The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-08
NahlMOK-L0VlNG MEDIUMS.
Professor Wan der Weyde-cdic Force and the
Fraudulent Pretensions Of spiri.ualism

gan interesting lecture was delivered last evening
before the Liberal Club by Professor Van der Weyde,
on "Odic Force" For some time Spiulualism has
been a iavoritc bone Of contention among the men,
bers of tho club but this is the irst occasion on
which 1t has been made The leading subject OF dis
cussion. Hitherto " has simply appeared as a slie
issue. The Professor being wen known for his nm
wavering scepcisn on all that concerns medi ums
the medium philosophy, herce onslaught on the
table-urnlng "enltusi was confidently expected
and ihere was an unusually large attendance
AT eight O'Clock the Professor, having been intro
duced, knitted his brows, sroked back mis- long
locks OF grizzied hlir ana with preliminary hem
began hi address. He SAID tnat sprimasts were
constantly asking, with apparent sincerity to have
the phenomena upon which their system rested
fairy investigated by competent scientific authority.
Perhaps II they were Ia pay a little more attention
10 faces Than TO imaginative theories they would
know that such experiments have already been
made. lie proposed briefly 10 sketch The growth
or Spiutualistlc philosophy, ana would give
detail his personal experience 81 mediums and their
fraudulent pretenslons. He had made ali his obscr.
vations with hut one desre-to know tue truth: and
he had but one feaito believe lie FIRST of ALI IL
Should be remembered that Spirtnaism ana animal
magnetism were not new things Mesmcr was,
perhaps. the first 70 bring the phenomena claimed
TO be the result OF odic force before the world. He
was German physician and supposed that electric
currents existed in animal bodies similar to those
which were known 70 reside IN magnets. Mr..
Van der Wcyde then gave detailed account OF
Mcsmef's adventures IN Paris and hIs subsequent
brief career In London. adding that nothing which
Mesmcr Il authenticity stated TO have done pre-
sented any difficulty TO man or science. lie then
entered into brief account Of Reicnenbach's ey.
perinents. keichcnbaCn had stated that electro
magnets when IN Il state OF activity slIone with
psculiar liRht--rosy led one side and
pale blue OH Inc other. This ixhi nas how
ever, Only visible 10 the eye OF the medium
Reichenbach himself admitted tnat he himself
had never witnessed II. Mr.. Van der Weyde. to
test this claim, had called In several mediums OF
good repuie. and mad purposey misled them as 10
the state or hts magnet he had always found that
when he told The medium that the magnet was
charged, whether he was telling the truth or nor the
medium at once became conscious OF the presence Of
this mysterious light; while when II was announced
that the M gnet was not charged they proessed TO
see nothing. But he had never met medium who
could tell by merely oohing ut the magnet,
without being told its condition. whether
IL was IN state of electrical activity. Mr..
van der Weyde then examined the various
forms or humbng practice BY the iappHg and the
table-turnlng mediums. As IL the tapping II was
To be noticed that lady mediums, wih long dresses
conceang their Feet most Snectei that form OF de.
ception. He had on one occasion taken % stetio-
scope with him 30 a rapping SeaAee III the COOP r
institute. He had found that the raps invariably
came from the board upon which the medium Was
standing, and, OF course. the sethoscope beng so
absolutely exact IN iis indications OF the u
sound there could DC little suspicion oI his having
been DiSlcd bY prejudice lie accounted Ter
rapplEg IN many eases by the power
nc had FOUND some persons 10 possess