The New York herald., 1878-12-30
CLAIRV 0YANCE.
Opinions Regarding the Case
Of Miss Fancher.
DISEASE OR SUPERNATURAL POWER.
Is There a New Law of Nature Yet
Dimly Understood?
A RECORD OF STRANGE PHENOMENA.

To THE EDrToR OF THE HERALD:--
That .'there are more things in heaven and earth
than are dreamed Of in philosophy is accepted
by all abstract proposition but nothing is moro
common than to deny it in practice. We all draw
line somewhere outside of which lies the 'impossi
ble." This line has a larger circumference every
year. and, doubtless. will continue increasing The
'immutable laws Of nature" alluded to in this dis
cussion have often undergone extension in the his
tory of science. No one but a clerical bigot or
scientific babe admits any fact to be beyond the laws
of nature. But while we know there must be some
law governing any given phenomenon, it may be diff
cul present to state the general law. Under such
circumstances must be content to gather the SIM
pie facts and wait patiently for master mind to
classify and arrange them under a system. To argue
facts to be impossible implies apresumpuous knowl
edge of the universe true philosopher would ever
claim. Professor Huxley says ~asa4
THAT the possibilities Of nature infinite is
aphorism with which wont to worry my
friends"
w cLAIRvoYANcE.
Clairvoyance has been great bugbear to the scien
tifc world, more especially the medical section. Who
has not laughed at the conclave OF philosophers try
ing to solve the problem of their facetious sover-
egn--why globe full OF water did not run over
when live fish was put i'll it? They argued long
time before it occurred to them to experiment for
themselves and ascertain if it fact. Much in
the way have our modern dealt with the
subject Of clairvoyance. They have spent as much
time arguing the impossbility of the thing would
have put the matter to practical test LIZ catledra
denunciation will succeed in crushing the sim
plest fact in nature. As Sir Humphrey Dayy
affirmed Zone good experiment is of more value
than the ingenuity of a brain like Newtons. Facts
more useful when they contradict than when they
support received theories" Two things have pre-
vented an examination of this subject by many in-
terested in it,
l. The character OF the numerous professional
clairvoyants. For any scientist to experiment with
such material is to court failure and deception as
general rule. But it is obviously wrong to draw any
conclusion based on such evidence.
g An ignorance of the fact that the laws governing
this phenomenon are presently unknown and conse-
qucnty no programme be arranged with assur-
ance, in fact that seldom can two experiments ex-
actly similar be depended on, however CAREFUL may
be the arrangements. And as often happens, as ex-
planned in my last communication, just at the time
you most anxious to succeed then do you fail
most sipnally.
like the present he must lay aside prejudice and self
conceit aud humbly wait on nature He must avoid
paid professional ciarvoyants as rue and evoke the
phenomena for himself No true scientist will accept
facts like these on hearsay evidence alone. 10
pertinent Tor yourself requires time, patience and
opportunity; but If man thinks it worth
tile trouble the means will be found
was just much unbeliever some OF
your correspondence but, instead OF mpudently
calling believers in cairvoyance liars and fools like
s. S. Wy, went to work and experimental for my
self and in the course of ten years observation I
came across several of undoubtcd claryoyance
do not mean by clairvoyance all the wonderful
powers claimed by our advertising seers. For the
purposes of discussion. simply define the faculty
as that by which some people are able to per-
ceive accurately without the aid of the physical
organ OF vision such being able to read letters in
a sealed envelope, describe what is taking place in
another room or house, read book with eyes blind
folded. Such power is claimed for Miss Fancher
by her friends and snecringly derded by those who
have not seen her. have not personally witnessed
any OF the phenomena occurring through this un-
fortunate invalid but have been assured by one of
her physicians Of the truth of the statements re-
corded and l have no difficulty i'll believing in the
facts as narrated because have seen so many of
similar nature knowledge gives charity well
power.
have relative, elderly lady, who, in a state of
sonnambulism or trance artitically induced by me.
could accurately describe an engraving by rubbing
her hand the plate while the book held
that she could not see the page This have repeated
under circumstances that made mposture OF any
experiment, had never the volume aud the plates
anatomical in character and such she not
acquainted with.
Another subject. little girl, while in this induced
trance condition. accurately described people dis
tance whom she had never seen. and correctly dag
nosed an internal tumor in patient. OF which was
then entirely ignorant When mentioned this fact
to the patient afterward she stated that Sir James
simpson had told her just the same in regard to her
trouble Now, where could the deception in
here? The little girl had the patient be-
fore. Of that am certain was utterly ignorant of
the presence OF tumor. ana was not aware she had
been treated by the great gynccologist. But in spite
OF this fact and several others OF similar nature
diagnosis 1t IL too irregular. uncomfortable fac
ulty yet to be much utilized. Possibly it may have
great future of usefulness in this line Meantime
prefer 10 depend on my ordinary
One OF the most interesting j have met with
is that OF my friend j. d., carpenter. forty years
Of age, IN good health and of active habits. 1 had
known him long time before he became clarvoyant
and familiar with his mental habits and abilities.
lie went spontaneously into condition Of trance
that s without any OF the usual so-callcd mcsmeric
manipuations. and while in that state painted many
fair pictures without the use of his eyes, We ban
daged his eyes most completely, but he worked
just usual. We put out the gas, aud he selected
his coiors with perfect accuracy and applied them
correctly. The stage of the painting noted, and
the progress observed when the gas was afterwsrd
turned up left doubt that he worked in the dark
lhave turned mp Just peep OF gas suicientior ust
by, but utterly insufficient for any artist to select
coors in and could observe him painting freely
la the best lighted studio TO make absolutely
sure that there substitution of pictures we
got him frequently 10 paint small landscapes
given him by ourselves, on which signatures
written and corner torn OF the card by ourselves
A. 1t is impossible two cards exactly
alike, the hitting ia OF the tornon corner might he
held indisputablc proof that the card returned
the card he received. Aud then the oil
paint was still damp. proof OF its recent
production. These and similar experiments
| were trfpu on nuIntrUHs OccasiOnk ana
the presence OF many eminent scientific men,
including Sir William Thomson the great electrician.
| No one ever discovered any trick, although prac-
tically every visitor went for that purpose At the
| beginning of these experiments MIR. d. could not
| paint while in his normal conditions he had never
studied The art, and IL foreign to his usual trade
~ carpenter An exaltaton OF his mental faculties
also occurred while in the trance state aud he would
discourse subjects 10 which lie was stranger in
his normal condition. Altogether his story would he
! quite match In wondrous phenomena to that OF
| Miss Fanchcr. but restrict myself to that part
showing his ability to see or perceive without the
use OF his eyes.
Now, why should my word be doubted in this mat
ter that Of the many physicians who have testified
! ~ the peculiar facts in Miss Fanchcrs ease? The
observation OF the phenomena involves subtle
1 process OF rcasoning requires simply well trained
| eyes and ordinary common sense. To account for
! the facts, 70 thcorze them, gives room for con-
siderable difference of opinion. This at present do
not attempt. My judgment would certainly be
ceptcd IN court OF law Ia matter of fact similar
20 tho above-that Ia, whore the court failcied IL
cnuId accnnnt for the facts 80 that IN realitv 1nst