The Wizard from Vienna: Franz Anton Mesmer

Franz Anton Mesmer provokes a lot of heated debate - he is lionized by some as a misunderstood visionary and demonized by others as a commercial charlatan. "The Wizard from Vienna" does a nice job of putting him into his proper historical context and not judging him by contemprary standards. Mesmer was indeed a gifted physician who was able to treat several hopeless patients and improve their lives. However, he lost his chance to make a lasting contribution because of his refusal to view his results as anything other than the manifestation of a subtle (and impossible to demonstrate) fluid called animal magnetism. Mesmer also "cashed in" on his treatments by trying to cram as many people as possible into each session but paradoxically never lost his willingness to treat anyone who needed his help. Others who applied his methods without the stubborn insistence on animal magnetism were able to lay the groundwork for analysis and modern psychiatry. While this work will be of interest to few people, if you are interested in hypnosis, physchiatry, psychology or the history of medicine you will derive a great deal of insight from this thoughtful and well-researched biography.