1874.] Phenomena called Spiritual. 95 
genuine phenomena could be taken in by them. An enquirer 
into the subject finding one of these cases at his first initia- 
tion is disgusted with what he detects at once to be an im- 
posture ; and he not unnaturally gives vent to his feelings, 
privately or in print, by a sweeping denunciation of the whole 
genus ‘‘medium.” Again, with a thoroughly genuine medium, 
the first phenomena which are observed are generally slight 
movements of the table, and faint taps under the medium’s 
hands or feet. These of course are quite easy to be imitated 
by the medium, or anyone at the table. If, as sometimes 
occurs, nothing else takes place, the sceptical observer goes 
away with the firm impression that his superior acuteness 
detected cheating on the part of the medium, who was 
consequently afraid to proceed with any more tricks in his 
presence. He, too, writes to the newspapers exposing the 
whole imposture, and probably indulges in moral senti- 
ments about the sad spectacle of persons, apparently intel- 
ligent, being taken in by imposture which he detected at once. 
There is a wide difference between the tricks of a pro- 
fessional conjurer, surrounded by his apparatus, and aided 
by any number of concealed assistants and confederates, 
deceiving the senses by clever sleight of hand on his own 
platform, and the phenomena occurring in the presence of 
Mr. Home, which take place in the light, in a private room 
that almost up to the commencement of the séance has 
been occupied as a living room, and surrounded by private 
friends of my own, who not only will not countenance the 
slightest deception, but who are watching narrowly every 
thing that takes place. Moreover, Mr. Home has frequently 
been searched before and after the séances, and he always 
offers to allow it. During the most remarkable occurrences 
I have occasionally held both his hands, and placed my feet 
on his feet. Onno single occasion have I proposed a modifi- 
cation of arrangements for the purpose of rendering trickery 
less possible which he has not at once assented to, and 
frequently he has himself drawn attention to tests which 
might be tried. 
I speak chiefly of Mr. Home, as he is so much more 
powerful than most of the other mediums I have experi- 
mented with. But with all I have taken such precautions 
as place trickery out of the list of possible explanations. 
Be it remembered that an explanation to be of any value 
must satisfy all the conditions of the problem. It is not 
enough for a person, who has perhaps seen only a few of 
the inferior phenomena, to say “I suspect it was all 
cheating,” or, ““I saw how some of the tricks could be 
done,” 
