ON MAGNETISM.

—served, when examples seem necessary to make myself better understood.

To bring better order to this instruction, I shall divide it into chapters.

I will first establish a few principles to ground all my advice in simple concepts. If there is anything hypothetical in how I state these principles, it will not change the practical results. For this reason, I will use the term magnetic fluid In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, practitioners of "animal magnetism" believed an invisible, liquid-like force flowed through the body and could be directed by a healer to cure illness., because I believe in this fluid even though its nature is unknown to me. However, those who deny the existence of the fluid—comparing the action of magnetism in living beings to that of gravity original: "attraction" — referring to Newtonian physics, which some contemporary thinkers used as a metaphor for magnetic influence. in inanimate nature, or who believe in a spiritual influence without a specific physical agent—cannot, for that reason, contradict the practical conclusions I will reach. Knowledge of the techniques original: "procédés" — the specific hand gestures (passes) and methods used by the magnetizer. and all the conditions necessary to make good use of magnetism is independent of the opinions used to ex— The sentence is interrupted by the page break; the author is likely leading into the word "explain."

Magnetism: (Animal Magnetism) A healing practice based on the idea that a "fluid" can be transmitted from one person to another.
Magnetic fluid: The hypothesized medium through which a magnetizer acts upon a patient.
Living beings: Humans and animals, distinguished here from "inanimate nature."
Attraction: Physical forces like gravity.
Spiritual influence: The theory that healing occurs through a mental or soulful connection rather than a physical fluid.