MéMoire Sur La Nature De La Substance Du Cerveau Et Sur La PropriéTé Qu'il Parait Avoir De Se Conserver Long-Temps AprèS Toutes Les Autres Parties, Dans Les Corps Qui Se DéComposent Au Sein De La Terre . Michel-Augustin Thouret

In-4° broché, 20 pages. Auguste Thouret, fervent adversaire de Mesmer, promoteur de la Vaccine, fut directeur de l'École de Santé sous la Révolution, puis de l'École de Médecine jusqu'en 1808, date de la création de la Faculté de Médecine de Paris. ---- Crabtree N° 116 : "Thouret was a member of the Royal Society of Medicine in Paris and of the leading spokesman of the opposition of that society to animal magnetism and the teachings of Mesmer. In this work Thouret claims that his main concern is not to examine the details of cures being performed by animal magnetism, but to trace the history of the theory and practice of animal magnetism. He nevertheless clearly sides with those who reject animal magnetism as an illusion. Admitting that many persons of stature accept animal magnetism as an effective cure, Thouret uses his considerable crudition to show that such cures are not new and that Mesmer was simply the most recent of a long tradition of thinkers who posited a hidden power of nature produces healing effects. He cites Paracelsus, Kircher, Maxwell, and Fludd as examples of men who held views similar to those of Mesmer. He also points out that there have been many healers over the ages who have accomplished cures resembling Mesmer's mentioning the exorcist Gassner and the "stroking doctor" Gretrakes as examples. Thouret's learned critique was extremely influential and served as a starting point for much of the discussion at the time about the originality and effectiveness of animal magnetism".