Robert Darnton's Mesmerism and the End of the Enlightenment in France, published by Harvard University Press in 1968, is the standard scholarly history of the eighteenth century mesmerist vogue in Paris and of the royal commission, including Benjamin Franklin and Antoine Lavoisier, that investigated and rejected Mesmer's claims in 1784. Its strength is that it is a peer-reviewed academic monograph from a major university press that remains a standard citation in the history of science and of the Enlightenment. Its limit is that it is a study of mesmerism's reception in eighteenth century France specifically, not of the later nineteenth and twentieth century developments into hypnotism and related practices, so a claim about that later history needs a different source.
Facts
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Reliability Tier1
Published by Harvard University Press as Robert Darnton's standard scholarly history, peer reviewed university-level scholarship that remains a standard citation in the history of science. NotesStandard account of the mesmerist vogue and of the royal commission that investigated it.
Citation
AuthorRobert Darnton
PublisherHarvard University Press
Publication Year1968
Source Typeacademic monograph
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names France directly: "and the End of the Enlightenment in France, published by Harvard University Press in 1968, is the standard scholarly history of the eighteenth century mesmerist vogue in Paris and of the royal..."
Paris, Cities This source names Paris directly: "eighteenth century mesmerist vogue in Paris and of the royal commission, including Benjamin Franklin and Antoine Lavoisier, that investigated and rejected Mesmer's claims in 1784."
Claims Backed By This Source (26 claims)
This source backs 26 claims across the atlas. As facts: 20 well-attested. As cited relationships: 4 holds. Plus 2 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Historical Figures, 7 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Subtle Energies, 6 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
- Articles, 4 claims: 4 well-attested.
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