 Dr. Franz Mesmer created a new word and a new method of therapy
Part of the definition, according to Webster's New World Dictionary
is "to spellbind or fascinate."
The word is taken from the name of Dr. Franz Mesmer. We'll get to
that part in a minute.
Franz Mesmer was born in Switzerland in 1734. As a doctor, he
associated with some pretty notable people, such as Mozart, King
Louis XVI, Dr. Joseph Guillotin and Ben Franklin, although not
always in ways that benefited him.
Mesmer practiced what he called "animal magnetism," which caused
his patients to go into a trancelike state. Today we know it by
another name.
Mesmer was also known for the glass harmonica he used in his
therapy sessions with his patients. It was Ben Franklin, not Mesmer,
who invented the glass harmonica. Mesmer even let his friend Mozart
play his harmonica starting in 1773.
As the headline of this story says, Mesmer created a new word. Or
should we say, he had a word named after him. Unlike Dr. Guillotin,
Dr. Mesmer did not mind that his last name became part of the word
for which he is remembered.
The word that is named after Mesmer is "mesmerize."
What makes it even more interesting, though, is that this
mesmerism, or animal magnetism, was actually the forerunner to
hypnotism as therapy. The full definition, according to Webster's,
is "to hypnotize; especially to spellbind or fascinate."
Successful doctor or snake oil salesman?
[to top of second column]
 |
 Mesmer was so good at convincing patients he could cure them that
it was unclear whether it was his animal magnetism or his
salesmanship that cured them. There may have been a "placebo
effect." Remember, this was during the 1700s -- a period when
leeches were mistakenly used to bleed patients of whatever ailed
them.
King Louis XVI (that would be King Louis the 16th, if you're
keeping score at home) offered Mesmer a lifetime pension if he would
sign a contract to stay and work in Paris. Soon after Mesmer
rejected the offer, the king appointed a special committee to
investigate him. The committee included Dr. Guillotin, Antoine
Lavoisier (who, along with Louis XVI, later became a "customer" of
Guillotin) and Ben Franklin.
The committee's negative report on Mesmer essentially ended his
career, and he was exiled to his native Switzerland. During his
career, the popular Dr. Mesmer had many followers, and he expanded
his practice throughout the major cities of Europe by teaching his
methods to his followers.
Mesmer is considered by many to be the father of hypnotism. Two
of his followers, James Braid and the Marquis de Puysegur, later put
it into practice.
When Mesmer died in 1815, the priest, at Mesmer's request, played
the glass harmonica at his funeral.
[By
PAUL NIEMANN]
Paul Niemann's column has appeared in
more than 80 newspapers and counting. He is the author of the
"Invention Mysteries" series of books and can be reached at
niemann7@aol.com.
Copyright Paul Niemann 2009
(Other
columns)
 |
