§ 2. In the remaining cases the illusion seems to have been practically complete. They constitute what may be called the normal type of these abnormal phenomena. The hallucination goes through no gradual process of formation, and is externalised as fully and naturally as a real object; the agent contributes to it little, if any, of the actual detail of his condition; the percipient contributes to it no special imagery or setting of his own.

The following narrative is from M. Gaston Fournier, of 21, Rue de Berlin, Paris, an intimate friend of our esteemed collaborator, M. Ch. Richet. He has antedated the occurrence by about 18 months.

1 Of many subjective hallucinations, it has been specially noticed that they hid whatever was behind the place which they appeared to occupy; and the rule seems to be that when the percept is completely externalised, it is solid-looking. But exceptions are not infrequent. Whitish transparent figures were a feature in a pathological case first published in the Phrenological Journal and Miscellany (Edinburgh), No. vi., p. 290, etc., and described in the well-known article on "Spectral Illusions" in Chambers' Miscellany. Wundt (Op. cit., vol. ii., p. 357) records the experience of an overseer of forests, who saw heaps of wood all round him in his house, but also saw the furniture and carpet just as usual. Miss Morse, of Vermont, a careful observer, who has had hallucinations at rare intervals during a good many years, tells me, that at first " they seemed to be pictured just within instead of before my eyes." Lately, however, "they have usually been projected into space; but however real the apparitions at first appear, a close inspection reveals that they have no solidity - that objects can be seen through them." Another of my informants, who on waking had a hallucination of a tall female figure, noticed that he could see a towel through her; and similarly in one of my cases of persistent dream-images, Professor Goodwin reports that with him they "retain an appearance of solidity for some seconds after waking, the furniture of the room being distinctly recognised through these figures, like a dissolving view." Another correspondent describes such images as seen "as it were with one eye asleep, the other awake." In one of Paterson's cases (Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal for Jan., 1843), the phantasm appeared as though seen through gauze.

Mr. Lowell [see note, p. 163] tells me that though the figures he saw were sometimes quite natural-looking, at other times they were of the semi-transparent sort here described, allowing the wall or furniture to be seen through them. He spoke of these as looking as if composed of "blue film" - a description which is of great interest, when taken in connection with some of the telepathic cases, e.g., Nos. 194, 311. I have mentioned that the disappearance is occasionally through a stage of increased tenuity and transparency.

"16 Octobre, 1885.

(224) "Le 21 fevrier, 1879, j'etais invite a diner chez mes amis, M. et Mme. B - . En arrivant dans le salon, je constate l'absence d'un commensal ordinaire de la maison, M. d'E -, que je rencontrais presque toujours a leur table. J'en fais la remarque, et Mme. B - me repond que d'E -, employe* dans une importante maison de banque, etait sans doute fort occupe en ce moment, car on ne l'avait pas vu depuis deux jours. A partir de ce moment, il ne fut plus plus question de d'E - . Le repas s'acheve fort gaiement, et sans que Mme. B. - donne la moindre marque visible de preoccupation. Pendant le diner, nous avions forme le projet d'aller achever notre soiree au theatre. Au dessert Mme. B - se leve pour aller s'habiller dans sa chambre, dont laporte, restee entr'ouverte, donne dans la salle-a-manger. B - et moi etions restes a table, fumant notre cigare, quand, apres quelques minutes a peine, nous entendons un cri terrible. Croyant a un accident, nous nous precipitons dans la chambre, et nous trouvons Mme. B - assise, prete a se trouver mal.

Nous nous empressons autour d'elle; elle se remet peu a peu, et nous fait alors le recit suivant.

"' Apres vous avoir quittes, je m'habillais pour sortir, et j'etais en train de nouer les brides de mon chapeau devant ma glace, quand tout-a-coup j'ai vu dans cette glace d'E - entrer par la porte.1 Il avait son chapeau sur la tete; il etait pale et triste; sans me retourner je lui adresse la parole, "Tiens, d'E -, vous voila; asseyez-vous done"; et comme il ne repondait pas, je me suis alors retourne et je n'ai plus rien vu; prise alors de peur, j'ai pousse le cri que vous avez entendu'.

"b -, pour rassurer sa femme, se met a la plaisanter, traitant l'apparition d'hallucination nerveuse, et lui disant que d'E - serait tres flatte d'apprendre a quel point il occupait sa pensee; puis, comme Mme.

B - restait toute tremblante, pour couper court a son emotion, nous lui proposons de partir tout de suite, alleguant que nous allions manquer le lever du rideau. ' Je n'ai pas pense un seul instant a d'E -,' nous dit Mme. B -,' depuis que M. F. - m'a demande la cause de son absence.

Je ne suis pas nerveuse, et je n'ai jamais eu d'hallucination; je vous assure qu'il y Ia quelque chose d'extraordinaire, et quant a moi, je ne sortirai pas avant d'avoir des nouvelles de d'E - . Je vous supplie d'aller chez lui, c'est le seul moyen de me rassurer.' Je conseille a B de ceder au desir de sa femme, et nous partons tous les deux chez d'E -, qui demeurait a tres peu de distance. Tout en marchant nous plaisantions beaucoup sur les frayeurs de Mme. B - .

" En arrivant chez d'E -, nous demandons au concierge, ' D'E -, est-il chez lui'? ' Oui, messieurs, il n'est pas descendu de la journee,'

D'E - habitait un petit appartement de garcon; il n'avait pas de domestiques. Nous montons chez lui, et nous sonnons a plusieurs reprises sans avoir de reponse. Nous sonnons plus fort, puis nous frappons a tour de bras, sans plus de succes. B -, emotionne malgre lui, me dit, ' C'est absurde, le concierge se sera trompe; il est sorti; descendons.' Mais le concierge nous affirme que d'E - n'est pas sorti, qu'il en est absolument sur. Veritablement effrayes, nous remontons avec lui, et nous tentons de nouveau de nous faire ouvrir; puis n'entendant rien bouger dans l'appartement, nous envoyons chercher un serrurier. On force la porte, et nous trouvons le corps de d'E -, encore chaud, couche sur son lit, et troue de deux coups de revolver.

1 The vision in the glass is, of course, itself the hallucination in this case (cf. p. 277, note), and does not imply either actual reflection, or even a corresponding phantasm to be seen in the room, had Mme. B. turned her head. That such a phantasm might have appeared is, however, shown by the case in p. 296, note.

" Le medecin, que nous faisons venir aussitot, constate que d'E avait d'abord tente de se suicider en avalant un flacon de laudanum, et qu' ensuite, trouvant sans doute que le poison n'agissait pas assez vite, il s'etait tire deux coups de revolver a la place du coeur. D'apres la constatation medicale, la mort remontait a une heure environ. Sans que je puisse preciser l'heure exacte, c'etait cependant une coincidence presqu' absolue avec la soi-disant hallucination de Mme. B - . Sur la cheminee il y avait une lettre de d'E -, annon9ant a M. et Mme. B - sa resolution, lettre particulierement affectueuse pour Mme. B - .

" Gaston Fournier".

In conversation with Mr. Myers, M. Fournier expressed himself uncertain as to the correctness of his date. We have procured a copy of the Acte de Deces, which records that the date of d'E - 's death was October 7, 1880; also that it took place at 10 a.m. If this was so, it would still be quite possible that the body, which was clothed, should be found warm in the evening. Probably the hour could not be stated with anything like precision; and it is as likely that the official record fixed it too early as that M. Fournier's medical authority (supposing him to be correctly quoted) fixed it too late. But we clearly cannot assume the coincidence to have been nearly as exact as M. Fournier imagined.

Mme. B. is dead. M. B. is unfortunately in South America; and though we hope to obtain his account of the occurrence, it has not arrived in time for insertion.

[Omitting cases 225 and 226,] the next case - a recent one - is of a very unusual type as regards the effect on the percipient, and, perhaps, on that very account suggests the telepathic explanation rather more strongly than the facts warrant. But as regards the facts themselves, there can be little doubt. The evidence, though it does not come from the percipient, is of the sort which is as good as first-hand; and this is the more fortunate, in that, as it happens, there never was a moment at which the first-hand evidence could have been given. The account is in the words of Mr. H. King, of the Royal Military College, York Town, Farn-borough, Hants.

"March, 1885.