The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-02
most Of tho persons forming the chain. do roaI

ciSni oe applied 10 tnis explanation OF tho pro-
cess wc are aiming at an intogblo explana-
| tion. and hope. 10 succeeding remarks, TO clear
| .lp every point involved, Tho reader must
necessary, otherwise the table will not move.
Those who adopt the magnectic hypothesis.
explain the necessity of this condition. las tho
mcsmersts explain failurol by saying that
"scepticisn destroy the influences" Trulyit
does so; because the muscular action which
produce the movement IN obedience 10 what s
called an ''expectant attention., will not be
brought into play unless expectation. be there.
Scepticism, however, Is word OF loose sig
| nifcation, There are two classes Of sceptics.
! There are the class of men who are, II Is true,
perfectly incrcdulous with respect 10 tho fact.
bot perfectly crcdulous with respect to the
in fereace; they approach the tablo with laugh
ter, or with an emphatic declaration of "Its
all burnbug:" yet no sooner does the table
!, move, and they believe in the honesty of those
moving IL. than their incredulity is changed to
a creduity az rash! They doubted tho fact:
no sooner is the fact proved. than they no
longer doubt the infercncel Bot the scientific
sceptic, knowing aohert lies tho source ofnio
fallaces is willing to believe the fact; no is
only sceptical of the immature hypothesis sug-
gested TO explain the fact. 1t is thus that
;, sprit-rappings convert the incredulous. When
known I;'they-forced 70 actgptf tie iynassibls
li.ve they are forced to accept the iJerence
> which the inpostor wishes them to accept;
bu, cautious thinker would accept the fact.
and closely examine the inference. lie wouid
: saw, "It is true have been told such and spch
5 things. but does it. therefore. follow that they
= were told me by departed spirlts' May there
not bo some juggle in itT' se.g. oi
: We dwell on this distinction between scep-
= tcisn Of facts and scepticism OF infer 'rences'
y because it is important, and because men COM
: monty fancy they are bringing strong evidence
. in support of their opinions when they preface
: it by saying, II assure you approached this
. ! subject as complete sceptic as yo1 can oe; .
!, thoaght IL monstrous humbug; laughed at
= the idoa: but was forced TO own tho truth at
1 last" If YOU intcrrogate these sceptics, you
4 will find that they all imagine the fact proves
o. the hypothesis-as If no other hypothesis
dss would explain the factl
VI The explanation Of "tabe moving we have
10 from the first suggested, has been this week
STRENGTHENED by q reprint in the Journal des
y Debats. of an article written twenty years ago
S' by M. Chevroul the celebrated chemist, an a.
u nslysis of which had already been given by
eS Ioncet. in his "Taite dc Physiclogie. We
~ - will reproduce its leading points.
50 In 1888, Paris was amused by the osclla-
- trsns of a pendulum, as recently London was by
She oscillations Of gold rings under the preten-,
lei ded magnetoscope of Mr. Rutter. ELECTRICITY,
in of course was the explanation of the following
,r fact:-lfan iron ring were suspended by
ire right hand it began to oscillate; on introdu-
ca cinr some other substance between the mer-
al, cury and the suspended ring, The oscillations
an. ceased 10 recomp,cnce with the icittdrdpd1 o.
nc The foreign substance. But Chovreul showed
that this was the result of insensible muscular
by action, by various experiments, Of which 4 Is
NV enough TO saw that on supporting his arm Dy d
ion wooden rest tho oscillations decreased in pro-
ere portion as tho wooden rest approached tho
,re wrist and .disap ppeared when placed undcr the
ne fingers which held tho thread. The curious
of part of his experiment, however wa s TINS. no
rst fncied that cae his eyes folo'oed the oscllia
;n. tions of the pendulum, he detected in himself
~ q disposition ortendency 10 Increment. winch,
rci. perfectly involuntary, was always inc moro
"a satisfied tho largcr tho oscillation were; but.
- on banddcine his cues The oscillations rapidly
on ceased and then the interpositiOn OF foreign
y;l substances 5etpeen the mercury and the pend~
tbo lum exercised no sor, ofm.fueace on The osciHa
.ars ton! His Interpretation of the phenomena Is
or. simple and satisfactory. In holding the pom
dly dulum, an inscnsible muscular movement o
n;ie tho arm set the pendulum slightly oscillatlng
!, and when onco the oscillations commenced
No. Il. \" wsfu augmented by the influence exer
- cised by vision. which caused him to assume
,ar, that "tendency to movement before mon'ioh
a,? cd: this tendency, however is so delicate. AM
Tho so unconscious, that tho mere thought ot AT
= nF resting it does not arrest it. The two neces
10 conditions Tor u 10 A"''
;,b. 20 be-lst. belief that the pendulum WI
'''-' move ofitself without muscular aid; 2d, L
cee the oscillations which become creator b
.te the influence Of vision in directing tho mu:
,tion clos
'bso. We should be glad, if space permitted,
. of cite examplos of this unconscious tendance a
man movemens referrel to by M. Chevreul; but o.
ton, cry one will remember how, in txing auenti,
o. on a moving object we involuntary ieah III u
md m
icty, doubtless amused themselves Win tno eNPo'
nows ment of suspendng book by means OF q ko
from and willing the book to turn in particular
ence. rec,ion-Si experiment We have tried over ar
O the over again TO depend on the muscular actit
and induced by "expectant attention.. Inc rea
,at its or is referred to Dr.. Carpenters "Human Ply
For iolory." fourth edition. 923sq., for interesti'
. wo matter we have no room here to reproduce.
,asses With the light thus afforded, let us exam
!: 1--WE the phenomenon ofhat-moving and table
pass ing: and in relating onr own experiences
Ia or shall attempt to givo the rationale. In p'
which feet conformity with what has bcen said
spting the necessity of'expectant attention or fat
ostion tor successful result, we have to deciaro 'h
.nocn although the table has moved in our presen
move il has never moved wheh we ior'"cu ";,;
sup- the chain. although we were really wal!r
oof ia with stong desire 10 analyzc the sensauo
,,son- which accompany the phenomenon. Inc
dam lection that we nrs 'anti.magnetic, ana u
our scepticism produces cross currcn''
lstead too frivolous TOT relu''s a ,ha Inowloice
"oec son oi tne ia''uro n's ooe' a tha others n
ry the our scep'ics, 1' ''o that i, will g
secular their want oi iu'' .so,, ;s th;s-we h,
les the ceed Win u.s. a'o.,o' soa;ns, the sour
- .;I, of fallacv, and told them how they moved
%, ne table unconsciously.
70 this Ancrativc result cannot, we arc aware,
annot. torminc this. question. But we have posi-