Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02

Phenomena" by Thompson Jay Hudson.
LID, a book which in this city has MIS-
titled many minds little given to close rea-
soning, makes the honest statement that, in
the matter of which ii treats, we are not
in possession of well established facts by
which We can safely test the truth of new
speculations. The author admits %. S2), that
"it is comparatively rare that scientific in
Vestigators disagree regarding the demon
strable facts pertaining to a subject under
investigation" But he adds: Yet this Is
the condition in which we find the science
OF hypnotism (the effects of which he classes
under psychic phenomena) after more than
a century of research by some Of the ablest
scientists Of the world. Thus far" he con-
tinues. 1.-The different schools have distrusted
or denied each others facts and waged war
upon each others theories. The most care
fully conducted experiments of one school
will, in tho. hands of the other, produce OPP
posite results Notice, he does not say
will receive different interpretations" but
will produce opposite results" or effects.
He justly adds: Hence each eXperimenter
is irresistibly led to distruGt the scientific
accuracy of the methods employed by others,
or to admit their integrity only at the en-
pense of their intelligence" He admits that
the we'll authenticated facts of one school
appear to the other as IAN appalling hodge
podge of falsehood and delIsion, chicanery
and superstition"
GIVE US THE TEST.
What can be the value of Prof. Crookes'
present hypothesis cannot be ascertained till
VIC can lest it by undoubted results, not such
ghost stories as Mr.. Podmofe gives us in his
'AppariIions and Thought Transference," but
by experiments that car be repeated by va
rious scientific men so as always to yield the
same effects in the sfme circumstance.
Such tests may be required of any science,
for science consists in tracing known ef-
fect9 to their real causes, and in the case Of
physical agency, the same causes working
under the same circumstances must ever
produce the same effects. But we have a
special right to call for such tests in the
case OF psychical phenomena, because they
have been In all ages and they are today
connected with a vast amount of imposture,
superstition and extravaganza. Let the So
ciety for Psychical Research, over which
Prof. Crookes p%resides, draw up lists of such
demonstrated facts as we can study up and
verify. Till this be done the professors
shrewd guess, or theory, will deservedly be
received with the ordinary smile of polite
incredibly.
LEARN A LESSON FROM LOURDES.
This incredulous smile used to greet every
reference to the wonderful events that nave
been attracting vast multitudes of pilgrims
to Lourdes during forty years in succession,
and it is still common enough among those
who are proof against all facts that clash
with preconceived notions. | suppose that Is
what Prof. Crookes would call scientific
HApNioNllluus' ~ ~ DOtltly lbI IEStilNdl
Research would only do as Lourdes is doing
wo should know where we stand with regard
to its preteneions. The historian of
Lourdes. Mr.. Henry Laserres, gives
US In his two works on the
subject not only the official reports and at
testations concerning the remarkable facts
which he narrstes with full details, but also
the names and addresses Of all parties con-
cerned, and he has offered rewards, 10000
francs, | believe, to any one who would prove
any of the cures in question to have been
misrepresented in his pages. That Is the
way to talk to an incredulous generation. In
consequence of his universally acknowledged
character for truth and accuracy, he could
write TO the novelist lola a recent public
letter of scathing rebuke for his notorious
peryersion of the facts.
The directors of the pilgrimages to that
celebrated shrine employ a permanent open |
court OF inquiry, presided over by a learned
scientist, and inviting to all it's sessions
physicians and other men Of learning from
any country or persuasion to partake in
the daily investigation of newly recurring |
wonders They approve only such as are
demonstrated to be above all
natural powers With such well ascertained
data before him.. every man of thought can
leisurely and deliberately make up his own
mind and put his own conscientious inter !
on the undoubted facts; but to
question the real occurrence of the facts
themselves would be unreasonable, unless
fla VS. in them be distinctly pointed out. And
1t Is very remarkable that, while not in
fdels alone, but also some Christian sci
refuse to pronounce oil the miracu-
lous nature OF the cures constantly re-
curing, no scientific process has been insti-
by any OF them TO dispose OF the
facts themselves as unreal or distorted. The
pursued has been that many have