THE PROGRESS OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 487 



each other. It was in this way that the society's experiments were 

 conducted. 



The most satisfactory results were obtained from the family of a 

 Mr. Creery, a clergyman in Derbyshire, four of whose children girls 

 whose ages ranged from ten to seventeen, thoroughly healthy, and as 

 free as possible from morbid or hysterical symptoms were reputed to 

 possess the power of being able to designate correctly, without contact 

 or sign, a card or other object fixed upon in the child's absence. To 

 this family the committee made several visits of several days' duration, 

 and the record of their numerous experiments appears to be absolutely 

 unexceptionable and conclusive, as far as it goes. The active mem- 

 bers of this committee were Professor Barrett and Messrs. Gurney and 

 Myers. 



Sometimes the inquiry took place at Mr. Creery's house, sometimes 

 at the lodgings of the committee. Their plan was to select at random 

 one child, who was then asked to leave the room and wait at a dis- 

 tance, while they chose a card from a pack, or wrote on paper some 

 number or name which occurred to them at the moment. Sometimes, 

 though not invariably, this was shown to the members of the family 

 present in the room ; but no one member was always present, and on 

 many occasions the members of the committee were entirely alone. 

 The child was recalled, it having been made certain that she was at 

 some distance when the number or card was selected. This, too, was 

 an unnecessary precaution, as the habit was to avoid any utterance of 

 the chosen card or name. The child was simply told before leaving 

 the room, " This will be a card," or " This will be a name," as the case 

 might be. On re-entering, she stood in any position she chose, though 

 sometimes, at the committee's direction, with her face to the wall. She 

 was silent for a period ranging from a few seconds to a minute, and 

 then called out some name or number, or whatever the subject chosen 

 was to be. If her answer was correct, the committee said " Right," if 

 not, " No," and a second and sometimes a third trial was allowed. 



In the case of a card, the chances are fiftv-one to one against the 

 successful guessing of any particular card, assuming that there is no 

 such thing as thought-reading, and that errors of experiment are 

 avoided. Yet, in one case of fourteen trials, nine were guessed rightly 

 the first time, and only three trials can be described as complete fail- 

 ures. Some of the trials that resulted in what may be called partial 

 successes are extremely interesting, and we give a short selection from 

 the committee's record. The card selected is given in italics, the 

 guesses in Roman type, and the only remarks made (those of the com- 

 mittee) in parentheses : 



Five of clubs. King of hearts (No). Five of clubs (Right). 



Two of spades. Two of spades (Right). 



Three of spades. Three of hearts (No). Ace of spades (No). 



Eight of spades. Eight of clubs (No). Eight of spades (Right). 



