Magnetic healing

Magnetic healing refers to the practice of a magnétiseur, a healer who claims to transmit a soothing fluid or energy through the hands. The notion goes back to Franz Anton Mesmer’s “animal magnetism” in the late eighteenth century, whose effects a French royal commission disputed in 1784. In France, the coupeurs de feu, “fire cutters” sought out for burns, belong to this folk tradition. Magnetic healing never replaces a medical consultation, especially for a burn or persistent pain.