Madame Campan, however, was more honest. "When she learned it, she reported it to their Majesties, who had previously been interested in 1 Mesmer, and they determined to have nothing more to do with him. In France, the subject of animal magnetism — known under various names — has almost ever since his time attracted great attention, and has been made the subject of investigation by several of the scientific societies. The subject has, however, always been liable to exaggerations and misrepresentations. The I Magnetic Society of Paris, which broke up in 1820, had for its Secretary a nobleman called the Baron d'Henin, and speaking of the caution necessary to be used in receiving the accounts of the results of animal magnetism — he says "I have read or run over almost all the books which treat of magnetism ; I have lived among mag netisers; I have seen them magnetise ; and I have magnetised with them ; I have restrained my incredulity, the better to allow them to reason, and more frequently to speak nonsense, ! and to push their pretensions to the uttermost. I have often heard the very facts, which have occurred before my eyes, related in such a way that I could scarcely recognise them, so much were they disfigured by the enthusiasm and ex aggeration of those who had been witnesses of them, or who had themselves produced them." These remarks apply iv their full force to the marvellous narrations of spiritistic cures. It is only cases that have been submitted to fair ex amination by competent skilled witnesses on which reliance can be placed. In February, 1837, the Academy of Medicine of Paris re ceived an offer from M. Berna, a physician, and believer in the virtues of animal magnetism, offering to submit certain somnambulists to a commission for examination ; but all the preten sions made by them were found to be groundless. One somnambulist it was alleged would lose the power of mi tion in any limb on the mere mental order of her magnetiser. On trial, the follow ing results were found — " When M. Berna men tally paralysed her right arm only, she declared that both the rigid leg and right arm were paralysed. 