Description:
François Azouvi : Animal magnetism. Infinite sensation. This article attempts to show that in the works of Mesmer and the Mesme-rians there is, despite their real intentions, a tendency to move from a position in which the role of the magnetizer is initially minimized and reduced to that of a mere agent transmitting the fluid, to one in which the magnetizer becomes vitally important, as he activizes the therapeutic agent. The same development can be seen when the subject is looked at from the practical as opposed to the theoretic angle, in which case, thanks to its treatment of the theme of sensation, animal magnetism can be seen to be developing towards a major recognition of the role of the subject.