Animal magnetism in Spanish medicine (1786–1860)

Abstract

This paper studies the reception and development of animal magnetism in Spanish medicine. It analyses in turn: the initial rejection of animal magnetism influenced by the reports of the French Royal Commissions of 1784; the first attempts to implant Mesmerism around 1816; its reluctant acceptance with the introduction of phrenology from 1842 onwards; and, finally, its critical revision, provoked by issues of legal responsibility, from 1856 to 1860. Hypnotism, as a term, began to appear in Spanish medical publications around 1860.