The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-08
THE KEINPLArZ EXPERIMENT


 the sons of man none had such an attrac ton for the learned Prof. won Baumgar ten as those which relate to psycholog, and the ill-de6ned relations between mind and matter. A celebrated anato mist, profound chemist, and one of the first physiologists in Europe, it was a re lief for him to turn from these subject. and to bring his varied knowledge te bear upon the study of the soul and tho mysterious relationship of spirits. Al first, when as young man he began tc dip into the secrets of mesmerism, hi: mind seemed to be wandering in strange land where all was chaos and darkness save that here and there some great un. explained and disconnected fact loomed out in front of him. As the years passed however, and as the worthy professor: stock of knowledge increased, for knowl. edge begets knowledge as money bear: interest, much which had seemed strange and unsccountable began to take another shape in his eyes. New trains of reason ing became familiar to him, and he per. ceived connecting links where all had been incomprehensible and startling. By experiments which extended over twenty years, he obtained basis of facts upon which it was his ambition to build up a new exact science which should embrace mesmerism, spiritualism, and all cognate subjects. In this he was much helped by his intimate knowledge of the more intricate parts of animal physiology which treat of the nerve currents and the work. ing of the brain; for Alexis von Baum garten was regius professor of physiology at the university of Keinplatz, and had all the resources of the laboratory to aid him in his profound researches.
 Prof. von Baumgarten was tall and thin, with hatchet face and steel-gray eyes, which were singularly bright and pene- trating. Much thought had furrowed his forehead and contracted his heavy eye brows, so that he appeared to wear a per petual frown, which often misled people as to his character, for, though austers, he was tender-hearted. He was popular among the students, who would gather round him after his lectures and listen eagerly to his strange theories. Often he would call for volunteers from among them in order to conduct some experi- ment, SO that eventually there was hardly a lad in the class who had not at one time or another been thrown into a mes- merle trance by his professor.
 Of all these young devotees of science there was none who equalled in enthus- iasm Fritz von Hartmann. It had often seemed strange to his fellow-students tn at wild, reckless Fritz, as flashing a young fellow as ever hailed from the Rhinelands, $, should devote the time and trouble which he did in reading up abstruse works and in assisting the professor in his strange experiments. The fact was, however, that Fritz was a knowing and long-headed fellow. Months before he had lost his heart to young Elise, the blue-eyed, yellow-haired daughter of the lecturer. Although he had succeeded in learning from her lips that she was not indifferent to his suit, he had never dared to announce him self to her family as a formal suitor. Hence he would have found it difficult matter to see his young lady had he not adopted the expedient of making himself useful to the professor. By this means he frequently was asked to the old mans house, where he will- ingly submitted to be experimented upon in any way, as long as there was chance of his receiving one bright glance from the eyes of Elise, or one touch of her lit . tie hand.
 Young Fritz von Hartmann was hand some lad enough. There were broad acres, too, which would descend to him when his father died. To many he would have seemed an eligible suitor ]; but madame drowned upon his presence in the house, and lectured the professor at times on his allowing such a wolf to prowl around their lamb. To tell the truth, Fritz had an evil name in Keinplatz. Never was there riot or duel, or any other mischief afoot, but the young Rhine lander figured as ringleader in it. No one used more free and violent language, no one drank more, no one played cards more habitually, no one was more idle, save in the one solitary subject. No wonder, then. that the good frau profes- sorin gathered her ffaulein under her wing, and resented the attentions of such a mGSv0is sx,eE As to the worthy lee. turer, he was too much engrossed by his strange studies to form an opinion upon the subject, one way or the other.
 For many years there was one question which had continually obtruded itself upon his thoughts. All his experiments and theories turned upon a single point. A hundred times a day the professor asked himself whether it was possible for the human spirit to exist apart from the body for time and then return to it once again. When the possibility first sug- gested itself to him, his scientific mind had revolted from it. It clashed too vio- lently with preconceived ideas and the prejudices of his early training. Grad ually, however, as he proceeded further and further along the pathway of origina al research, his mind shook off its old fetters and became ready to face any conclusion which could reconcile the facts. There were many things which made him be- lieve that it was possible for mind to exist apart from matter. At last it occurred to him that by daring and original exper- iment the question might be definitely decided
 l" It is evident" he remarked in his celebrated article upon invisible entities which appeared in the Keinplatz WocE.