[82] For full report the reader is referred to the original French.—Translator.
[83] Zoellner, “Wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen,” 1877 and 1881.
[84] When we question the Fakirs of India as to the phenomena of Spiritualism, they answer that they are produced by spirits. “The Spirits” they say are the Souls of our ancestors, serving us now as mediums; we loan them our natural fluid to combine with theirs, and by this mixture they establish a fluid body, by the aid of which they act on matter, as you have seen.” (Paul Gibier, “Le Spiritisme.”)
[85] To give an idea of the ignorance of the materialistic school of so-called scientists, it is only necessary to read the word “Somnambulism” as defined in “Littres Dictionary of Medicine,” where we find the following lines on rappings: “These sounds are due to a slight previous displacement of the patella, of the tibia on the femur, when the tendon of the long lateral peroneal suddenly brings the parts back to their first position. This displacement is induced by muscular contraction and can be easily cultivated by habit.” The author of this definition supports his statement by the pretended experiments of Flint and Schiff; he might have said more justly on the mere assertion of Jobert de Lamballe and Velpeau, who have all committed, as is well known, in this connection a grave and stupid error in physiology.”
[86] Mr. and Mrs. L. B. are intimate friends of Dr. Puel, but the the lady, who is a medium, gives us her mediumistic services in a most disinterested manner; besides, she and her husband occupy a social position which places them far beyond the need or desire for pecuniary compensation.
[87] One of my friends, L. B., always has a wax taper in his hand, which he lights from time to time, in order to find whether any fraud is manifest.
[88] Recital of M. Jacolliot, Judge of the Tribunal at Pondichery, India. Cited by Dr. Gibier.
[89] Dr. Gibier, “Le Spiritisme,” 1887. In the experiments made by Mr. Oxon, of the University of Oxford, with the mediums Slade and Monck, spontaneous writing was obtained, under the following conditions: The slates were new, marked with a sign, and closely bound together. Oxon never lost sight of these slates and held down his hand on them for the time being. They were never out of his possession after he had washed and marked them. These experiments were made under a full glare of light.
[90] Pierre Le Loyer: Discussions and histories of spectres, visions, apparitions of men, angels, demons, and spirits making themselves visible to men. 1605. Paris, Bibliotheque de l’Arsenal. 1225. S. A., in 4°.
[91] There was at Athens a house which passed as being haunted by a phantom. The philosopher, Athenodorus, rented this mansion. The first night he occupied the same, while engaged in his studies, he heard and saw a spirit, that made repeated signs to him to follow; he accordingly followed this shade of the departed into the courtyard, where the ghost disappeared. Athenodorus marked the spot of ground on which the spirit had last stood, and next day asked the town magistrate to dig up the earth at the place named; there they found bones loaded with chains, which were released and given decent sepulture, with all due funeral honors. The phantom returned no more (Pliny the Younger, Letters VII et XXVII).