Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-11
A USEFUL INVESTIGATION.

Spiritualism is, according to it's adherents, still making rapid progress. Kings and queens are coming under it's benign influence and the common people are turning to it gladly. We have not seen a recent estimate of the number of Spiritualists in this coun- try, but the last one we did see placed them at 5000, GOO. In the old world, and es- pecially in Germany, some notable converts have recently been made. In England there is considerable interest in the matter, es- pecially among some of the scientists.
 But though Spiritualism may be making it's way as rapidly as it's adherents claim one thing is certain, and that is that most of it's so- called ''phenomena" are pretty generally regarded with suspicion, and many of them are ridiculed, especially in this country, where the manifestations" have been fre- quent and varied, and where so-called Spirit ualists have frequently been proven to be humbugs. The Spiritualists themselves are willing to confess that the reputation of their religion has suffered much from fraudulent manifestations, but they still continue to be- lieve that there are genuine manifestations Those who are not Spiritualists either ridicule all the pretensions of Spiritualism, or, while admitting that there may be something in it, refuse to pay any attention to it.
 Both those who are Spiritualists and those who are not are interested in knowing Wheth- CT or not there are any genuine manifesta- tions, and an investigation which has been begun by members of the faculty of the Uni versity of Pennsylvania is, therefore, worth notice. This investigation is the result Of legacy left by Henry M. Leybert, an ardent Spiritualist, to found chair of intellectual and moral philosophy in the university, pro- viding the faculty would make thorough in- vestigation of the phenomena of modern Spiritualism and publish the evidence and the conclusions to which it leads. The mem bers chosen to pursue the investigation are the provost of the university, pr. William Pepper, and the professors of chemistry, so- cial science and anatomy, and tutor, who IS e minister There is no doubt about their honesty and capacity to examine phenomena and sift evidence, and, while they enter upon the investigation disbeIievers in the Spirit ualistic" theory, they recognize the reality of occult influences and yet unexplained mani festations. The subject has been divided so as to meet it's various phases, and accord ing to the special requirements of the examiners, Dr. Pepper taking charge of the investigations into the physiolo' gical and medical aspects of the problem, the professors of chemistry and anatomy those into the physical phenomena
 so far as they relate to natural science, and
 the two others considering the intellectual
 and metaphysical conditions of the problem. It is understood that the committee will not waste their time in examinations as to the manipuIations of ordinary mediums, the dark closet apparitions and all such business, which 1 they consider to have been sufficiently prov ed to be frauds and humbugs, but will con
 fine their Investigations in great measure to unexplained manifestations, no specimens of which have as yet been shown to be jug
 glery or deceit, or in which the age or char l acter of the persons possessing occult powers or the freedom from pecuniary profit forbid the suspicion of ordinarily interested mo- | tives.
 Probably these gentlemen will not do much toward discovering the causes of those phe- 1 nomena which they may witness, and their decision will not be accepted as final. But
 what they do and say will be valuable and trustw orthy contribution to an interesting l and important study.