APHORISMS [& comments on MESMER himself]

IMPORTANT MANUSCRIPT OF MESMER'S APHORISMS

"THIS PARAGRAPH IS THE RESULT OF MR. ALPHONSE'S OBSERVATIONS AT MESMER'S HOUSE

MESMER,
Aphorisms,
[and comments on Mesmer],
Manuscript. Circa 1800-1820.
In-8, paperback, 32 p. Dimensions : 19 x 25 cm.

Remarkable manuscript of Mesmer's Aphorisms : one finds variants in the details of certain passages as well as in the organization of the texts ; one also notes some comments & observations.

The present manuscript testifies to the diffusion of Mesmer's teachings and practices in the years 1800-1820. The writer remains anonymous, but he is clearly a "practitioner" of magnetism: the aphorisms are indeed completed by a few short, unpublished personal remarks. One notes in particular p. 29, the intriguing formulation: "this paragraph is the result of M. Alphonse's observations at Mesmer's house".

There are also notes on the organization of the aphorisms: "The article "Magnet" on page 18 should follow this one and is the 8th part"; comments: "What makes attraction and repulsion apparent and according to the system of Mesmer certainly".


The text of the Aphorismes seems to come from various sources: editions or copies circulating at the time, with undoubtedly cuts or small adaptations by the scribe; whether it is a reinterpretation or a desire to stick to a more accurate text. For example, for aphorism n°3 we read in our manuscript: "The movement operates in matter the development of all possibilities" against "The movement operates the development of all possibilities" (Aphorismes de M. Mesmer dictés à l'assemblée de ses élèves, Paris Quinquet, 1785). Aphorism 10 reads: "One must consider the state of combination as a state relative to rest to the movement of matter" vs. "9. The state of combination is a relative state of motion or rest of matter." Our manuscript sometimes has a shift in numbering.

Or again: "16. If these aggregates are formed of units of different kinds, they constitute a whole of heterogeneous matter" versus "if these aggregates are formed of units of different kinds, they constitute heterogeneous matter". In the same way, for the theory of processes (p. 21), for example, we read: "Everything is touched in the universe by means of a medium in which the beings are immersed" against "Everything is touched in the universe, by means of a universal fluid in which all the bodies are immersed".

The aphorisms are no longer numbered after n°12; but one finds more or less the traditional sequence of these. And the following list of chapters: II. On Cohesion / III. On Elasticity / IV On Gravity / V On Fire, etc. Chapter IX "Of Sensations" is numbered here as X, likewise "Of Instinct" is numbered XI and not X. The differences are a little more marked in part XII (here XIII of Education) with reversals of sentences & changes of terms. The "Manner of magnetizing an empty or full bottle" is also rewritten.

Finally, we note a passage explaining the "Construction of a tub to magnetize many people at once": "the tub is given a round or oval shape, its size is proportionate to the room where it is to be placed; it is built of good oak or fir".

Important testimony on the diffusionof Mesmer's teachings
in the years 1800-1820