The System of the Magnetic Rose

Translated from the original French, 1789. Author unknown.

It is by means of the Magnetic Rose, in accordance with the principles of Mesmer, that the application of Magnetism spread in nature is made in the new method of treating diseases. It is important to make known the different pieces that compose this Rose or Artificial System, and the relation of these pieces to the Universal System.

I. Description of the Magnetic Rose.

The pieces, or parts of the Magnetic Rose, are the Aire (Area), or field of the system, around which twenty-four chairs are placed; the Cône (Cone), in the middle of the area; the Triangle de métal (Metal triangle), fixed to the base of the cone; the Rose métallique (Metallic rose), or Rose de direction (Directional rose), at the summit of the cone; the Tringle verticale (Vertical rod), adapted to the cone; the Carreau d’acier (Steel square), mobile, towards the middle of the rod: the Rubans conducteurs (Conductive ribbons), starting from the square; the Rose solaire (Solar rose), at the top of the rod, which crowns the system; the Rose lunaire (Lunar rose) under the cone, and the Lettre mystérieuse (Mysterious letter) on the disc of the Moon, which complete this system.

Let us give a particular idea of each of these parts. We will then develop the spirit and the usage of the system. Aire. The area of the Magnetic Rose consists of a canvas of different colors, of circular shape, fixed to the floor of the treatment room by magnetized nails, divided, from the center to the circumference, into twenty-four equal parts, which give as many points at the circumference of the circles, both exterior and interior, which divide the field, so as to offer the eye several systems similar to division, around a general center which has its particular use. This area, thus divided, is at the same time oriented according to the four cardinal points and the rhumbs of the winds of which it offers the main divisions.

From each of the twenty-four points of the area are stretched ribbons of thread, divergent, alternately white and red. Twelve of these ribbons cross at the center of the Rose, and the others, leading to the other points of the division, form between them squares and regular triangles, which, cutting into each other, also divide this area into a large number of triangles and trapezoids, regularly disposed and unequal, whose intersections with the diameters give way to circles traced alternately with red and white ribbons, which divide the area into as many concentric zones.

Moreover, these three particular systems of division do not differ from each other except in that the first and outermost, shared into four circular zones by alternating white and red ribbons, offers to each point of division two threads more than the others, and contains within its enclosure twenty-four chairs numbered by the letters of the alphabet, corresponding to the twenty-four divisions, and intended for as many patients submitted to the treatment.

The last system contains the central circular space, which, besides two alternating triangles, white and red, which form by their interlacing a six-pointed star, also offers a square formed on two bases: opposite of these triangles by two red threads.

On the central circle of the Magnetic Rose rises perpendicularly the cone or pyramid made of Acacia wood, Fig. 1. painted blue, whose concave base is divided into twenty-four equal parts, which correspond each to the vertical lines of the cone, by twelve diameters, alternately white and red, offers, besides a square, two large interlaced triangles, one of white color, and the other red, upon which are fixed by iron points, of conical figure, nine golden metal stars.

(Triangle de métal. Fig. 1.):

In the middle of the base is also fastened by three iron points of the same shape, a large metal relief triangle, which supports others, which, subdivided, offer partial triangles, to the number of forty-nine; they could not all be represented on the plan.

Around the surface of the cone reign in several directions, metallic threads, gold and silver, alternately, which are fixed by iron points, so as to divide this surface into parallel slices which are always decreasing in height; they also divide it into a large number of trapezoids and similar rhomboids, which are each divided into several triangles.

All these threads, joined at the summit of the cone, are then extended on a metallic Rose, placed horizontally at this summit, which ends in a triangular steel point to which the rod is adapted.

This metallic Rose, otherwise, Directional Rose, located at the base of the small triangular pyramid of the cone, is composed of twenty-four steel spindles, divergent, linked between them, perfectly rounded, sharp at their extremity; they carry twenty-four tassels of threads, woven gold and silver, which exceed each point, and are fixed underneath by three circular threads, concentric, alternately gold and silver, which embrace the spindles of the Rose.

From the ceiling of the treatment room hangs vertically a polished iron rod, pierced in its lower extremity, so as to be able to adapt exactly to the triangular summit of the cone; this rod, fixed to the floor by an eyebolt, is further secured by two ribbons, red and white, which, crossing below the magnetic square, go to attach themselves to the four opposite points of the apartment, which correspond to the four cardinal points.

In the middle of the rod is suspended a magnetized steel square of prismatic figure, pierced in its middle with a big round hole, of the same diameter as the rod, to be able to slide from top to bottom and from bottom to top, over its entire length, without losing the North-South direction, by means of two braided suspension cords, gold and silver, attached to the two extremities of the square, and prolonged up to the solar rosette, on which they are made to slide at will.

On each of its surfaces, the square is also pierced with several small holes, through which pass 24 ribbons of thread, floating, alternately white and red, which the patients, seated around the area, must hold in their hand, during the treatment. At the top of the rod, at the zenith of the treatment room, is a radiant rosette, of metal, movable at will, divided similarly into several zones, representing the solar disc in the center, offering alternating triangular divisions, squares, circular divisions, and stars in relief, red and gilded, differently distributed on each of the circles. Here is a general idea of this piece, it is appropriate to give a more detailed knowledge of it.

The solar Rose, placed horizontally, looks at the lower ceiling of the room. Its surface, starting from the center, is shared into three concentric parts, of the same width. The convex disc of the Sun occupies the center. It is made of glass, pierced with a hole in the middle, as well as the gilded copper plate, which covers it in its upper part.

Around the solar disc reigns a circle of iron, to which are fixed, by nails triangular with screws, stars in relief, of gilded copper. It is surmounted by four pieces of metal in circular arcs, which, leaving a hole at the point of their meeting, give the liberty to raise or lower the solar Rose along the rod.

The second part is a sky-blue zone, around the Sun, which designates the firmament. It is divided into five other partial zones by concentric circles, alternately red and white, which lines, also red and white, divide into twenty-four equal parts; four of these lines form, by their prolongation and their reunion at the center of the solar figure, two gold diameters, which intersect at right angles on the disc of the Sun, from East to West, from North to South.

From the points of division of the outer limb of the blue zone depart lines tangent to the Sun's disc, which in reuniting, form two equilateral triangles, one upright, white in color, the other inverted, red in color. The Sun is enclosed in these triangles, which, intersecting, present a six-pointed star, offering small equal partial triangles, whose bases are tangent to the solar disc. The three sides of the large triangles also cutting the blue zone, leave therein three large segments.

The figure of the Sun is similarly enclosed in a large square, formed by two red lines, tangent to its disc, on the opposite bases of the two large triangles which are perpendicular to them. This same square is divided into four other small partial squares, which the two horizontal and vertical diameters form.

Next come four concentric circles, on which one sees a distribution, in three masses, of stars, gilded center, red rays, which surround and fill the points of the white triangle.

The third part of the solar Rose encloses the exterior rays of this Rose, sixty in number, alternately gold and silver, which, distributed by fives, correspond to each interval, formed by the white lines of the blue zone.

The lunar Rose, which consists of a silvered tin rosette, is situated under the mysterious letter. It is turned toward the sky and divided into several zones of the same width.

That of the center represents the figure of the Moon's disc which corresponds to the solar rosette, fixed to the zenith of the room. The middle zone is sky-blue, and contains an equilateral triangle, red, whose sides embrace the limb of the Moon, and enclose the mysterious letter which we just spoke about. The third zone includes the silvered lunar rays, on a gold background, which forms golden rays converging in the interstice of the first ones.

Immediately below the base of the cone, and on the disc of the Moon, is placed the initial letter of the name of God in Hebrew; it is of copper, partly gilded and partly silvered, enclosed in an equilateral triangle, which is contained in a blue zone. It is not without reason that we make this letter enter into the composition of our Rose, since it is there like the unique center of all relations.

Such is the description of the Magnetic Rose. The parts that compose it are obviously linked among themselves by intimate relations, in accordance with the natural system of magnetic affluences and effluences. It remains to develop the spirit of this system.

I I. Spirit of the System.

But why these different colors, all these geometric figures, all these relations, all these combinations and dimensions? What good is this Sun, this Moon and these Stars? Why also this triangle of metal, this mysterious letter and this affectation in the numbers? Can squares, compasses, plumb lines be of any use in the treatment of the sick? Such an arrangement gives rise to suspecting enthusiasm in the conception of this system.

No, enthusiasm did not enter into it at all. The Magnetic Rose, at the same time that it is suitable for making a happy application of the magnetism universally spread in nature on the patients, also has the advantage of being able to recreate the senses, and fix the imagination. If, on one hand, it acts and concurs with the Magnetizer to operate a salutary revolution in the patient's body by re-establishing balance there; on the other hand, it is, in several respects, mysterious and figurative. Is it necessary to warn here, and is it not seen clearly, that the figures of the Sun, the Moon and the stars are the representation of the celestial, or natural, bodies, whose relations and influence must be looked upon as the true and essential source of magnetism?

Soon boredom would seize the patient, if he were not distracted by varied objects, capable of attaching him and inspiring confidence in him. Order, variety, symmetry satisfy the mind; and the patients, pleasantly affected by the images exposed to their eyes, are only more disposed to usefully receive the influences of magnetism, which draws, in final analysis, all its effectiveness and its virtue from the Supreme Being, author of nature, of order, of harmony and of balance that we admire in this Universe, and which is the universal center to which everything must relate as to its true principle.

That is what was proposed and what one wanted to express in the plan of this new magnetic System, purified and perfected. It will not be difficult to be convinced of the accuracy of these relations, if one wants to pay attention to the spirit in which it was conceived. But it is good before developing this spirit to establish some truths.

It is generally accepted in Physics, that all bodies exert a mutual action among themselves, called gravitation, which is more or less strong, according to the diverse relations of distances and masses. Bodies, say the Newtonians, attract each other reciprocally in direct proportion to the masses, and in inverse proportion to the square of the distances.

Another law in nature, which relates to the essential form of bodies, to the combination and the proportion of their constituent parts, is the law of affinities, so known in Chemistry, and which makes bodies tend to unite intimately, to penetrate each other, to modify themselves according to the identity and the difference of their relations.

But this law, as well as that of attraction, can only exercise their power by means of the universal fluid or particular fluids, in which the great masses and all the bodies of nature swim, by means of which a communication is established between them, not only of their active power, but also of their internal qualities: it is thus, for example, that neutral salt participates in the property of acid and alkali, of which it is the result.

There exists therefore a medium, which receives and communicates the impressions of all the bodies, and which, transmitting their reciprocal action, influences their formation, their preservation and their existence.

What is this medium? It is ether, the most subtle of all fluids, the organ of movement, the cause or near or far of all effects, the instrument, so to speak, by which the laws of nature are executed. Its subtlety is such, that it penetrates all substances; its existence can no more be contested than the mutual action of bodies.

If this fluid penetrates, as one does not doubt, all the grossest bodies as the most delicate, is it not a strong reason to admit in organized beings, such as plants, animals, man himself, poles to receive and return this fluid, as do two magnets that are in the presence of one another? etc. etc. etc.

This universal fluid tends, as well as the other particular fluids, to put itself in equilibrium, and to put likewise all beings in a uniform relation, proper to make them receive the same impressions. For nature wants above all order and harmony.

Universal Magnetism is therefore, according to the opinion of a famous Magnetizer, this general and reciprocal action of all bodies among themselves, transmitted by means of a universal fluid, which takes all sorts of modifications, as particular Magnetism is the action of the magnet on iron, or on another magnet, to which it communicates its properties.

Animal Magnetism will therefore be, in the judgment of the same Magnetizer, only the property that animated beings have, of being susceptible to this universal action; although all beings have, like these, the same faculty, and are all subjected to the action of Universal Magnetism.

Thus it is important, for the conservation of beings, to study with this illustrious disciple of Mesmer, their reciprocal affinity and the laws of Magnetism that it is appropriate to put to work, when it comes to re-establishing order wherever the alteration of the organs has placed disorder. This stated, here is how the spirit of the Magnetic System conceives itself.

The influence of this system on the healing of the sick, depends on its construction and on the relation of the essential parts, with the natural agents that produce the effects of Magnetism.

One will consider there first, the disposition of the parts whose arrangement, either among themselves, or with regard to the celestial Sphere, is the most proper to put the patients under the direct influence of universal Magnetism, to distribute to them and to establish from one to the other the communications necessary for its effectiveness.

The surplus by striking the eyes of the spectator, will carry his attention toward the primitive causes of this general action of nature, of which he must feel the effects, and will concur in making him understand the reasons for the disposition of the intermediary agents, which concentrate this action in the place of the treatment.

Consequently, he will distinguish in the system of the Magnetic Rose, two sorts of objects, to know, the essential parts and the accessories, or pieces of complement.

The essential parts are obviously the Vertical Rod, the Magnetized Square, the Conductive Ribbons, the Metallic Rosette and the Cone with its Area.

By considering the assembly of these parts and their mutual disposition, one will see that the metallic rod, intended to extract the magnetic fluid from the sky, accumulates it continuously around the steel square.

That this square, by its natural disposition, aiding the action of the rod, charges itself with the extracted magnetism, to distribute it by the conductive ribbons to each of the patients seated around the area.

One will conceive again, that the excess of this fluid continuing its route towards the bottom of the rod, fixes itself, as in a center, on the metallic Rose, that from there it distributes itself with equality on the surface of the cone all covered with metallic threads, to then spread over the area, from where, by the means of the directional threads which act as conductors, and the points of intersection of these threads, it propagates all around, while strengthening itself by the communication which is made from the center to the extremities, and from each point of the circumference to the other points reciprocally.

One will consider finally, that this fluid forming like a stagnant atmosphere above the area, is pumped back by the metallic tassels of the small Rose, to be again accumulated at the center, and there maintain the energy of reciprocal actions and reactions.

It is in this that Magnetism consists. Its march and its propagation on the patients is palpable; on the patients, I say, who making, so to speak, only one whole among themselves and with the Magnetic Rose, must, by this chain and this multiplicity of causes linked one to the other, produce an effect, the intensity of which is all the greater, as there is more communication, and the relations are more multiplied.

But what is particular and even more striking in this new arrangement, is the faculty united in a single Magnetizer, to distribute exclusively, as he wishes, and to whom he wishes, the dose of magnetism that he deems necessary to each.

Placed immediately under the influence of Nature, in the middle of the numerous circle that surrounds him, this single Magnetizer commands as master the universal fluid; he is, at this moment, like its administrator and king; he modifies it at his will, and establishes everywhere a perfect accord between him and those who are submitted to his action, by the equilibrium that he restores and which puts them all, so to speak, in unison.

This is quite enough to grasp the spirit of this combination, which one will understand even better if one wants to reflect on its connection with the system of the universe made present by the figurative pieces that accompany it.

These accessory pieces, we have said, are the figures of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. The Sun, as the principle of life and action in the universe, placed at the top of the rod, indicates the origin of the virtue of this acting fluid, and gives the idea of its power. Its influence, joined to that of the Stars, varies its effects, increases and maintains its intensity.

The Moon, placed under the cone at the nadir and in opposition with the Sun, while showing the subordination of this planet, which draws from the Sun all that it has of activity, shows itself as a secondary agent, whose reflected action does not manifest itself less by effects all the more sensible, as its proximity to the earth subjects us irresistibly to all its influence.

I will say nothing of the triangular, square, etc. figures. These figures, as one sees, by retracing for us the image of the planetary aspects, and of their influences on us, complete the system and concur, as well as the combination of numbers, in giving an idea of its perfection.

In a word, it is easy to see that this system is founded on the principle of unity, which by bringing beings closer together and by uniting individuals through a reciprocity of actions, tends necessarily to rectify in them the aberrations of Nature, and this is what the mysterious figure at the bottom of the cone indicates in a very marked way, which, placed between the Sun and the Moon, and at the center of the universe, of which it is the vivifying soul, could not better instruct us on the primitive cause of the effectiveness of Magnetism.

Stripped of the imposing apparatus of the Baquets (tubs) and extremely simplified, the treatment that results from this new method is neither less sure, nor less effective.