In hmolscience, Franz Mesmer (1734-1815) (CR:10) was a German physician-astronomer noted for his 1770s animal magnetism theory, aka Mesmerism, according to which he hypothesized that some type of "magnetism", akin to standard iron-loadstone attraction, existed between animals; or something along these lines.

Overview
In 1774, Mesmer had his patient, Francisca Osterlin, suffering from hysteria, swallow a preparation containing iron, then attached magnets to various parts of her body, during which she reported a mysterious fluid running through her body.

In 1779, Mesmer published an 88-page booklet Memoir on the Discovery of Animal Magnetism, wherein he gave various propositions concerning his animal magnetism theory.

In 1788, Benjamin Bablot (1754-1802) published Essay on the Power of Imagination of Pregnant Women, in which he defended Burton and seventeenth-century theorists, but also invoked Mesmer and his theory of hypnotic influence to support his arguments. [1]

Goethe, at some point, supposedly, digested Mesmer; and may have included some of his ideas in his use of the maternal imagination theory aspects employed in his Elective Affinities.

References
1. Bablot, Benjamin. (1788). Essay on the Power of Imagination of Pregnant Women (Dissertation sur le Pouvoir de l’imagination des femmes enceintes). Publisher.
2. Mesmer, Franz. (1779). Memoir on the Discovery of Animal magnetism (Mémoire sur la découverte du magnétisme animal). Publisher: chez P. Fr. Didot le jeune.

External links
● Franz Mesmer – Wikipedia.