Throughout Poe’s writings, he frequently crossed the line of fact and fiction with ease. His fictionist account in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” was no different. Readers across the world fell victim to his clever writing style and persuasive techniques. Whether it was his scientific explanation of the experience, the naming of doctors and nurses present, or his repeated use of the word “fact”, Poe successfully convinced his audience that his story was credible and true. Many people took this lie to a greater length, even writing to Poe that they had also successfully prolonged death by hypnosis. Poe kept this falsehood alive until he began responding to letters and questions from the public, admitting without remorse that it was a hoax.

The most convincing argument of the story being factual was the style in which Poe wrote “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”. Poe took full advantage of the lack of scientific knowledge in comparison to today, and wrote the story as a doctor would write an account of an experiment. An example of this lies in Poe’s account of Valdemar’s Mesmerism. Poe writes, “By this time his pulse was imperceptible and his breathing was stertorious, and at intervals of half a minute. This condition was nearly unaltered for a quarter of an hour” (Poe 69). This account of the man’s breathing and bodily state is indistinguishable from that of a scientist recording an experiment. The time period of the writing, and the lack of knowledge the public had of Mesmerism, left the reader with no other choice but to believe the account to be true. Another example of Poe’s scientific writing style is in the end of the account, where Poe wakes Valdemar after an apparent 7 month trance. Poe writes, “There was an instant return of the hectic circles on the cheeks; the tongue quivered, or rather rolled violently in the mouth (although the jaws and lips remained rigid as before) and at a length the same hideous voice which I have already described, broke forth...” (Poe 73). The precision at which Poe apparently accounts Valdemar’s last moments is identical to an experimenter recounting the same. These precise explanations in the story make a convincing argument that Poe’s experiment was thorough and factual, as if he was taking notes of the experiences in real time. The public had a serious lack of knowledge on the topic Poe was writing about, so they had no choice but to believe the account, or wait for a credited scientist to debunk it. 

Most of the mystery surrounding Poe’s story was the public’s ignorance to the study of Mesmerism. The man who coined the term was Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), a credited physician in his time. Mesmer spent much of his life practicing medicine traditionally, but as he went into his forties he became increasingly doubtful of the medical practices of that time. To Mesmer, the gruesome practices often did more harm than good, including bleeding and opiates. Consequently, he began to develop his own practices, and was quite successful in healing his patients. His new practice included using a magnet to change the gravitational tides that were affecting his subjects. As time went on, even Mesmer realized the magnet’s affects, along with the complex and lengthy hand gestures he coined the “Mesmeric Pass”, were minimal in affecting the patient. Most of Mesmer’s success in healing was from what is now known as the “Power of Suggestion”, which is a credible way to affect a patient’s outcome even today. Most of Poe’s readership not only didn’t know the facts of Mesmer’s experiments, but fantasized about the power and extent of them. Poe took advantage of this in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” and pushed the imagination of the reader to new heights.

Another technique Poe used to increase credibility of his story was his account of doctors and nurses being present during the experiment. Poe repeatedly writes their blanked out names and their actions throughout the story with the intention of creating a scientific mood. In one account Poe writes, “The curiosity of both the physicians was greatly excited. Dr. D--- resolved at once to remain with the patient all night, while Dr. F--- took leave with a promise to return at daybreak. Mr. L---, I and the nurses remained” (Poe 69). Although the exact names of the supposed present physicians are intentionally left blank, the simple act of stating they are present increases the credibility of the account greatly. Another example of Poe’s use of the physicians in the story is in his references to their opinions of the patient. Poe writes, “It was the opinion of both physicians that M. Valdemar would die about midnight on the morrow (Sunday). It was then seven o’clock on Saturday evening” (Poe 68). Poe repeatedly brings up the opinions of the doctors and nurses throughout the story to act as a buffer from fact and fiction. 

Another technique used by Poe throughout his fictitious account is his repeated use of the word “Facts”. A reader without prior knowledge of the process of Mesmerism could very well confuse fact with fiction because of Poe’s clever wordplay. The first example of this is in Poe’s choice for a title. Poe deliberately placed the word “facts” in the title of his story to start the reader off believing it is fact, as the reader has no reason to think otherwise. This clever placement starts the reader off on Poe’s deception, and gives Poe the upper hand from the very start, rather than the other way around. Once the story progresses, Poe continues his use of the word “facts” to fool the reader. He writes, “It is now rendered necessary that I give the facts, as far as I comprehend them myself” (Poe 66). Another simple statement like this further solidifies Poe’s argument before he describes a single event in the story. The importance of his wordplay at the beginning of the story is highlighted throughout the rest of the text. As Poe goes from lie to lie, the reader still has it in their head that what they are reading is fact. This is essential to the hoax Poe successfully pulls off. Without the reader having to put their trust into Poe from the very start, they likely wouldn’t believe the fiction he provides during the rest of the story. 

Whether it be Poe’s scientific explanation, the naming of doctors present, or his repeated use of the word “Facts”, the clever styles and tricks Poe pulls off to fool the world expanded his own literature boundaries and the imagination of the reader. Without his cleverness, the hoax wouldn’t have swept print media in the fashion that it did. This relationship between fact and fiction still occurs today, as story after story comes out and is believed to be true until someone credible disproves it. Poe took advantage of the time period and lack of medical knowledge to pull off one of the most famous literature hoaxes of the 19th century.
