FIRE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 181 



" 'I do not know of any published account of Tyndall's putting 

 his bare arm into molton metal, but I can well believe it, as I myself 

 have plunged my hand into molten, almost red-hot, lead. I was in 

 a profuse perspiration at the time, and immediately before I dipped 

 my hand into strong ammonia to increase the spheroidal effect. I do 

 not think the extra precaution was of much use, but I did not like 

 to take a risk when looking at the cauldron of hot metal.' 



"To physicists there is nothing new in all this, but not every sci- 

 entific man is a physicist, or hypnotism would not have been sug- 

 gested to me, as it has been, as the secret of the remarkable immunity 

 I experienced."^^ 



Dr. A. C. Haddon, observing the fire walk at Fiji, came to the 

 same conclusion as Doctor Langley." 



Mr. Hyde probably has reference to the following incident, which 

 is taken from the "Memoirs and Correspondence of Lyon Playfair," 

 by Wemyss Reid, 1899, p. 201. 



Playfair has told us in the preceding chapter of his reminiscences 

 of the success with which he carried out this program for the 

 instruction of the Prince of Wales in the practical application of 

 science to industry. It was whilst the prince was living in Edin- 

 burgh as Playfair's pupil that an incident occurred which has 

 already, I believe, been published. The prince and Playfair were 

 standing near a cauldron containing lead which was boiling at white 

 heat. 



"Has your Royal Highness any faith in science?" said Playfair. 



"Certainly," replied the prince. 



Playfair then carefully washed the prince's hand with ammonia 

 to get rid of any grease that might be on it. 



"Will you now place your hand in this boiling metal and ladle 

 out a portion of it?" he said to lais distinguished pupil. 



"Do you tell me to do this?" asked the prince. 



"I do," replied Playfair. The prince instantly put his hand into 

 the cauldron and ladled out some of the boiling lead without sus- 

 taining any injury. It is a well-known scientific fact that the human 

 hand, if perfectly cleansed, may be placed uninjured in lead boiling 

 at white heat, the moisture of the skin protecting it under these 

 conditions from any injury. Should the lead be at a perceptibly 

 lower temperature the effect would, of course, be very different. It 

 requires, however, courage of no common order for a novice to try 

 such an experiment, even at the bidding of a man so distinguished 

 in science as was Playfair (p. 201). 



At Raiatea Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, walked barefoot 

 over the fire oven with no ill effects.'* 



"John Hyde. Science, new ser., vol. 60 Aug. 16, 1919, p. 162. 



"Nature, Dec. 11, 1902, p. 130. 



" Journ. Polynesian Soc, Wellington, New Zealand, vol. 8, 1899, pp. 56-60. 



