paris physician,who asked him why he ordered his patients to bathe in theSeine, instead of spring water, as the waters of the Seinewere always dirty, Mesm
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectmedicine, bookyear187
