124 Darwinism and Other Essays. 



the pointer descended, showing that the weight 

 or downward pull at the end of the lever sup- 

 ported by the balance had been increased by from 

 three to six pounds. In order still further to 

 guard against the possibility of Mr. Home's ex- 

 erting any muscular action on the board, Mr. 

 Crookes placed a glass vessel full of water over 

 the centre of the fulcrum, " and by means of an 

 iron stand, quite detached from all the rest of the 

 apparatus, a vessel of copper was held so that it 

 dipped into the water without touching the sides 

 of the glass vessel, the bottom of the copper ves- 

 sel being perforated with holes, in consequence 

 of which it was partially filled with water. . . . 

 When Mr. Home placed his hands inside the cop- 

 per vessel, any force passing through his hands 

 had to traverse the water hence no muscular ac- 

 tion of his could have any effect upon the spring- 

 balance. With the apparatus thus arranged, the 

 lever oscillated as in his previous experiment, 

 the average strain registered being three or four 

 pounds." 



Such were the phenomena to explain which 

 Mr. Crookes invoked the assistance of an un- 

 known something which it pleased his fancy to 

 call " psychic force," while his companion, Dr. 

 Huggins, more wisely declined to express any 



