"However," continues Richet, "I am not the only one who has thus been touched by a distinct hand, while holding both Eusapia's hands."

1 L'Exteriorization de la Motricite, pp. 188-188.

"On July 9th, Ochorowicz was touched on the back by a very distinct hand while he held Eusapia's two hands."

"On July 21st, Lodge, holding both of Eusapia's hands, was distinctly touched upon the shoulder."

"On July 26th, while holding both hands of the Medium, I felt a large hand stroking my head."

All these quotations are connected with a series of experiments carried on at Carqueranne, and the Island of Roubaud by Charles Richet, who devoted his vacation in 1894 to this problem. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Sidgwick, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Lodge, Mr. J. Ochorowicz, Mr. Frederick Myers, Baron de Schrenk (Notzing of Munich) and Dr. Segard, Chief Surgeon of the French Navy.

The evidence of Charles Richet concludes thus:

"That which makes an experiment of this kind instructive, and to my mind absolutely decisive, is that we must admit either a tactile hallucination, which seems to be absurd, or a practical joke on the part of one of the audience, which is inconceivable. Or else we must concede it to have been - and this is the conclusion I have reached - something like the materialization of a living hand. This conclusion I accept in despair of a cause, and I resign myself to it with deep reluctance."

Why this reluctance?

It is because Mr. Richet declared in the beginning that to him these facts were absurd?

Surely, these facts are not absurd: they prove once more that we have a fluidic body, dependent both upon mind and matter. These experiments are instructive and offer a basis for the study of animistic physiology.

There is a time for all things. To-day there is not a man, however unacquainted with the facts he may be, who can deny the formation of members, materialized outside the organs of the medium.

Scholars have seen the results we obtained with patient effort. But once having seen, we must prove by experiment. There has been no failure here. We said to ourselves, since these hands which have been visible to the most skeptical, have an appearance of objectivity, we can perhaps preserve proofs of this objectivity by securing prints of them, photographs or molds. Just such evidences have been secured.

But this is a work which can be effected only after a long preparation. Observation requires endless patience, for the phenomenon does not develop at the first stroke: there are three factors in its production - the medium, the audience, and the occult force. Their cooperation cannot be secured save after long sittings held intimately in the course of which the forces have become tractable.

Newcomers, who ask to be invited to the first sitting, will not obtain the great experimental proofs in less time than was necessary for William Crookes, Charles Richet, and Lombroso to attain a conviction. The moral and scientific value of the experimenters is the sole guarantee of the value of the experiments. The materialization of a hand is not a mechanical function and only those who are in the good graces of the medium and (let us not fear to state it) of the occult force, will obtain permission to grasp this hand and to use the devices for control.

It seemed at first that the most delicate control to propose, in view of manifestations so fleeting, would be to secure the imprint of the hand in flour or smoke-black. This testimony, added to that of sight and touch, would refute the hypothesis, formerly advanced, of hallucination on the part of the audience.

Zoellner tried this experiment with the medium Slade, when the latter came to Leipsig in 1877.1

An attempt to secure foot-prints succeeded without contact of Slade, although the medium had predicted that this would be impossible. Zoellner placed sheets of paper, prepared with lamp-black inside a folding slate and placed the slate upon his knees in order to keep it in view. Five minutes later, in a well-lighted room, all hands resting upon the table, Zoellner remarked that he had twice felt a pressure upon the slate lying on his knees. Three raps upon the table having announced that all was over, the slate was opened and two imprints, one of the right foot, the other of the left, were found upon the paper.

"My readers may judge," said Zoellner, "that it is impossible for me, after having witnessed these facts, to consider Slade an impostor or a prestidigitator." 2

The first idea of molding the materialized forms belonged to Mr. Denton, professor of Geology, well known in America, who died in 1883. His medium was Mrs. Hardy. All this chapter of Aksakof (pp. 127-172) should be studied in full, as it contains a complete history of the question.

1Eagene Nus. Things of the Other World (Choses de L'autre Monde), p. 336. 2 lb. p. 338.

But history continues, or rather recommences; all modern scholars have been able to obtain some of these molds which furnish positive and conclusive proofs of the phenomenon of materialization.

In 1889, the Spanish Doctor, Manuel Otero Acevedo, armored with incredulity, came to Naples expressly to examine Eusapia. He demanded an imprint in clay. The report of this case is found in the work of Dr. de Rochas.1

While in full light the table replied by raps and Eusapia suddenly inspired, said to Otero: "Take this vessel full of clay, put it opposite me on this chair, and indicate the spot where you wish the phenomenon to appear." The clay was placed about two yards from her and carefully examined by Dr. Otero, who covered it with his white handkerchief and indicated the spot. We all watched Eusapia. She thrust out her right arm convulsively, turned her hand in the direction of the clay and, extending three fingers, made an indefinable movement with them and said: "It is done."

Raising the handkerchief, we found the imprint of three fingers at the precise point indicated by Otero.