The herald., 1898-11-06

while his words were received with becom
ing reverence they did not make the eX
traordinary sensation that his more recent
views on psychic phenomena have.
The great scientist has come out boldly
with the statement that outside our sci
entific knowledge there exists Il force eX-
Tcised by intelligence differing from the
ordinary intelligence common to mortals.
Casting aside all written theories regard
Ing the action of thought, Sir William
Crookes, with characteristic independence,
has struck out on lines distinctly his own.
1t is the novelty and originality of his sci.
entific views on teepathy that have caused
such a buzz of excited comment ht :. 10
stop short in any research that bids fair
to widen the gates of knowledge, to recoil
from fear of difficulty or adverse criticism,
is to bring reproach on science, says Sir
William, in the beginning OF his remarks.
81 think | see little farther now. | have
Elimpses of something like conference among
the strange elusive phenomena; of some
thing like continuity between those unex-
planned forces and laws already known
All this has been said before. 1t has be-
come the monotonous sing-song of the Hyde
park lecturer; it has been droned forth by
long-haired orators in a hundred halls of sci
ence in this city, and it attracted no more
than passing attention. But now Sir Will
lam Crookes says it and the nation listens
breathessy and waits for more. Spiritual
ism was in very bad odor when William
Stead came out with his famous order on
the "borderland." Then many noted spir,
itualists who had been secret members of
The cult emerged from their shells and ac-
knowledged their belief In the same way
Sir William Crookes utterances have caused
a multitude of believers in broader path
of knowledge than any yet dscoursed in
the councils of the elect to come forward
and PROFOUND their views.
1t looks as if Sir William would soon find
himself at the head OF scientific society
that will be the central body of an organiza-
ton by which thoughts can be transferred
around the world at the will of the thinker.
Sir William Crookes believes this posi-
bility and says so plainly in these words:
at would be well to begin with telepathy;
with the fundamental law as | believe it
to be, that thoughts and images may be
transferred from one mind to another with
out the agency of the recognized organs of
sense; that knowledge may enter the human
mind without being communicated in any
hitherto known or recognized ways. If tele-
pathy take place we have two physical
facts-the physical change in the brain of
A, the suggester, and the analogous phvsi-
cal change in the brain of b. the recipient
of the suggestion. Between these two phys
ical events there must exist a train of
physical causes. Such a sequence can only
occur though an intervening medium. All
the phenomena of the universe are presun-
ably in some way continuous. and it il un-
scientific to call in the aid OF mysterious
agencies, when with every fresh advance in
knowledge it is shown that ether vibrat ions
have powers and attributes abundantly
equal to any demand-even to the transmits
sion of thought.
1t is supposed by some psychologists that
the essential cells of nerves do not actually
touch but are separated by a narrow gap.
which widens in sleep while it narrows al
most to extinction during mental activity.
This condition is so singularly like that OF
Branly or Lodge coherer as to suggest
further analogy. The structure of brain and
nerves being similar, it is conceivable there
may be present masses of such nerve coher-
ers in the brain. whose special function it
may be to receive impulses brought from
without through the connecting sequence
of ether waves of appropriate order of mag
nitude. 1t is known that the action of
thought. is accompanied by certain mole
rular movements in the BRAIN and here we
have physical vibrations capable from their
extreme minuteness of acting direct on in
dividual molecules. while their rapiditv ap-
proaches that of the internal and external
movements of the atoms themselves"
Coming from such a brilliant man as Sir
William Crookes, the outspoken utterances
on psychic philosophy have compelled at
tenton, and instead of the silence with
which such statements would be received
from smaller man. there is an earnest re-
quest for more. Sir William has flooded
with light the uncertain gloom of a forbid
den region of thought, and torn aside the
veil that has heretofore separated scientists
from subject tabooed in the gatherings of
the leading men of learning.
While admitting that this new scientific