Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-15
NEW BOOKS FOR 4TL READERS
'CHOSTS" THAT ARE
MADE OF MATTER
Report of Observations on the
Materializations Of a French
Medium by a German

Professor Crawford, Of Belfast,
reached certain conclusions regarding
the physics of levitation by a spiritual.
istic medium which led him TO assert
that a material lever was projected
from the body Of the medium to table
and that the table was lifted by this
lever. He found that when the table
was lifted its weight was added to the
weight Of the medium. He was con
vinced, however, that there was some
connection between the medium and the
spirit world, for the levers would an
swer questions by rapping on the floor
or the wall.
The investigation into the phenomena
Of naturalization by Baron Won
Schrenck Nothing, of Munich, a report
Of which has just been published, car
ries the physical inquiry still further.
Madame Bison, wife of Alexandra Bis
son, a French dramatist and sculptor,
had in her charge for several years
girl known as Eva, who produced many
curious phenomena. When hypnotized
and put in a mediums cabinet there
appeared hands and arms and full
tcubtH DRuItS VI WuhL lOOhCu ihU NJ
man beings. Sometimes the manifes-
tations were portraits Of what looked
like paper or some other fabric. AT
times the fabric on which the portraits
appeared were creased as IL the fabric
had been folded. The naturalization
was always preceded by the appearance
from the mouth or some other part OF
the body Of the medium Of q white
plastic substance that gradually took
form and then disappeared. Flash
light photographs Of this substance as
1t exuded were taken, as we'll as photo
graphs Of the figures and pictures into
which II shaped itself. Specimens OF
the substance were secured and sub.
jected to microscopic and chemical
analysis. It was found TO be similar
to the thin skin of the mucous mem
brane and it burned with the odor OF
horn. The materialized pictures were
wet and clammy when touched, and
in the light Of the analysis made of the
substance from which they apparently
were formed they were composed Of
matter.
Baron Won Schrenck Nothing has
| written a large book, in which he re.
ports the results of a great number OF
sittings with Eva both in Paris and in
Munich. His book is illustrated by
more than two hundred reproductions
| of his photographs. So far as was
possible the conditions under which the
young woman produced the materiali- :
cations made fraud difficult. When
Madame BSson was alone with the
medium Eva was at times absolutely
nude, yet Madame Bisson reported that
she saw the plastic substance emerge
from the uncovered body and take
shape. Baron Won Schrenck Nothing
| discusses the various theories in
an attempt to explain the phe-
nomena-he regards them as authentic
but they all leave the matter unset
tied. The impression produced on the
unprejudiced mind, however, Is that
the materializations prove nothing
about the power of the dead to mani
fest themselves to the living. Indeed
some of the pictures that appeared were
reproductions of illustrations in Paris
newspapers, others were crayon draw
ings and still others were, pictures OF
living persons. One represented Presi-
dent Wilson and another the King Of
Bulgaria. The skeptic, of course, will
say that these pictures were artfullI
concealed about the person of the me
dium and produced when the condi
ti0ns were favorable for deceiving thu
onlookers. The book il worthy Of th'
attention of those interested in thu
phenomena of naturalization.
PHENOMENA OF NATURALIZATION. J
contribution to the investigation of me
Nssns h"lSn
York: L. p. Dutton Co. SIS.