The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-26


IN Miss fancher Not understanding this ex-
nltatiOn Of the senses. nOn-gXDerts often con-
That, for instance, the fingers can do tho work
ot the eyes. Tho inct is. in the case Of the
senses OF a trance subject there Is difisrenee
OF degree between them and those Of an ordi-
nary being. but not Of kind.
Now, as to the claim of clairvoyance. mind
rGa,dinE; and prophetic power Il is an old
know that she doesn't have il. | don't have TO
investigate. II is not scientific 70 investigate
tells mathematician that two and two make
seventeen. Does he 20 to work Investigating
to % see whether i Is true or not He knows IFS
4 was claimed that power was simply created.
that there was power without any, means Of
producing power. 1t was unscientiilc to inves-
tigate that. for the law OF the correlation OF
forces proves that 1t cannot be- true-no investi.
cation is needed. SO in relations to these Of
clairvoyanco, mind-readinR, and prophetic
power. Any physiologist of Involuntary life
who has studied this side OF physiology trance.
and the like. knows that these three things are
not possible. for 1t is formulated law Of physi-
oloRy that no human being has or can have any
quality different in kind from those that belong
But see the amount Of testimony from hon
est people on this subject"
The testimony Of non-expert amounts to
nothing. i believe that human testimony must
be studied anew The principles Of evidence
ns taught now. are. rs far rs human testimony
Ia concerned, radically wrong. III we except
non-expert testimony there can be no science.
The first step In any science Is the rejection Of
all average n9n-expert human testimony re-
lating to II. Now the non-expertness Of those
who have studied the case OF Mollie Fancher
consists in this, that they do not know how to
experiment with living human beings. They
don't know how 10 eliminate the six
sources of error that always enter into
experiments with living human, beings.
experiments are worth nothing, no msttor by
whom performed. These physicians in Brook
lyn are my personal friends: they are able men
In their line. but they are not experts. and their
testimony goes Tor nauRht. The number who
testified % Mollie Fancher's wonderful perform
ances makes no difference. A naught has no
value two naughts has no value. Ave hundred
milli9ns Of nepehts has no value"
Do you want them2 Let me see II can so
condense them that they will be brief yet clear.
know very we'll that you don't want too much
say want correct. The six sources Of error
that always enter into experiments with human
beings are; /. Intentional deception on
Unintentional deception on the part OF the
subject. 8: Intentional collusion Of by
standers. g. Chance and coincidences. . 9. The
phenomena of trance, the involuntary life and
the action OF the mind on the body. seem dog;
not explained them at length in n series OF
articles in the Popular Science Monthly.
think may safely say" continued DR..
this side Of physiology and pathology-the
trance, involuntary life, and the. reciprocal
action OF the mind and body. which the Molle
Fancher case in most interesting way illus
trates-will be studied entirely and exclusively
by experts in this branch. think there is
million-fold more evidence in favor OF all the
claims OF witchcraft. eysn at its worst than In
favor Of the o,called clMryoyant and prophetic
ones Of Moie Fancher.
but do YOU think she deceives Intentionally ?"
don't know. The question whether she is
honest or dishonest is OF no account scientih-
cally, The experiments in investigating her case
should be so conducted that the results will bo
the same whether the subject Is a saint or n
scoundrel; think it unseientihc to offer re.
urdg I'M fnr r4 orr mo- Of
things which we know beforehand can I be done.
Some years ago friend. an expert, said 70 mo
have a few thousand dollars which | have
saved. will give II al TO you II you,ll find one
who will read the mind Of another l would
not accept it. ! would as soon offer a reward
two make seventeen. II Mollio Fancher can do
what is pretended for her. then all science goes
for naught. We must begin all over. and she
should be worshipped as God. for she has
divine attributes"
DR.. Il. Fleet Spelr. one OF Miss Fancher's
physicians. smiled last evening when TIRE Sun
reporter asked him what he thought 81 DR..
Hammond's opinions on the case. " | probably
have lust as high an opinion Of Dr. HdmmOnd's
opinions as DR.. Hammond has OF mine" he
said. My opinion on the case Of Miss Fan
When first took the case. years ago. | told the
family that would not give them an opinion
on II that would do what could with IL. and
that hoped 90 bring about cure. / do not
believe in clairvoyance or second sight or any
thing Of the. kind. ! think | stand with the
most rigid school on that subject"
But do you think Miss Fancher deceiyes. or
endeavors 10 p
The Doctor smiled again. Now, do not
want you TO interview me on that. My theory
has all along been toNlo nothing to irrtate my
patient | humored her. and have endeayored in
that way to get her confidence. 20 get complete
control Of her. If possible In TINT way / NAV
get her mind diverted. and 10y and by get her
out of bed. have hoped 10 see her cured. l
do net see what earthly good scientific investi-
CATION would do her; On the contrary, il would
harm her. Put relay OF physicians 10 watch
beat them. She would hold out against them.
and likely as not die"
DR. Robert Ormiston said that he thought that
the Brooklyn physicians knew quite as much
about the case rs their New York brethren. and
that their opinions were Of as much weight.
" IL has become a most interesting case from
medical standpoint. because during her long
Illness she has gone through all the different
phases Of hysteria that have heretofore been
observed in many different cases. think am
correct in this statement