The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY.
PICTURES MENTALLY PROTECTED
or SENSITIVE PLATES.

From the Philadelphia Record.
Most persons have experienced what is
known as ocular spectra, produced by the
action of a strong light upon the retina,
and which force themselves sometimes
very obnoxiously upon us, even when We
endeavor to shut our eyes against them.
However, when they are moderate in their
actions they are an enjoyable study, pass
ing through many singular, beautiful and
regular phases. and presenting a highly
orderly and harmonious arrangement of
form and color.
The seat of these spectra is undoubt-
edly the regina, but the question is wheth-
er they really originate there or are pro-
pagated thither from the brain, the light
or some other external stimulation being
necessary to set up the cerebral action.
We see the things presented to US project
ed in space like any other material OBJ
jects, but are they eXternalities? Are they
not really objects in the minds eye,
though actually upon the retina? Not
merely purely subjective and visionary
(hallucinations), but rather a product or
emanation of the brain. Such a view
be compelled to dismiss the subject for
want of experimental scientific evidence
TO support it. But recently the Revue
Scientific du Spiritisme has reproduced
two of such photographs mentally pro-
jected.
Commandant Darget of Vouziers, has
been experimenting in this direction for
some time. The photographs show shadowy
images of the objects of which Command
Mt haA bp
| ic plates were held close to his forehead in
a. dark room of a photographer at Tours,
where he had been invited to experiment
among strangers. He has produced impress
sions in several ways, by touching the ge-
Iatinized surface of the plate in the devel-
opment bath with his fingers, by touching
the glass side in similar conditions, by
touching the liquor of the bath only and
not the plate, by magnetic passes made
over the plate without contact, and by
these means has obtained over one hun
| bred and fifty images and radiations.
Everybody does not possess the neces-
sary luminous effluvia, according to Com
nsandant Darget, in the same way thot
everybody cannot mesmerize. Some people
radate only under strong impressions or
emotions. JOY, anger, sadness radiate diff
ferent designs. The radiations from the
brain of a Napoleon during battle would
impress a very different form from that
| of a Vincent de Paul planning new hos
pital or from that of a criminal imme-
diately before execution. THE halo of
saints may not be a myth" says the com
mandant Darget, in the same way that
which penetrate through the skull, even
| as the X rays do, and photographlcally
register themselves on a sensitive plate.
One Of the photographs produced by the
| commandment by holding his fingers in
| contact with the gelatinized surface of
plate, while in the bath, is reproduced in
| Light" Dark spots show the points
| where the fingers were in contact with the
plate. These are surrounded by fluffy
looking processes produced by the radia-
| tons from the fingers, and from these
| further situations project. The medium
| Nine Aguano, was present when this
| impression was produced, and stated that
| she assisted in it's production by projecting
a current of her radiations through the
commandments arm. The latter considers
| that this is probable, as the image is more
| pronounced in character than any he has
obtained when alone. The impressions
produced resemble those obtained by DIR.
Luys, who affirms that they are not the
result of the heat of the fingers. He Veri-
fed that by trying the effect of test
tubes filed with hot water held in contact
| with the plates
On another photograph, obtained by
| Commandant Darget by placing his finger
on the glass side of the plate while in
| the DdIn, IN the presence OF Mime. ARu-
| lano, the lints produced by the radiations
from the fingers of the two hands assume
| almost the same form as that of the field
| of a magnet, as shown in the popular ex-
| pertinent of holding a magnet under
| sheet of glass on which iron filings have
| been spread. The filings then arrange
| themselves in form, which Is said to IL
| lustrate the Zines Of force" of the mag
| net. This image, consequently, demon
| strates the polarity inherent psychic radi-
| atoms.
| Dr. NJ Adam of Paris has also made
a series of experiments at the instigation
| of DR.. Bardue, and on the latter's method,
| either while under emotion or when con-
| centrating his mind on given idea. While
| Dr. Bardue maintains that the several
| principles of man, as taught esoteric
| schools in philosophy, impress images diff
| ferent in character, DIR. Adam does not
| consider his own experience sufficient to
| enable him to contravene or confirm that
theory. He found that the image oftenest
| appearing on the plates was of a spiral
| character. He is unable to say whether
! 1t represents attracted cosmic ether or
| physic radiations.
These images were produced by holding
| fingers above the plates without contact.
| Basing himself on ST. Martins statement
| that the life of the organism is contained
| in the blood, DIR. Adam made a series Of
| experiments with the blood of recently
| killed chickens, ducks, rabbits, guinea
pigs, etc. The sensitive plates were plac-
| cd over saucers containing the blood ex-
permented upon, the glass side being
| turned toward the blood and left thus ex-
| posed in the dark room for fifteen min
utes. The images thus obtained were iden-
| teal In many cases with those obtained
| by holding the fingers over the plates with
| out contact. Both gave similar spirals
or whrls, or worthless. from which it is
| evident that our blood emits similar radi-
atoms to the so-called psychic, or neurlc
efluvia, raidated from the fingers
In these experiments he found that the
blood gave stronger mprints after an
| hour or so than when still warm; also
| the blood extracted from the bodies inn
pressed stronger images than those OBJ
! tanned from the severed necks of the head
| less animals.
DR.. Adams also found that some por-
traits taken by him in the ordinary way
| showed similar situations TO those obtain
ed by holding the fingers over the plates
from which it would appear that plates
may be unconsciously impressed by the
| operators vital radiations while manipu-
latlng them in the usual Photographic