Alexandre Jacques François Bertrand

Alexandre Jacques François Bertrand (April 25, 1795 - January 22, 1831) was a French physician and physicist who was a native of Rennes. He was the father of archaeologist Alexandre Bertrand (1820-1902) and mathematician Joseph Bertrand (1822-1900). He was also an ally of philosopher Pierre Leroux (1798-1871) and the Saint-Simonians.

Bertrand is remembered for his scientific investigations of "animal magnetism" and somnambulism. During the early part of the 19th century, phenomena such as these were generally considered by the populace to be part of the supernatural realm, or caused by divine or diabolic intervention. In his research of mesmerism and its ability to cure medical ailments, Bertrand did not deny the genuineness of its alleged curative powers. However, he did not believe that patients were healed by virtue of a "magnetic fluid", but by the subject's suggestibility along with the imposing procedures of the mesmerist.

In 1825 Bertrand was one of the founders of the newspaper Earth, and he was responsible for contributing scientific articles in the publication.

Selected Writings

 * Traité du somnambulisme et des différentes modifications qu'il présente (On sleepwalking and various aspects), Paris, Dentu, 1823.
 * Lettres sur les révolutions du globe (Letters on the revolutions of the Earth), Paris, Bossange brothers, 1824.
 * Lettres sur la physique (Letters on physics), Paris, Bossange, 1824 and 1825.
 * De l'extase (Of Ecstasy), Paris, 1826.
 * Du magnétisme en France et des jugements qu'en ont porté les sociétés savantes (Magnetism in France and judgements of the Learned Societies), Paris, Baillière, 1826. - Republication L'Harmattan, 2004 - ISBN 2-74-756319-7.