I2 
was much greater than in the narrow part. The air was coming 
out of a narrow tube and passing into a wider and wider part. 
Thus the pressure got greater and greater towards the mouth 
of the funnel. Finally it came to free air, and had therefore the 
ordinary atmospheric pressure. The ball was subject to a sort 
of tug-of-war, or rather push-of-war. On one side there was 
atmospheric pressure, and on the other smaller pressure, and, as 
the stronger would win, the ball would be pushed into the funnel. 
The lecturer showed a number of further experiments displaying 
simple variations of the same principle, and also offered some 
remarks upon the subject of vortex rings and their curious 
mechanical effects, all of which he illustrated by experiments. 
Tuesday, March 7th, Sir Samuel Wilks, Bart., F.R.S., President, 
in the chair. 
Mr, Frank Podmore, M.A., gave a lecture on ‘‘ The Evidence 
for Spiritualism.’’ He first gave a brief history of the growth 
of Spiritualism, which he described as “the new religion.” In 
a few years, he said, its adherents were estimated to number over 
two millions, and at one period there were about 100 newspapers 
and periodicals published in its furtherance, in English, French, 
German, Spanish and Italian. Even in the present year two 
new periodicals had been added to that number. It would be 
doing an injustice to modern Spiritualism to say that it was based 
primarily on the miracles; it was really based on the trance 
revelations. He proposed to examine the evidence of these miracles. 
To properly appreciate the full significance of such a subject they 
must combine the two methods of study, scientific and historical. 
He gave a brief sketch of the “ pedigree ”’ of the trance revelations, 
dealing particularly with those of Andrew Jackson Davis, an 
American shoemaker’s apprentice, who was an exceptionally good 
medium, and who, although almost illiterate, dictated, while in 
a hypnotic state, and at various periods extending over a year, 
a series of discourses upon very learned subjects. He then turned 
to the miracle side of the subject, and endeavoured to show how 
all the so-called miracles were, in fact, frauds. He described 
what took place at dark séances, and said that the mystification 
of people at what then took place was accounted for partly by 
the fact of darkness, and partly by the fact that people seemed 
to attach an almost superstitious importance to the holding of 
hands as a proof against trickery. He then described how the 
medium on such occasions insisted on placing his hands so as 
to touch those of his neighbours in a certain way, and illustrated 
me PP an ape eee ve aah ins 
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Pe er ee ay ee 
4 
