The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-05

A the recent meeting of the Paris
~ Academy of Sciences Professor
Charles Richet, the distinguished
physicist and member of the French In
stitute, startled the members by detailing
his experiences and experiments with visi-
tors from the spirit world which, he assert
ed, could not be controverted.
Either Professor Richet has been alb
surdly imposed upon or he has come very
near to penetrating the mysteries OF the
world beyond the grave.
Only recently an equally prominent man
of science, Sir oliver Lodge, Of London,
wrote of a brief conversation with the
ghost Of a departed friend-a young
scientist who had committed suicide
and escaped from his keepers in the
spectral world hong enough y return to
earth and tell Professor Lodge that pun
ishment after death awaited those who
took their own lives.
But Professor Richet has gone far be-
yond the experience of the British
scientist.
Professor Richet holds the chair OF ply
siology in the Academy Of Medicine OF
Paris and enjoys the highest possible
standing as a man Of science He is
member Of the French Institute He is
known as a successful specialist in the
treatment of tuberculosis and the inventor
of new methods. What hee says must
therefore be received with the attention
due to a serious scientist.
Professor Richet declared that he had
seen and photographed his GHOSTS" They
were warm to the touch. They had body
and substance. They had eyes that saw
and turned in their orbits. They had
voices that could be heard They had
breath which threw off carbonic acid gas.
They had feet that moved and fingers that
clutched
When Professor Richet made these
statements before the Academy Of Sci
ences it was the first time that that body
had ever consented to receive a communi-
cation on occult subjects and the commu-
nications of the spirit world.
Professor Richet has prepared book OF
eight hundred pages desc ibing the expert
ments that have convinced him Of the
reality of supernormal apparitions. II
contains the experiments conducted by
himself, and also those OF Sir william
Crookes, the inventor of the Crookes tube;
Baron Won Schrenk Nothing the Munich
psychologist; Professor Julien Ochoro-
wicz and others. II is illustrated with
over eighty photographs Of supernormal
apparitions taken directly by Professor
Richet himself or by scientists of unques-
tionable standing.
There is no question whatever OF the
high scientific standing Of these investi-
gators nor of their entire good faith and
earnestness-but have they been imposed
upon?
Did Professor Richet really see and feel
an appariton returned from the grave
or was it confederate Of the medium
masquerading as a spook7
Professor Richet declares that II re-
ouired much courage to devote himself to
the study OF psychic phenomena, and still
more to declare his belief in what he saw.
He was warned that II would ruin his
scientific career. But" he says. "the duty
of science is to discover truth. pursued
this goal without swerving and now give
the results OF my studies to the world"
The experiments by Professor Richet
which yielded the most interesting re-
suits and played the most important part
in convincing him Of the reality Of psychic