ESSAY-REVIEWS 



EVIDENCES or MEDIUMISTIC PHENOMENA, by O. L. Brady, 

 D.Sc: on Phenomena of Materialisation, by Baron von Schrenck- 

 NoTZiNG, translated by E. E. Fournier d'Albe, D.Sc. [Pp. xii + 340, 

 with 225 Illustrations on art paper.] (London : Kegan Paul, Trench, 

 Trubner & Co. Ltd. 1920. Price 35s. net.) 



This volume is the first English translation of Dr. von Schrenck-Notzing's 

 Matevialisations-Phoenomene, and includes besides this work the supple- 

 mentary Katnpf wn die Materialisations Phcenomene published in 1914 and 

 other material collected to the present date and embodied in the forthcoming 

 second German edition. 



Dr. Fournier d'Albe states in his preface that the English revision has 

 been prepared in consultation with the author and with Mme Bisson, the 

 medium's protectress, so it may be taken as the final word of these investi- 

 gators on the phenomena they set out to describe. 



It may be stated at once that it seems regrettable that Dr. d'Albe should 

 waste his time in translating this work or that a publisher should produce 

 so costly a volume when so much scientific work of real value is denied the 

 dignity of print on the plea of the cost of printing and paper. Those anxious 

 to study psychic phenomena, if sufficiently trained in scientific method to 

 make their investigations of value, should have no difficulty in using the 

 German edition and the same applies to those interested in the study of 

 superstitions and demonology. 



The hysteria incident to the war has caused a great demand for emotional 

 stimulus of this kind, and no doubt the sales will justify the expenditure! 

 The psychological effect of this work, with its apparent scientific exactitude, 

 on the lay mind cannot be other than harmful, and it is difficult to conceive 

 that an English translation is in the interests of science or of national sanity. 



The author, in his introduction, deprecates scepticism and claims that, 

 though mediums are sometimes detected in fraud, this does not imply that 

 none of the manifestations are genuine. The medium sometimes practises 

 fraud to satisfy the audience when genuine results are not forthcoming. This 

 is an attitude difficult to cope with, and is not likely to appeal to the trained 

 investigator. 



The phenomena dealt with are principally those produced by the medium 

 Eva C, the experiments starting in 1909 and continuing to 1918, though the 

 author's personal observations ended on the outbreak of war. Great stress 

 is laid on the probity of Mme Bisson, and the fact that Eva does not earn her 

 living by mediumship. It is claimed that there is no motive for fraud, but 

 Dr. Schrenck-Notzing is very daring in assuming, in such an off-hand way, 

 that money is the sole motive of dishonest action. 



The description of the medium's psychology indicates an hysterical nature 

 with great weakness of will. Her receptivity when hypnotised is made the 

 excuse for possible trickery, a useful precaution. It is claimed that the idea 

 of fraud in the minds of the audience might suggest chicanery to the hypno- 

 tised medium ; thus are the sceptical barred from detecting trickery. For the 



