In 1778 Friedrich Anton Mesmer astounded Paris and the medical world by introducing what he termed a new medical theory the theory he called animal magnetism. Although he was discredited and accused of being a practitioner of black magic mesmerism was to continue to fascinate medical men until it flowered in to the present days wholly scientific and important branch of medicine called hypnotism.

That is today but in the eighteenth century it was misunderstood and misused with many of the men who practised it unprincipled and little better than sorcerers. This is the story of one such.

Produced and directed by: Himan Brown (07/21/1910 - 06/04/2010)