, 1877-01-20

"u"U ~ GolI0u AOuOIu ulGSunHTlSms 1U6T6
were three cases of the higher pheuomena-u)
olairvoyance, or reading with the eyes closed
(2) detection OF disease; (3) the power Of
telling what has happened at a distance when
no news of it has arrived. Alexis and
AdoIphe, two Frenchman, we're among the
oIairvoyants who were broken down BY a test
case as related by Sir J.. Forbes. Their mode
OF success was to guess thu number of letters
In the word, ." thinking aloud, " as it was
called. If they said " Six, " in an distracted
way, some one was sure to say, "No, but
very near" Then, it must be FIVE or seven,
and so they gathered Indications. They also
knew what sort Of words were likely to be
given. George GOble was the servant Of a
gentleman who takes q prominent part in the
present controversy, and whom he would,
therefore. call Mr.. A. B. In his case the
words were written in q closed or sealed box.
He lay on his stomach on the sofa and secretly
opened the box and caught a glimpse of the
word. Then he jumped up, tore open the
box, ard pronounced the word before he ap.
peared to have opened the box. This prooe..
dure excited a suspicion of the truth, pieces OF
CORK were placed in the box. and the cork was
found about the sofa. The boy begged not
TO be sent to prison, and afterwards told his
master that be had opened the box that line,
but had never done so before. Another chance
was given him, but with proper precautions, and
alter three months trial be guessed a word in
which there were only two of the letters idsn.
tlcal with the letters Ia the word in the bog,
Miss MartlneAu became a believer in olairvoy-
ance. She had a servant whose lover went TO
sea. Miss Martineau related that her servant,
being summoned to her drawing.room to give
a specimen OF her second sight, described s6me
hours before the news had reached their house
the wreck of her lovers ship. and the incident
OF a boy falling overheard which happened
before the wreck. Dir. Forbes had medical
friends, who made inquiries and found that the
news penetrated to Miss Martineau's kitchen
three hours before the Sedwce. But if II had not
been for the accident of Dr.. Forbes having
friends In the neighbourhood, the story would
have gone on record as au instance of clear
slight. 1t was necessary that these things
should be Investigated by %sceptical experts,
just as any facts la sciences should be estab.
lished by persona having no pecunlary or other
interest In the statements turning out to be
true. All experience showed that when indi.
Vlduals have committed themselves to a sys-
TEN, they unconSciously cling to all that f..
yours the system and drop all that is against Ii.
When table-rapping first attracted notice, II
was two American girls, Of IL and ii years
respectively, who were the chief examples of
1t. Those who scrutinized them came to the
conclusion that the raps were produced in
them in some way or other not outside. Dr..
Austin Flint, a very able anatomist and phisio-
logist, very soon produced patients who could
make these raps, some with their ankles, others
with their knees, some with both, by striking
certain tendons against certain joints. He
placed his hand on tho knee of one of the pub.
lie performers and the raps ceased he took
his hand away and they recommended. DR..
Schif. now Of Florence, produced tho sane
noises himself before an assembly Of servants Ia
Paris in 1854. DR.. Carpenter did not say the
raps were always produced in this manner,
but that they could be. His general conclusion
on the subject Of spiritualism was tho same as
that to which he eame IS years ago in an
article in the Quarterly ReUiew that the only
spirits are dominant ideas which take posses.
sion of our minds and lead US to seek after
occult causes whsn natural causes are open to
our Investigation. He would remind them
that subsection to a tyrsnnicslly dominant idea
10 monomanis or insanity.-THe TIME.