The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-15
deducted from wide range OF, experience,
alike normal and abnormal their nec,iiior.

alike normal and abnormal, their peculiar.
ity consisting ~ in the suspension OF the
yolitional power OF rl1e subject; and f2s in
the direction. Of the whole OF his mental
activity into one narrowly-llmited channel.
The spiritualists do nothing SO wonderful
as the cases Of mtnd-reading" and ssclair-
voyance" DIR. Carpenter instances, which
could be repeated at any time and under
any conditions; but he insists that a MAJ ked
linemus be drawn between these and those
so-called "spiritunl" yisitations which do
gators desires to witness them.
From the Boston Globe, November 8.le5,
EXPOSURES OF q sP1R1TUALIsM." .t,..
Those who so fiercely s'expose" and
assail spiritualism do not exhibit precisely
scientific spirit. They assume at the out
set that 1t is q ssgigantic &c delusion," }" gross
superstition,'' or some other monstrous
thing which is simply to be demolished; (;
and though they profess desire to convince
those who are infected, they adopt mode
of persuasion which they would be very
unwilling to have directed against any be-
Lief of their own. Calling man fool or
dupe is not apt to convert him even from
~pestilent heresy." 1t is undoubtedly
fact that very many people who are
intelligent and not easily deceived
are more or less inclined to a
belief in what is called spiritualism, and
that their views are not founded solely on
those manifestations which are SO readily
shown to be tricks. II any confidence is to be
placed in human testimony, there is class
OF phenomena which are not in the nature
of tricks, and cannot be simulated as such.
TO separate these from the mass OF fraud
and imDosture, and to endeaYor to ascer-
tain their source and the nature OF the
forces by which they are produced, whe-
thcr animal magnetism, the action OF mind
upon mind or upon matter, or disembodled
spirits, is legitimate object OF inquiry,
which is not to be promoted by accepting
the exposures Of charlatanism as disposlng
| of the whole matter.
| There is no doubt whatever that Mrs.
Hardy is a ''fraud land an impostor. The
| Globe showed that very conclusively nearly
two years ago. Other exposures go far to-
ward establishing the fact that the so-called
mediums who gain disreputable livelihood
by trading upon the credulity and the emo
tions of the people are deceiyers and knaYes.
The mummery and fooling OF dark cabinets
and circles, the writing upon concealed
states, and all those performances which de-
SAooS
scrutiny and depriving the spectators OF
the full use Of their senses and unhin-
dered observation and judgment, can
be completely reproduced by those
who make no pretence to- "metaphy-
sical aid'; and so far as that is done
they are satisfactorily shown to be mere
| jEgglery. But that does not dispose OF the
whole subject. Even DR.. Hammond adj
mits that there is more to it than this. and
gives instances Of strange things done by
normal or abnormal nervous action, where
there is no suspicion Of deception, unless it
be self-deception. He shows us that much
may be accounted for as delusion. People
often have experiences which they are pre-
pared to have; they see and feel what they
are prepared to see and feel. There are
also well-authenticated eases OF clairvoy-
ance and clairaudience, which are
| the result Of nervous arrangement.
This merely shows that there is
something besides trick in what are
known rs spiritual manifestations, and the
exposure and explanation OF tricks do not
demolish the whole subject, and the ques-
ton remains whether the residue can be
satisfactorily explained by delusion and dis
ease. Mr.. Fairfield, who processes to have
had ten years. experience among mediums
of all kinds, with all sorts Of conditions and
facilities for studying these phenomena, adj
mits there are genuine manifestations OF
every kind to which supernatural origin
has been attributed, but he undertakes to
eypIain them as the effects Of some form OF
nervous disease. That they are not sheer
| iueclery he is convinced, and in fact some
of the phenomena are OF nature which
makes that explanation wholly irrelevant
and inappIcable. Moreover, there is the
best OF scientific authority in support OF the
existence of certain occult and unexplained
powers included under the term meSme-
riSm.
Unuuestionably large proportion OF So
called mediums are sheer impostors and
tricksters, and by far the greater part OF
what are known as "spirltual manifesto
tions'' are jugglery Of rather clumsy
sort, easily exposed. But that fact does not
prove that there is nothing else. Again,
much is to be credited to delusion, much,
perhaps, to nervous arrangement in the
person acting as medium and in persons
who think they received remarkable revela-
tions; and there is also probably
something in mesmerism. And beyond
all this is there anything more, and if
SO, what? That is q question which
should be dealt with in scientific
spirit, without assuming conclusions to
start with and without unwillingness to ac-
cent results TO which conclusive evidence
may lead. Even il they were to leadto the
establishment of the fact Of spirit manifesto
| ton and spirit communication, what OF it?
Is it not fundamental part Of nearly all re-
ligious belief that the spirit lives after the
body dies? Is it not a cherished idea OF
many, we may say most, devout persons
that q the departed, the beloved; the true.
| hearted" may come to visit and hover about
us? II so, is it altogether irrational and abb
surd to supposeo that they may
make their presence known, and is
not the idea rather attractive than
repulsive? Certainly its demonstration
1 would be conclusive proof OF I'M
mortality, and hence a satisfaction to very
large class OF minds. Such demonstration
should not be accepted on any doubtful or
Iinconclusive evidence, and 1t is certainly q
question whether we have any other; but
Il ia not reasonable or scientific to make q
pretence OF investigation and then assume
the whole case in advance, and after demo!-
ishine portion Of the evidence presented,
4 crv out. :" that settles it," and call every
body fool who is not satisfied, regardless
| Of what other evidence he may have.
Az OPERATION OF GAsTROT0MY.-Surg1ca
and physiological students will lind III the
last number of the Gazette deS Hopitdur
interesting details Of an operation. OF gas
trotony, attended SO FAR with successiul
results, which has been performed at .he
Hospital de la Pitie by Dr. YerneuiL line
4 fnarS 1nQdv1r.