South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-08-11
Scientific Tests-Curious Phenomena,

HoOA PoAtiduy COnurmeQ dnQ atteSb6Q
also by DR.. Higgins, the eminent astrono-
mer, whose great and quite recent services
IN relation to the astronomical applica-
uons of spectrum analysis has been &C
knowledged in all quarters, and who is
One of the most distinguished members of
the Royal Society, and by Mr.. Sergeant
Cox, both OF whom were present-of some
very curious experiments made on Mr..
Homes asserted physical powers as a me-
dunn, as it is called, though no counte-
name is lent by the experimentor or his
friends to the hypothesis of the agency of
invisible beings of which the word me
dunn" is a remnant. Mr.. Crookes and
MI. Sergeant Cox both seem convinced
that these experiments prove the existence
of a peculiar force which they call
"psycich," proceeding directly from the
nervous system of specially copsdtuted
persons, and which is exerteI independ-
emily of the muscular system, probably
p~ropagated, SUCCESS Mr.. Sergeant Cox,
who, as the lest scientific, is the rashest
OF these speculative inquirers. through
that Terve atmosphere of various inten-
slry enveloping the human structure"
which DR.. Richardson has discovered.
DR.. Higgins, the most eminent scientific
man of the three, is by far the most
cautious and reserved in his statements.
He gives in his general adherence
to Mr.. Crookes' account of the
experiments -" your proof appears
to me to contain a correct statement of
what took place in my presence at your
house." but as to one of the most curious
facts involved in i~t-namely, that an &C.
cordeon continued to float about without
any visible support" in the copper wire
cage contrived for it by Mr.. Crookes after
Mr.. Homes hand had been entirely with
drawn, end under these circumstances to
play musical airs without being touched
by any hand--Dr. Higgins states that his
position ~ the table did not permit him to
be a witness to the withdrawal of Mr..
HCne's hand from the ACCORDION, though
ne writes to Mr.. Crookes that "such was
stated at the time to be the case by your
self and by the person sitting on the other
side of Mr.. Home" He adds, "the ex-
periments appear to me x show the i'm
portance of further investigation; but /
wish it to be understood that l express no
opinion as to the phenomena which took
place" DR.. higgins evidence is of the
greater weight, so far as it goes, from the
great caution and reserve with which he
gives it. He appears to confirm generally
the accuracy of Mr.. Crookes' description,
except as to the performances of the Gagged
ACCORDION when Mr. Homes hand was re-
moved; but he evidently does not regard
the experiments as going further than to
justify and even show b importance
of further investigation. Even this from
such q witness as DR.. Higgins is remarka-
BILE testimony.
But what was the precise nature of the
facts to which, supposing them to be am
ply authenticated by future tests, such as
nr Hr-r,-o I,,.ro1f 1o- ra-or1 10 1afso-
factory, these experiments point? 1t is
this-that in the presence of certain
specially gifted or specially organized in
dividuals whether the facts, if true, de-
pend on the organization, or on the power
of will, or OF the nervous sensibility-in
a word, IN what they do depends at
present all a matter of speculation), q
force developes itself which produces,
without contact, many of the results of
muscular effort, and some of the results of
muscular effort directed by a trained
musical taste and ear. For example, Mr..
Crookes (all whose test machinery had
been prepared without the smallest knowl-
edge on Mr.. Homes part, MI. Home
seeing it for the first time when he entered
MI. Crookes' house, had prepared a
mahogany board three feet long by 90
inches wide and one inch thick, one end
VI nA1OA 4CCIC4 OA O LAl4 b1D4O1 aA0 LAO
other was supported by "a spring balance
hanging from q substantial tripod stand"
with "a self-registering index" attached.
Thus, any pressure exerted on this board
at any point nearer to the balance than
the spot where it was supported OF the
table, tended to depress the end supported
by the balance to an extent registered by
the index-the board moving round the
-table-supported end as round a fulcrum.
Mr.. Crookes, to test the balance, stood or
one foot at the end of the board Eearest to
the table, and DR.. Higgins said that the
whole weight of his bGdy then applied
GAO pounds) only senk the index at the
other end to an aInount equivalent to one
and a half ponds if applied to the bal
ance end, Tnen he stood still, and to two
pounds when he jerked up and down. Mr..
HONE, sitting in a low easy chair, simply
applied his fingers lightly to the exact
point where the board rested on the table
ESQ that even hard pressure there would
have only had the effect of securing the
fulcrum instead of depressing the other
end of the mahogany board) and under
these conditions the opposite end was de-
pressed by an amount which varied, as if
In waves, between three and one half
pounds and six pounds, which wa the
maximum obtained.
This experiment was in some respects
the most curious, as being the one which
was in every respect the most above-board
both literally and morally-and which
was apparently fully tested by DR.. Hug
gins, as well as by Mr.. Sergeant Cox and
Mr.. Crookes. 1frepeated often enough in
the presence of competent witnesses, IT
would undoubtedly show the real exist
ence of some new force not due 10 mus
eular exertion.
The other experiment W. made by an &C.
cordeon imprisoned in q. drum-shaped cage
of Mr.. Crookes' own invention. the cage
being made of lafrnes of wood and D D
wire tc preVeht access from outside; but
TINS cage "a placed beneath the table,
ana Tough Mr.. Sergeant Cox and Mr..
CnoJkes both seemed to have watched it
Ldere, and to have taken what they be-
Iieved to be very careful guarantees that
Mr.. Home was not juggling, there can
hardly be SO much confidence placed in
the reality of the facts asserted as in the
lever experiment. The cage was so made
as to surround the ACCORDION entirely, but
not quite TO touch the top of the table,
leaving space enough to admit one of Mr..
Homes hands so far as to enable him to
hold the ACCORDION by the top. The OBJ
servers on each side kept their feet on Nh.
Homes fset to prevent any use of them,
and ore of Mr.. Homes hands was placed on
the table and carefully observed, the other
at first held the ACCORDION by the top, but
the rest of the ACCORDION was completely
inside of the cage, so as to be inaccessible.
Held in this position, the accordion first
began to vibrate and then to play tunes
inside the cage. MI. Crookes AYERS that
he put his hand on that hand of Mr.. Home
which held the instrument. and that he
found it absolutely still at the very mo-
ment the instrument was playing. Nay, he
asserts, as we have already stated, that
when hir. Home removed his hand alto
getner, and put both of them above the
table the ACCORDION continued to float and
play tunes inside the cage with no appar-
ent support. Of course, as We have said,
these asserted facts must be taken with
great reserve, unless verified with suf1-
Gent repetition under every guarantee the
scientific world may suggest. But should
they be so verified, and we think the
existing testimony is quite sufficient to
rnoHa &hio h-1athocfo aonooiuchla O Onnd