Explanatory Notes 129 



my book called Modern Problems (Methuen), where what 

 I have to say, whether it be considered useful or not, re- 

 presents or summarises the results of very careful con- 

 sideration. 



Page 103 



It will be said, it has indeed been frequently said, that 

 the evidence ought here to have been adduced. To this 

 there are two fairly obvious replies. The first is that the 

 evidence for any kind of scientific statements is quite 

 inappropriate to an address; a summary and an allusion is 

 all that can be allowed, and nothing more is attempted in 

 any part of an address of this kind; study of the evidence 

 is necessarily a long and laborious undertaking. The 

 second is that even though some parts of the evidence were 

 offered, not in an address but in a paper to one of the Sec- 

 tions, it would as yet not be admitted. The attempt has 

 been made. Sir William Barrett in the year 1876 read a 

 paper on the evidence for telepathy before the British 

 Association at Glasgow, but its publication was prevented. 



No, the time is not ripe for discussing the evidence for 

 supernormal psychical experience except in connection with 

 a scientific society formed for the purpose. The subject is 

 only emerging from the stage expressed by the first para- 

 graph on page 77, though under the guidance of the critical 

 leaders of the Society for Psychical Research it is emerging 

 rather fast. The members of that Society are aware that 

 the evidence already published the carefully edited and 

 sifted evidence published by their own organisation 

 occupies some 40 volumes of Journal and Proceedings ; and 

 some of them know that a great deal more evidence exists 

 than has been published, and that some of the best evi- 

 dence is not likely to be published, not yet at any rate. 

 It stands to reason that the best evidence must often be of 

 a very private and family character. Many, however, are 

 the persons who are acquainted with facts in their own 



