On the other hand, even if this source of error was held to be excluded, the interpretation of the results remained ambiguous. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gurney himself was inclined to attribute the effects produced, not to telepathy, as ordinarily understood, but to specific vital effluence, or, as he phrased if, a kind of nervous induction, operating directly on the affected part of the percipient's organism. (Pro. S. P. R. vol. V. pp. 254-259.)

With a view to test this hypothesis further, expertinents of the same kind were made by Mrs. Sidgwick during the years 1890 and 1892, the subjects being P. and Miss B. already mentioned. The percipient was.throughout in a normal condition. As before, he sat at a table, with his hands passed through holes in a large screen, which extended sufficiently far in all directions to prevent him from seeing either the operator or his own hands.0 Mr. Smith, as before, willed to produce the desired effect in the finger which had been intimated to him, either by signs or writing, by one of the experimenters."

*I suppose that the gentleman feared that the subject would either feign anreathesia, or that if he knew that it was expected of him, suggestion would produce the anaesthesia described. This is not, however, stated in the text.

Similar cases have been quoted by M. Richet and his results were fairly good.

From the few cases cited, both from my own personal experience and from the reports of the Society for Psychical Research, it is evident that phenomena exist, which would lead naturally to the supposition that the mind may have other channels of communication than the ordinary ones.

I do not assert dogmatically that it has, and granting that it has, I have no theory to explain the phenomena. I do not know what the essence of thought is, or whether the mind is merely associated with or is the result or the product of the chemico-physical life of the nervous system. It may be both. That these phenomena have been the bases of the development of many religions the most casual observer must be convinced. Prophecies have been made in all ages. Some of them have proven true.

Whether they are all explainable upon intellectual insight cannot be said, but it certainly seems not. It is a strange thing that many are willing to believe miracles and marvels occurring some thousands of years ago, while they are entirely unwilling to listen to similar events occurring in this modern civilization. Psychical research of all kinds is handicapped by superstition and beset everywhere with difficulties.

I would strongly urge that the work be continued in America upon the lines laid down by the British Society of Psychical Research. It is argued that nothing is accomplished by adding more evidence to prove phenomena already clearly demonstrated. I reply that we can never make new discoveries in this field without constant experimentation. Mighty truths are developed slowly, they are not discovered wholly by one individual. The locomotive engine is not the child of one brain, but the product of many. So the subjects of telepathy, hypnotism, and kindred topics will not be developed or mastered by any one mind. Probably the question of telepathy will not be settled satisfactorily in the few remaining years of this century, but it will be settled. Instruments will be found of which we are now ignorant. Our present crude methods of investigation will be improved.

Before closing this chapter, I wish to add a word of caution about public exhibitions of telepathy.

There are men who travel over this country and give exhibitions something like the following:

A woman is placed on the stage blindfolded and with her back to the audience. The showman goes through the form of mesmerizing or hypnotizing her. He then asks different persons in the audience to hold up articles: a watch, a knife, etc., are held up. The woman tells what the articles are which are seen by the showman. There is usually a pre-arranged method of signalling; generally words are used to convey the idea.

For instance, in a case observed by me, the man told the woman to "hurry up, you should be able to tell that quickly." Those words meant a watch, and she proceeded to state that it was a watch. Many similar results occurred during the evening. Of course these exhibitions are unscientific.

Muscle-reading also has been mentioned. The experiment is easily tried, and any one may convince himself how easy it is to do many apparently wonderful things in this direction.

By means of it a blindfolded man may drive a horse and carriage through the streets of a large city. Many find articles which have been hidden in the most secret places, and to the uninitiated it seems truly wonderful. A practised touch can easily discern the slightest movement upon the part of the one with whom he is in contact. Even variations of the rate of respiration may give him a hint.

A very common instance of muscle-reading is a favorite parlor amusement.

A person is blindfolded while one or more hides a key. The hands of one or more persons are then placed upon the back and chest of the person blindfolded. He then begins to move and is guided to the hidden key by the pressure made upon the body.

This has been and is often now confounded with telepathy. It is astonishing how the different emotions of the body will affect unconsciously the muscular movements.

A writer has said, "We believe that for which we hope," and we impress that belief in every movement possible to the human frame.