5. Though Thouret is here writing as the author of a work on animal magnetism that had been commissioned by the Société royale de médecine (of which he was an active member), he was also a doctor regent of the Society’s institutional rival, the Faculté de médecine. He and Andry (one of the Society’s commissioners to investigate animal magnetism) had written earlier studies for the Society on the therapeutic use of magnets, one of which BF had recently requested: BF to Vicq d’Azyr, May 24. By offering his new publication to BF, the head of the Faculty/Academy commission, Thouret displayed the kind of cooperation that Poissonnier had hoped would be possible; see the headnote to Poissonnier to BF, April 26. BF and his colleagues drew on Thouret’s study, and mentioned him by name, in their final report, described below under the date [Aug. 11].

6. The day Thouret’s book was announced for sale in the Jour. de Paris.

7. Thouret, Recherches et doutes sur le magnétisme animal (Paris, 1784). As noted on p. xxxii, the Society had commissioned him on March 12 to conduct a comprehensive review of ancient and modern works on animal magnetism. Thouret did all that and more: he considered every proposition Mesmer had published, showed how each derived from earlier authors (thereby disproving Mesmer’s claim to originality), and posed and answered a series of objections, or “doutes,” that supported the conclusion that Mesmer’s therapeutic results were due to “imagination.” Vicq d’Azyr and five other members of the Society reported on the MS at a meeting of July 9. Their report was an extensive summary, focused on the section that Thouret had written on his own initiative, and it made clear that he had exceeded his assignment. The membership approved the work for publication and voted to include the committee’s report as a preface to the book. Vicq d’Azyr certified the text of the report on July 10 (pp. xix–xxxv).