The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-11-29
SPIRITUALISM.
THE GHOSTS ALL IN
OUR EYE.
The COunterfeits of Science and
How to Detect Them.
LECTURE BY DR.. BEARD.
Before the Long Island Histori-
cal Society, Nov: 20.
Neuro-PhysiOiogy ~. Fraud aud
Trici.crS.

| ON Thursday evening. November 10
lG. George VI. Beard delivered Il lecture
III the rooms of the Historical Sorict,
building, Brooklyn, ON "lhc Counter
iclts of Science. and How to Detect
Them The audience comprised "A larpc
number of ladies AMI many Of The promi-
ncnt medical men of Brooklyn. The lee
turcr spoke substantially ~ follows:
When any great wave OF excitement
on The subject of spiritIalism or
mihd-rcnding or clairvoyancr or of any
other dclusion rolls over the country.
sensible and thoughtful citizens can take
one Oi three course.
| Frst-lhey may entirely ignore the
| matter; spending no time thinking of il
ana about II. This course of the mlior-
ily L. entirely lu-tiliablc: il Is moi The
! duty of fli" mass Of people or the mass
OF scholars or the mass of scientific men
to give any attention To those matters.
Tor THIS l. on of their realm: they are
incompetent to investigate the subject in
VOWED, and they are right in letting them
alone. expressing no opinion upon them
either for or against.
SrroHd-ThcN may dcnounrc them
humbug> and frauds without AN cNamiu-
alton. THIS course j. also justihablc.
W hen anyone concs along protesting Ia
IAN' ihllh-liNllllGs A'lllN bNdlll. ~Dliilll-
| alistlc. or pIl~ic force powers, the pre-
sumption that he does not possess any of
these powers in amy degree l. 81 great
mat II we have no opportunity for en-
animation we have a right. IN private.
~ least, To pronounce against them,
Those. therefore, who hastily declare that
all these things are n deluslon: that there
j. nothing in them at all. thai from be-
ginning To end they are frauds and fol-
lies, are nearer the truth and more sci
cntiiic. and more wise than those who
also hastily declare that there is some
thlng IN them. and that new force hu.
appeared la the world.
IHi,M-ThOsc who arr masters In
heuro-physiology aud experienced in the
science and art Of detecting frauds under
cover OF IeurO-phy Biological pcculiari-
ties. and who are familiar with the ncry-
ols system In health and disease. Owcit TO
science, To humanity. TO civilization. and
10 themselves. ~ II seems 10 me, Ia make
special efforts. and sacrifice. If need la.
lhcir oMn tim" and comfort. to detect
lh" frauds aud expose them andput them
10 shame before the indignant people.
bul tllrir efforts should not Stop at hi,
points they should 30 further. and from
special exposures, they should rise To the
discussion of the general principlc, by
which frauds of thl, sort are to he de-
l''l'd and should seek. hy all lust means.
| To set IN motion those force, that ,lnllin
liln', educate the people to look al these
! liihg, through scientific rVc,. Thus thcy
may 10 something To save our pubncmo
! AZ ana prolong our civilization.
The strength of Spirituali~m consist.
first, IN the emotional nature: and. SEQ
ondly, in the ignorance OF humanity.
Take that mother who last year LOST her
enid, hrr only child la it, infancy: for
iloillils lite To her Was "A sorrow; her only
JOY was the memory Of that precious one.
In thousand ways, n thousand times She
saw That child, and in her dream, at night
she drew II 10 her arms and kissed il. and
II became alive again. Sitting by the dy-
ing cmbrr' IN the twilight, il, form come,
near to her ami i n, dear Ia her a. when
u was on the earth. Thi- mother hear,
lr up IN Vermont the spirit, of the de-
pflcd'coln" 10 meet their friend, ON
earth. NJ much expense of lime and
money She makes the trip. In the DARK
lns' sllc ec"- Inc form Oi child "A. she
ihinks; all her motherhood come. intn
il'f eyes, and she cNclms. ",rhis |
- my darling one" When now |
we nara man Of science comes with |
me Iarlllllc, all trained To move underline /
rue oi reason, ~ the regiments of an /
army move under the commandment /
rniei' ana exposes the illusion, and laws |
M cold ana cruel baud uponit revealing