Water does not a magnet make

Water does not a magnet make

JOE SCHWARCZ
The Gazette

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Do you suffer from asthma, bronchitis, kidney problems, clogged arteries, poor gum health, arthritis or lack of energy? Would you like to see chickens lay more eggs, cows produce more milk and sheep produce more wool? How about improving the growth of your plants?

Or using less detergent to make your clothes last longer? All you need to accomplish these wonders is magnetized water! I kid you not. At least I kid you not that these claims are being made. Which is quite curious, given that magnetized water does not exist.

Some substances can of course be magnetized. Iron, cobalt or nickel subjected to an external magnetic field take on magnetic properties, at least temporarily. Such "ferromagnetism" is due to the ability of their weakly magnetic constituent atoms to align in such a way as to form strongly magnetic "domains." Water does not have this property and cannot be magnetized. But that doesn't seem to be a stumbling block for the sales of various water magnetizing devices. I have several. My "Magnetic Energy Cup" has a built-in magnet and comes with an assurance that any water, juice or herbal tea poured into it will gain "living liquid energy" and produce negative ions guaranteed to increase the amount of oxygen available to cells.

"Aquatomic" water magnets are embedded in an elastic band that can be stretched around a glass or cup to "accelerate supply of nutrients and facilitate release of toxins."

There is no explanation as to which nutrients I'm to get from the water or which toxins will be released from my body. But I am told that these wonders are due to Aquatomic Water Magnet's ability to "affect the bond angle between the hydrogen atom and oxygen atom in the water molecule."

This means that "water molecules become more alkaline and cluster together in groups of 6-7 rather than groupings of 10-12, and these smaller clusters lead to better absorption of water across cell walls."

I also own a jug fitted with a plug-in device that will magnetize its contents and ensure "instant hydration" that will eliminate headaches, stiff joints and tiredness. Of course my plants will also grow better with this "structurally altered water" and my cat, if I had one, would spend less time sleeping. I, on the other hand, would sleep better. This conundrum is not explained.

The fact that water cannot be magnetized is easily demonstrated. Just "magnetize" water with any of the available devices and place it in a glass next to a compass. The compass needle will not move. Neither will a staple or paper clip stick to the glass, as one would expect if the water were truly magnetic.

But this doesn't mean people who claim to feel better after drinking "magnetized water" are not being truthful.

It's just that the benefit stems not from the water, but from the imagination. And that was cleverly shown over 200 years ago by the great American statesman and scientist, Benjamin Franklin.

In the latter part of the 18th century, Parisian society was afflicted with "mesmeromania."

Anton Mesmer, a Viennese physician, had come to town claiming that he had found a way to restore health by opening up the body channels through which "animal magnetism," the essence of health, flows. Disease, he said, occurs when this flow is impeded but it can be cured with an influx of fresh magnetism.

And how was that done? The patient was asked to hold on to an iron rod sticking out from a vessel called a "baquet," filled with water personally magnetized by Mesmer. As many as 20 people sat around the gigantic buckets, but demand for healing was so great that Mesmer developed miniature versions for home use. These would produce magnetized water that could be consumed.

Mesmer's healing salon became the talk of Paris. Not all of it favourable. Mesmer had explained that healing would be preceded by a "crisis," as the flow of restored energy surged through the body. Indeed, having been primed for such an event, many patients were overcome with fits of hysterical laughter, uncontrollable sobbing, or in some cases "convulsions." Since Mesmer often ushered his rich young female hypochondriacs into private rooms to be cured of diseases they never had, there were whisperings that the convulsions were triggered not by disease leaving the patient's body, but rather by something entering it.

King Louis XI was disturbed by these rumours, especially since his wife, Marie-Antoinette, had become increasingly fond of Mesmer. Louis was also skeptical of Mesmer's claims of animal magnetism, but the healer's popularity among the upper classes precluded any direct action against him.

The king then decided that the best way to discredit Mesmer was by putting his powers to a test. If magnetized water could be shown to be a fraud, Mesmer would be humiliated and would have to close up shop.

So Louis struck a Royal Commission headed by Benjamin Franklin, then American ambassador to France. Although Mesmer refused to collaborate with any investigation, Dr. Charles d'Eslon who had become a Mesmer disciple, agreed to a scientific trial.

Royal subjects who claimed they had been helped by Mesmer's magnetized water, and who affirmed that they would be able to distinguish such water from regular water, were selected for the test. Glasses, one of which held magnetized water, were placed in front of the subjects who were then asked to identify the "healing" sample.

Not only did they fail to do this, but some subjects even experienced convulsions after drinking a glass of regular water that they believed to be of the magnetized variety. Franklin, already disenchanted because mesmerism had not helped his gout, concluded that the key to Mesmer's success was to be found in his patients' imagination rather than in the restoration of any animal magnetism.

And here we are, 200 years later, with people still peddling the healing abilities of mythical magnetized water

Well, I suppose there is something magnetized water does attract. Gullible people.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/insight/story.html?id=6c51cf16-276c-44c3-8e1f-80212ebcc575