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Franz Mesmer practised what he called Animal Magnetism as a means of treating the patients. According to Mesmer’s theory, the curative force of the magnet, which he purportedly established through experimentation, was believed to reside within him.

Some patients suffered from frequent convulsions, which caused severe pain in their ears accompanied by delirium, vomiting and fainting. A minute study of patient’s symptoms suggested that the movement of the universal fluid could be easily observed in the phenomena exhibited. Mesmer was convinced that this fluid flowed through both animate and inanimate bodies. Moreover Mesmer found that in organic nature it was easily observed similar to the properties of magnetism, and Mesmer called its correlate in the human body ‘Animal Magnetism’.

Most members of the scientific community continued to confuse magnetism with the power of the magnet and questioned the veracity of Mesmer’s experiments.

In 1779, Mesmer published A History of Re Discovery of Animal Magnetism, in which he recounted his experiments, and he appended to it 27 propositions. Mesmer declared that Experience alone will scatter the clouds and shed light on this important truth : that Nature affords a universal means of healing and preserving man.

The first six propositions assert the existence and cyclic activity of animal magnetism.

1.	There exists a mutual influence between the heavenly bodies, the earth and animate bodies.
2.	A universally distributed and continuous fluid, which is quite without vacuum and incomparably rarified in nature, and which by its nature is capable of receiving and communicating all the impressions of movement, is the means of this influence.
3.	This reciprocal action is subordinated to mechanical laws that are hitherto unknown.
4.	This action results in alternate effects, which may be regarded as an ebb and flow.
5.	This ebb and flow is more or less general, more or less particular, more or less composite according to the nature of the causes determining it.
6.	It is by this operation (the most universal of those presented by Nature) that the activity ratios are set up between the heavenly bodies, the earth and its component parts.