▁patients ▁both ▁individually ▁and ▁in ▁groups . ▁With ▁individuals ▁he ▁would ▁sit ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁his ▁patient ▁with ▁his ▁kne es ▁touch ing ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁kne es , ▁pressing ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁thumb s ▁in ▁his ▁hands , ▁looking ▁fixed ly ▁into ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁eyes . ▁Mes mer ▁made ▁" pass es ", ▁moving ▁his ▁hands ▁from ▁patients ' ▁shoulders ▁ ▁down ▁along ▁their ▁arms . ▁He ▁then ▁pressed ▁his ▁fingers ▁on ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁ ▁hy po ch ond rium ▁region ▁( the ▁area ▁below ▁the ▁dia ph rag m ), ▁sometimes ▁holding ▁his ▁hands ▁there ▁for ▁hours . ▁Many ▁patients ▁felt ▁peculiar ▁sens ations ▁or ▁had ▁conv uls ions ▁that ▁were ▁regarded ▁as ▁cr ises ▁and ▁supposed ▁to ▁bring ▁about ▁the ▁c ure . ▁Mes mer ▁would ▁often ▁conclude ▁his ▁treat ments ▁by ▁playing ▁some ▁music ▁on ▁a ▁glass ▁ar mon ica . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 7 8 0 ▁Mes mer ▁had ▁more ▁patients ▁than ▁he ▁could ▁treat ▁individually ▁and ▁he ▁established ▁a ▁collect ive ▁treatment ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" ba quet ." ▁An ▁English ▁doctor ▁who ▁observed ▁Mes mer ▁described ▁the ▁treatment ▁as ▁follows : In ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁room ▁is ▁placed ▁a ▁vessel ▁of ▁about ▁a ▁foot ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁high ▁which ▁is ▁called ▁here ▁a ▁" ba quet ". ▁It ▁is ▁so ▁large ▁that ▁twenty ▁people ▁can ▁easily ▁sit ▁round ▁it ; ▁near ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁lid ▁which ▁covers ▁it , ▁there ▁are ▁holes ▁pier ced ▁corresponding ▁to ▁the