Charles Lafontaine

Charles Lafontaine
Born	1803
Died	1892
Nationality	Switzerland
Known for	mesmerism

Charles Lafontaine (1803 – 1892) was an early Swiss mesmerist.

He lived in Geneva and published a journal called Le magnétiseur. Although he had failed as an actor, he became wealthy as a traveling mesmerist, or animal magnetiser, as it was then known.

He wrote an autobiography, which may have influenced George du Maurier in his writing of Trilby.

His stage demonstrations of animal magnetism in Manchester influenced surgeon James Braid to pursue the study of what came to be known as hypnotism (note that Braid's hypnotism was significantly different from Lafontaine's mesmerism). Braid first saw Lafontaine in Manchester on November 13, 1841.

Persondata
Name	Lafontaine, Charles
Alternative names
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Date of birth	1803
Place of birth
Date of death	1892
Place of death