Mesmerism

Messmer's waved magnets over his patients while reciting prayers, claiming the ability to cure various diseases. Though his methods were discredited, the mind's effect on the body was intriguing and his experiments became the basis of modern hypnosis.
 Franz Anton Mesmer Germany 1774 Mesmerism

Messmer's waved magnets over his patients while reciting prayers, claiming the ability to cure various diseases. Though his methods were discredited, the mind's effect on the body was intriguing and his experiments became the basis of modern hypnosis.