The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17

Prof. Cesare Lombroso. Ike Prof.
Crool,es and Alfred Russell Wallace, has
been converted TO spiritualism He tells
the story in the February number Of the
Grand Magazine.
Until the year 1890. he says. spiritual
ism had no frmer or more obstinate op-
ponent than be. Whenever urged 10 study
spiritualIstic phenomena he would reply.
Amy manifestation Of force without mat
ter or OF functions without organs IS not
for moment TO be thought % seriously"
In 1872, however. De met with an cx-
traordinary case in the course Of his uedi-
cal practice He was summoned 10 at
tend the daughter Of man holding high
Office IN his city The girl had been sud
denly attacked by violent hysteria. with
symptoms Of which neither physiology
nor pathology could furnish any clear
explanation
AT times. for Instance" he writes.
she completely lost the faculty Of sight.
so far as her eyes we're concerned but
was able to see with the tip Of her ear.
When her eyes were completely BAN
dsgd she could read some lines Of page
held before her ear. II the rays Of the
sun were directed on her ear by means
OF a lens she was as much dazzled as If
the light had been directed 10 her eyes:
she protested loudly that she was being
blinded. What was still more wonderful,
her sense Of taste was trausplanted 90
her knee and her sense Of smell TO her
toes
Odd Freak of Hysteria.
she also exhibited telepathic and pre-
monitory phenomena that were extremely
curious II this way she could see her
brother AT a moment when ne was in the
wings Of a music hall, at the distance OF
a klOmeter about three-QuarteUs Of q
mile) from her room. Though the spec
tacle was one she had never seen, she de-
scribed with precision the costumes Of
all the dancers"
She was able to pr0phesy. Prof LON
broso says. with mathematical exactness
what was going 10 happen 70 her. Once.
for example. she said that iu exactly "a
fortnight. at o'clock. she would lose the
faculty OF walking This proved true 10
the minute
Another time she said at midday. FL
a month and three days from to-day. /
will be taken with an irresistible desire
10 bite" Prof L0mbrOsO then kept her
under constant surveillance, endeavoTinS
N every way TO divert her attention.
Al my instigatiou.' he writes. every
clock and watch I'm the house was stop
ped, IN order that she might thus be
kept in absolute ignorance of time. In
spite Of these precautions. on the day
and AT the very hour she had predicted.
she was seized by a desire 10 bite, and
she could only be appeased when she had
torn up with her teeth several pounds
Of newspaper"
He adds that he racked his brains for
some plausible explanation OF these facts.
He was forced 10 admit that they were
quite irreConcilable with every ackn0wl-
edged physiological and pathological the
DRY. Suddenly il occurred 10 him 10
search for the explanation in spiritualisnl-
Puzzled by Medium.
in Naples he happened 10 be thrown in
contact with friends Of Eusapia PalIa-
dino. a fsmous italian medium. He con-
scented to let her come TO his hotel for
a private seance. supulating only that il
should occur in broad daylight and not
in the dark He saw a table rise from
the floor and a small trumpet dart from
the table and back again,
But what struck me more than any
thing else" ne writes. was that a cur
tain I'm front of the alcOve suddenly stood
out toward me and EMBODIED me, as IL
We're. with a strange persistence, for sew
eral seconds I could not succeed in dis
entangling myself from IT, II felt eT-
actIy Ike a thin sheet OF lead
Finally Prof. Lombroso was forced %
the conclusion that "the influence Of
the medium in a state of trance may be
powerful enough to upset and change
within his ueighborhoOd what we under
stand by the laWs OF space Of three di-
mansions, substituting for these laws
those Of the space OF four dimensions Of
the mathematiciau-that is 10 say. prov
ing expeTimentally correct what was be-
fore only q mathematical hypothesis.