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A PRACTICAL DISPLAY OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEM CALLED Animal Magnetiſm, IN WHICH IS EXPLAINED DIFFERENT MODES OF TREATING, WITH SOME MEDICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE DISEASES OF THE HUMAN BODY, Which it is peculiarly adapted to relieve;

TOGETHER WITH The Manner and Reaſonableneſs of ABSENT TREATMENT: THE WHOLE CALCULATED TO INSTRUCT EVERY CAPACITY, IN THE RATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, OF THE MISTERIOUS SCIENCE.

LONDON: PRINTED in the YEAR, MDCCXC.

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THE Science commonly underſtood by the Term Animal Magnetiſm, and which has been ſo long kept out of ſight (except to a Few only) is now laid open for the Information of every En⯑quirer; and I am fully perſuaded, that any Perſon of an ordinary Capacity, by attending to the following Rules, will be capable of being as uſeful an Operator, as thoſe who have obtained it at a much higher Price; only let him not be diſ⯑couraged in his firſt Attempt; and by practice he will gain Confidence and Suc⯑ceſs.

A PRACTICAL DISPLAY OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEM CALLED Animal Magnetiſm.

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IN order to make this uſeful Science as plain as poſſible, every thing that has not an im⯑mediate Connection with the practical part of it, is omitted, that the young Practitioner may not be confuſed with the Subject; and I am fully per⯑ſuaded, that, by attending to the Directions here [6]given, any one may attain to a ſufficient knowledge of the Science to enable him to practiſe it for the Benefit of himſelf and others, as well as thoſe who have obtained it at the Price of Twenty or Twenty-five Guineas.

In order to treat a Patient with Succeſs, the fol⯑lowing Qualifications are eſſentially Neceſſary.

Abſtraction. Be as much abſtracted as poſſible, forget yourſelf and every thing around you, and take a kind of temporary Poſſeſſion of the Object to be treated.

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Affection. Let your Affection and Benevolence go forth towards the Object you are about to treat, let the whole energy of your Mind be fixed on the Patient's Relief, and almoſt certain Succeſs will enſue.

Intention. Keep up a conſtant Idea of the Com⯑plaint you wiſh to remove, let your Intention be to adminiſter all the Aſſiſtance in your Power to⯑wards the Patient's Recovery; Compaſſion and In⯑tention will contribute much to the Succeſs.

Volition. The Human Syſtem being poſſeſſed of mental Faculties whoſe active Power is unknown 'till it is demonſtrated by practical Operations; exert all the Volition you are poſſeſſed off, with a Determination, if poſſible, to do good to the [8]Object you are treating, and you will often find a kind of contacting Senſation, effected by the In⯑corporation of Atmoſpheres and the powerful Prin⯑ciples of the Science acting upon each Body; and the greater the Exertion of thoſe Principles the more effectual will the Treatment be.

On the different Modes of Treating.

Several Modes have been practiſed, but I ſhall only mention Two, which will be quite ſufficient for the Purpoſe, one by the Science itſelf, without the Uſe of the Hands, (for it is a mental Act, and the ſtronger the mental Powers the more efficaicous will the Treatment be.) Here abſtract yourſelf, be quite placid and ſerene, keep up your Intention, and put forth all the Volition you are Maſter off: By this Means I have ſeen a Hand raiſed quite erect that lay paſſive on a Table, [9]without any Action whatever; but let me here obſerve, leſt by failing in your firſt Attempt, you ſhould be diſcouraged, a Perſon who will be faith⯑ful to you, that is to ſay, who will make no reſiſt⯑ance, ſhould be choſen, and the more delicate the Perſon the more eaſily will this Operation be per⯑formed. Whatever the Caſe you are about to treat may be, be not diſheartened, nor weary, if your ſanguine Expections ſhould not, at firſt, be fully anſwered, but perſevere, make repeated Trials, the more you practice the greater will be your Confidence, and the more ſucceſsful your Treatment.

The other Mode of treating I ſhall here men⯑is, by Uſe of the Hands with the Science, for there muſt be a concurrence with each other, the Hands will give a kind of energy to the Mind, and keep the Operator to his Work. The Effect of this will ſoon be perceived in the Patient, and [10]alſo by yourſelf, in the Patient the Effects may ſometimes be different, but in general a warm Sen⯑ſation will take place, at other times the Patient will feel cold; and the Operator will find a ſort of pricking in the the Ends of all his Fingers.— So much for the Mode of Treating.

The next Thing to be attended to is ſome of the Complaints the Human Body is ſubject to, and which the Operation of this Science is peculiarly adapted to remove; many Diſorders ariſe from Obſtructions and the want of proper Circulation of the Fluids: the Body is like a curious Machine, which if one Wheel be a little obſtructed, it affects the Whole and when the Diſorder is diſcovered the Remedy is the more eaſily applied; ſo when any Obſtruction is perceived, apply the whole Energy of the mind to the part affected, and in this, as well as every other Magnetic Operation, ſeparate as [11]much as poſſible, every Idea of corporal Action and think on mental Power only.

Head-Ach. Whatever obſtructs the free Circu⯑lation of the Blood through the Veſſels of the Head, may occaſion the Head-ach, which very frequently ariſes from a foul Stomach; in that caſe you muſt treat the Stomach only, by moving the Hand upwards and downwards, which will agitatate the Bile, and relieve the Patient; but if it ariſes from Obſtructions, the Treatment will occaſion an agreeable warmth, and aſſiſt Na⯑ture in overcoming the complaint; this will be found effectual in moſt Diſorders of the Head. I have frequently cured the Head-ach, by preſſing and drawing the Hand ſteadily over the Forehead, in leſs than half an hour.

Inflammation of the eyes, may be cured by this Treatment, only obſerve (during the Operation [12]with the Hand) to exert your Intention, as much as poſſible, to draw out the Inflammation: By the ſame method you may treat Abſceſſes in order to bring them to a head, if you cannot diſperſe them; likewiſe you will find it effectual to extract Fire from burns of all kinds, in two or three times treating, and if not very much burnt, in one Treat⯑ment only.

Strains. In treating Strains, which are often at⯑tended with worſe conſequences than broken Bones; fix your Mind intenſely on the part affect⯑ed, and while you are engaged in the method of Treatment, as above, the Patient will find an agreeable glow and warmth pervade the part, which will help to reſtore the Veſſels to their proper Tone.

Deafneſs. The hearing may be hurt by violent Colds in the Head, by a Stroke upon the Ear, by [13]hard Wax, or other Subſtances, filling up the Cavity of the Ear, all which may be removed by perſeverance in the Treatment. Place the Patient at a little diſtance, with the Ear inclining towards you: Let your mental Ideas enter the Ear, at the ſame time moving your Hands backwards and forwards, pointing towards the Ear, and carry your Ideas, as it were, through the Head; and by a con⯑tinuance of this Treatment, an agreeable warmth will be produced, and the Obſtruction removed. I have known a Deafneſs occaſioned by a ſtroke on the Ear, to have been totally removed in a quarter of an Hour; and Perſons who had been Deaf for many Years, have been reſtored to their Hearing by repeated Treatments of this Kind; but great care muſt be taken not to catch Cold whilſt the Cure is performing, leſt it ſhould render the Treatment ineffectual.

WE now advance to another part of the Sci⯑ence, [14]that of abſent Treatment, and here it ap⯑pears in a more irrational and obſcure point of view, to ignorant and prejudiced minds;* but why ſhould this be thought incredible, ſince Expanſion or Diſtance is allowed to be a relative Idea, which belongs only to the Body, and has nothing to do with the Soul; the Soul is poſſeſſed with inte⯑lectual Powers and Affections, ſuch as Thought, Reflection, Senſation, Volition or Willing, and I can as eaſily fix my Mind upon St. Peter's at Rome as on St. Paul's in London. Diſtance be⯑longs to the Body, as obſerved above, but Thought cannot be confined, it can travel backward into the paſt, or forward into the future, it can aſpire to things above as well as reflect on things beneath; when we want to recollect any thing we travel back into the paſt, we exerciſe a wiſh to recollect, [15]and often our wiſhes are effectual and the thing we want to recollect is brought to our Mind: Thoughts are in many caſes, influencial, why may they not affect and remove Diſorders from Per⯑ſons at a diſtance, as well as thoſe at hand?— In order to perform abſent Treatment, retire; ſit down for a few Minutes, be perfectly collected, and as much as poſſible abſtracted; conſider the Powers you are poſſeſſed off, and what you wiſh to perform to your abſent Friend, form his Idea in your Mind, fix on it for ſome time, and deſcend ſlowly and gradually from the Head downwards, 'till by the power of Sympathy you feel yourſelf, as it were, in contact with him and find a correſ⯑pondent Pain which you muſt endeavor to remove: But if you know the Complaint your abſent Friend labours under, and would relieve him, ſit down, collect yourſelf, and then treat him, though abſent, in the ſame Manner you would if you ſaw him be⯑fore you.

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IF upon reading theſe Lines the Science ſhould appear a Chimera, the Reader is requeſted not to cenſure and condemn it 'till he has tried the Power of it for his own Satisfaction and Conviction, and if he finds it effectual in one Caſe, let him ſuſpend his judgement 'till he has tried it in others, and I am perſuaded he will not be diſappointed. Let him make Trial of raiſing the Hand as directed in the Mode of Treatment, and he will have occular De⯑monſtration of the Power of the Science.

FINIS.
Notes
*
An ironical, dogmatical, and not to ſay immodeſt Pamphlet, has been recently impoſed on the Public for a rational account of Animal Magnetiſm, the Editor of which ſeems to have attained to no better knowledge of the Science he explodes, than what has been imbibed from Vulgar Prejudice, and the Cant of a few old Women.
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