MesmerdidnotlongfindhisresidenceatViennaasagreeableashewished。Hispretensionswerelookeduponwithcontemptorindifference，andthecaseofMademoiselleOesterlinebroughthimlessfamethannotoriety。Hedeterminedtochangehissphereofaction，andtravelledintoSwabiaandSwitzerland。InthelattercountryhemetwiththecelebratedFatherGassner，who，likeValentineGreatraks，amusedhimselfbycastingoutdevils，andhealingthesickbymerelylayinghandsuponthem。Athisapproachpulinggirlsfellintoconvulsions，andthehypochondriacfanciedthemselvescured。Hishousewasdailybesiegedbythelame，theblind，andthehysteric。Mesmeratonceacknowledgedtheefficacyofhiscures，anddeclaredthattheyweretheobviousresultofhisownnewly-discoveredpowerofmagnetism。AfewoftheFather’spatientswereforthwithsubjectedtothemanipulationsofMesmer，andthesamesymptomswereinduced。HethentriedhishanduponsomepaupersinthehospitalsofBerneandZurich，andsucceeded，accordingtohisownaccount，butnootherperson’s，incuringanopththalmiaandaguttaserena。WithmemorialsoftheseachievementshereturnedtoVienna，inthehopeofsilencinghisenemies，oratleastforcingthemtorespecthisnewly-acquiredreputation，andtoexaminehissystemmoreattentively。
Hissecondappearanceinthatcapitalwasnotmoreauspiciousthanthefirst。HeundertooktocureaMademoiselleParadis，whowasquiteblind，andsubjecttoconvulsions。Hemagnetisedherseveraltimes，andthendeclaredthatshewascured；atleast，ifshewasnot，itwasherfault，andnothis。Aneminentoculistofthatday，namedBirth，wenttovisither，anddeclaredthatshewasasblindasever；whileherfamilysaidshewasasmuchsubjecttoconvulsionsasbefore。
Mesmerpersistedthatshewascured。LiketheFrenchphilosopher，hewouldnotallowfactstointerferewithhistheory。[Anenthusiasticphilosopher，ofwhosenamewearenotinformed，hadconstructedaverysatisfactorytheoryonsomesubjectorother，andwasnotalittleproudofit。“Butthefacts，mydearfellow，“saidhisfriend，“thefactsdonotagreewithyourtheory。“——“Don’tthey，“repliedthephilosopher，shrugginghisshoulders，“then，tautpispourlesfaits；“——
somuchtheworseforthefacts。]Hedeclaredthattherewasaconspiracyagainsthim；andthatMademoiselleParadis，attheinstigationofherfamily，feignedblindnessinordertoinjurehisreputation！
TheconsequencesofthispretendedcuretaughtMesmerthatViennawasnotthesphereforhim。Paris，theidle，thedebauched，thepleasure-hunting，thenovelty-loving，wasthesceneforaphilosopherlikehim，andthitherherepairedaccordingly。HearrivedatParisin1778，andbeganmodestly，bymakinghimselfandhistheoryknowntotheprincipalphysicians。Atfirst，hisencouragementwasbutslight；