The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-02
sf oli o11 From the London Loader.
5 TABLE MOVING EXPLAINED. i.

round small table. with their hands resting on
II. each little finger touching that of the hand
belonging TO neighbor, after lapse of ten or
Yse creuIap iin movement, which becomes rapidly |
accelerated, aud forces the persons TO follow
fact, we say. Is indspntablc. u
/ But what does this tact imply? What istbe
4 explanation of the seeming marve3 Have We |
here tho revelation of new agency, or is the
fact referrable 10 well known agencies? The
question is not without its importance; not on
ly from the interest now following the subject, |
and tho emnence Of the names which courte- |
nance the absurd theories thrown off in expla-
! nation, but also from the light which it may
shed on many very delicate questions of organ
c action and of popular credulity, II IS nigh
,ime that those who pretend to lead opinion,
through the press, should vigorously examine |
this matter. when journal like the Literary
: Gaze,te, which has high scientific pretension,
can print without disavoxal, an article by one of
, irs contributors, wherein the following passage
occurs. Abiding to tho men who have borne
public tstimony TO tho fact, the writer re-
| marks:-
! "Theso gentlemon are not gullbo fools
easily imposed on: and it is not to be supposed
for one moment that they would deliberately
4 toll falsehoods for the sake of imposing the
the ereCtr tcsfJ az - IL ssfobfshed f1rf that
0 sneak. animate inanimate substances, ana gree
life. and il may almost be said 'nsslhgsnce, 70
inert pood. This is evidently one OF those
q things not dreampt of in our philosophy OF
: which the poet spoke. The specuatons to
which Il has given rise are very curious
: Some people will have it thstitis nothing less
n than a marked advance towards the discovery
of The great and mysterious secret ot trhdt COM
,oses human life or Mt least that it is the ope-
,cl ming of e. wider and nobler field OF human
% knowledge than any now possessed; wnl'Sl
Others opine that IL is sort OF unconscious
~ marie. and hence they assume that tne art OF
4 the Baptista Portas and the Michael Scouts
). was not onlv no imposture as our ancestors
- and ourselves have sagey decided, but the
- greatest of all arts--tho most wonderful OF all
- sciences So convinced is one OF the prlnci-
" nal daily papers that something extraordIna-
- rily great is destined TO flow from this magne-
= tism. or magic, or whatever it may be, thae !,
N has resolved to set apart certain poruon ol
in its space daily of records OF what may DC uoh'
.ts in it,"
ho Very instructive, and not little amusing
= IL is to note the foregoing passage tho aimos
on universal tendency TO confoutfp facts with IN
ferprces The ftlct observed Is. that tao'e
ro move; the inference that it moved by "elcctrcl
80 tv" is supposed to DO established by The fact
- and away The ,heorst flies into the "lmmens
~, insane" of speculation.
ne Cautions thinkers will cry, "Not so test'.-
- All that i at present established is tho sImpl
hn
ra. favor, moving when a chain is formed by per
-, sons round it.. When we come to nterrogat
o. the meaning of this fact, we shall reqnr
.,d something more than the rash assertion OF ID
~ lrctricity''--a word always dragged in to coa
g., ignorance, and always more used by those er
~ tirely ignorant Of electricity than by those a'
: ouainted with somo of its properties
g Tho table moves. II may be moved o
e spirits: il NAV be moved by oil 'ctricity; it ma
a. be moved by the unconscious muscular actlo
of persons forming the chain round it. He
or;. are three explanaticns, not to suggest NOR
; a. which tho investigator may severa.ly eXarnin
ais l. Spiyits-Tab Table-moving issued out
his .pirit-rapping. Indeed we may claim the FIR
article published in the journal as tho orlsi
for it was owing to tho translation OF that ar
Gle IN Germany, and the sensation there exc
u III ted by it, that Dr.. Andree first commcnc'
ao his experiments of table moving; tom oc
per many il spread rapidly to Paris and Londo
Those who believe in the spirit-raPpings, W
'Se hayo no difficulty in assigning a cause TO u
are table-mnvngs: but for more cautious thinke
All there will be these ditfcntios:-First, tho {
.oso is.ence of the spirits requires proof; second
= 'os their presence requires some more denim
S,oo G proof than lies in an assumption. indeed,
ono should b. stated here, to exonorate ihe r.
-! nlc wno occupy themselves with the new pf
"'y' nomenon, that table moving has no necNssa
II cOunectOn WIFI spiTlI "hN - -
'no rated by hundreds who are fully aware ot
nero ionobe imposture practiced under the title
own sniritunI manifestations As we are OF the
they ter. we may dismiss this FIRST explanation WI
% IN out further discussion.
n'er q Electricity. This is more plausible a
70 ot eniraps oil but those accustomed to scien
oo.n analysis. But we are bound to call atteht
oi.y to the following points:-First there IS ao
lhing luieIy no proof whatever of the eTistence
ntnu Al. ofo 81 ~ na from hun
III us beings TO the table, it is pure nssmpt'
aver made to overreach the chasm OF ignorance
way Secondly. although what is called norve-o
necH % has many striking analogies with electric
uio a vet every well. Informed physiogomst knt
} as that the identity of the two forces, far Il
being proven, is in the present state OF sclei
took TO be rejected Thus you have to prove
mouth , .,.od !, &c, bayo m nrove tba
o. tne mod ofoperationis that which You assume!
iegs' granting that nerve-fo force is electricity,
have still TO learn that this electricity pa
, 'is'' in stream from our fingers to the table;
men have still to learn that electricity, when II
* was es into a table or hat, makes that table
y euu that hat gyrate. These are diiiculties "
reuey will prevent the scientific mind from accep
so'h electrical agency. AT present tho qncs
Fouhu stands thus THE table moves; by no kn
than laws of electricity or physiology can h.s n,
again mont be explained as electfcal; and 10
)nghly 80 ,ha, tba movement itsaif is the pro,
opt 10 = ;ndnIca in tho most y;cious circular rea
n; her ~. ~ hv which an assnmntion is mado to
ch she ., ns, Dy the validity of the assumption.
lotion. - - In.
hair, o. OhcohSc'ous m"s.a". s s,;Nnahio O.
as set OF unp,o.en sP''S "nu t'...,,,i 90 ,r,
10 ''' simpler explanation of unconscious mus
instinct oct'on, u'o we no' "n'" 80. . a., Ias, :
n ofi,s simp'e eAPahs.on ~ ,orroo,s
nough; Thought Q. APP1u'o n,,ri.cas, ~ sa TIE
;n,or- however, inquire little moro closely int
.,,.f,,r sa1u muscular hcttOu. utu ooo u