BaptistaPorta，who，inthewhimsicalgenealogyoftheweapon-salve，givenbyParsonFosterinhisattackuponDr。aFluctibus，ismentionedasoneofitsfathers，hadalsogreatfaithintheefficacyofthemagnet，andoperatedupontheimaginationofhispatientsinamannerwhichwasthenconsideredsoextraordinarythathewasaccusedofbeingamagician，andprohibitedfrompractisingbytheCourtofRome。Amongotherswhodistinguishedthemselvesbytheirfaithinmagnetism，SebastianWirdigandWilliamMaxwellclaimespecialnotice。WirdigwasprofessorofmedicineattheUniversityofRostockinMecklenburgh，andwroteatreatisecalled“TheNewMedicineoftheSpirits，“whichhepresentedtotheRoyalSocietyofLondon。Aneditionofthisworkwasprintedin1673，inwhichtheauthormaintainedthatamagneticinfluencetookplace，notonlybetweenthecelestialandterrestrialbodies，butbetweenalllivingthings。Thewholeworld，hesaid，wasundertheinfluenceofmagnetism:lifewaspreservedbymagnetism；deathwastheconsequenceofmagnetism！
Maxwell，theotherenthusiast，wasanadmiringdiscipleofParacelsus，andboastedthathehadirradiatedtheobscurityinwhichtoomanyofthewonder-workingrecipesofthatgreatphilosopherwereenveloped。HisworkswereprintedatFrankfort，in1679。Itwouldseem，fromthefollowingpassage，thathewasawareofthegreatinfluenceofimagination，aswellintheproductionasinthecureofdiseases。“Ifyouwishtoworkprodigies，“sayshe，“abstractfromthematerialityofbeings——increasethesumofspiritualityinbodies——
rousethespiritfromitsslumbers。Unlessyoudooneorotherofthesethings——unlessyoucanbindtheidea，youcanneverperformanythinggoodorgreat。“Here，infact，liesthewholesecretofmagnetism，andalldelusionsofasimilarkind:increasethespirituality——rousethespiritfromitsslumbers，orinotherwords，workupontheimagination——inducebeliefandblindconfidence，andyoumaydoanything。Thispassage，whichisquotedwithapprobationbyM。Dupotetinarecentwork[“IntroductiontotheStudyofAnimalMagnetism，“p。318。]asstronglycorroborativeofthetheorynowadvancedbytheanimal-magnetists，isjustthereverse。IftheybelievetheycanworkalltheirwondersbythemeanssodimlyshadowedforthbyMaxwell，whatbecomesoftheuniversalfluidpervadingallnature，andwhichtheypretendtopourintoweakanddiseasedbodiesfromthetipsoftheirfingers？
Earlyintheeighteenthcentury，theattentionofEuropewasdirectedtoaveryremarkableinstanceoffanaticism，whichhasbeenclaimedbytheanimalmagnetists，asaproofoftheirscience。TheconvulsionariesofSt。Medard，astheywerecalled，assembledingreatnumbersroundthetomboftheirfavouritesaint，theJansenistpriestParis，andtaughtoneanotherhowtofallintoconvulsions。TheybelievedthatSt。Pariswouldcurealltheirinfirmities；andthenumberofhystericalwomenandweak-mindedpersonsofalldescriptionsthatflockedtothetombfromfarandnearwassogreat，asdailytoblockupalltheavenuesleadingtothespot。Workingthemselvesuptoapitchofexcitement，theywentoffoneaftertheotherintofits，whilesomeofthem，stillinapparentpossessionofalltheirfaculties，voluntarilyexposedthemselvestosufferings，whichonordinaryoccasionswouldhavebeensufficienttodeprivethemoflife。
Thescenesthatoccurredwereascandaltocivilizationandtoreligion——astrangemixtureofobscenity，absurdity，andsuperstition。WhilesomewereprayingonbendedkneesattheshrineofSt。Paris，otherswereshriekingandmakingthemosthideousnoises。