Animal Magnetism, Life Force Fluids and a Hypnotic Martini

On this day in 1734, Franz Anton Mesmer, was born. Mesmer, an Austrian physician, originated a theory of energy transference that takes place between all animate and inanimate objects, a theory that he termed "Animal Magnetism". This "life force fluid" or magnetism could be activated by a magnetized object but also manipulated by any trained person, which came in handy since Mesmer believed that illness was merely a blockage of this life energy in it's movement through the body.

Mesmer's treatments included passing his hands repeatedly over a person's body to break up any blockages and the use of magnetized objects or magnetized water either in bottles or sprayed on the patient.  Very powerful verbal suggestions were also part of the treatments.  Mesmer would ask his patients to visualize their ailments as a fluid and to feel the sensation of this fluid draining out them, taking their ailments with it.

The repeated passing of hands or an object over the body and the verbal suggestions sometimes placed the individual into a suggestive (or as we would refer to it now, hypnotic) trance.  The term given to this, which is still used today, is mesmerized.

The Historical Inebriant:  The Hpnotiq Martini
http://www.thefndc.com/hpnotiq-martini-recipe-hypnotic-martini/
       


Ingredients:

• 4 oz Hpnotiq
• 2 oz Malibu
• 2 oz pineapple juice

Simply add all three ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. If you want to, with a skewer of pineapple chunks and maraschino cherry.