La contesa dell’ipnotismo. La classe medica contro gli spettacoli di Donato in Italia

The arrival of the stage hypnotist Donato in Italy, at the end of the 19th century, caused several controversies about the moral legitimacy of hypnotic phenomena. Almost all the physicians agreed to ban Donato’s shows. Enrico Morselli’s voice was the only one who sang outside the chorus. He recognized the great value, in terms of scientific vulgarization, of the Belgian hypnotist’s shows, as well as of his modus operandi. Morselli also denounced the hypocrisy of physicians who publicly attacked Donato, after stealing his methods and techniques. However, Morselli’s defence was useless. In a short time, the Superior Council of Health ruled in favour of the prohibition of these shows. But what was hidden behind these strict measures? What was actually at stake? What really worried the medical profession? This contribution intends to analyse the articulated dynamics underlying what seems to be a real clash between knowledge: the medical and the empirical one.