ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

The Diffusion of Mesmerism in Switzerland (1780s) : a Largely Uncontested Practice

• In Event: Contested Mesmerism, a Plural Medical Science in Global Perspective

English Abstract

Mesmerism was introduced in Switzerland in the summer of 1784 and immediately faced the wave of discredit following its condemnation by the Parisian commissions. Yet, its practice spread throughout the 1780s, in various forms and thanks to the mobility of magnetisers. Far from being superficial, its diffusion demonstrates a profound establishment in the Swiss context. Initially imported from France into the western part of Switzerland, mesmerism then spread eastward, crossed linguistic and confessional boundaries, and reached rural areas as well. Benefiting from a context of scientific and medical expansion, open to experimentation and the adoption of new therapeutic methods, and from the elites’ interest in the practical application of science and in philanthropy, it found a favorable environment in Switzerland.
Moreover, the practice of mesmerism met no significant institutional resistance. In the fragmented context of the Ancien Régime, Switzerland lacked a scientific authority capable of imposing a common position. The emerging medical profession, focused on regulating medical practice and excluding empirical practitioners, did not oppose this new method, which was largely practiced by recognized physicians integrated into cantonal health authorities. Mesmerism, complementing the existing therapeutic offerings rather than competing with established practices, could thus integrate into the Swiss therapeutic market.

Author

• Lisa Magnin, Université de Fribourg (Suisse)