Spiritualism 



I will just refer to one or two. At p. 176 (note) you call 

 the idea of there being a " spring-head " at a particular point 

 " absurd." But instead of being absurd it is a fact, proved 

 not only by numerous cases you have given of strong springs 

 being found quite near to weak springs a few yards off, but 

 by all the phenomena of mineral and hot springs. Near 

 together, as at Bath, hot springs and cold springs rise to 

 the surface, and springs of different quality at Harrogate, 

 yet each keeps its distinct character, showing that each rises 

 from a great depth without any lateral diffusion or inter- 

 mixture. This is a common phenomenon all over the world, 

 the dowsers' facts support it, geologists know all about 

 it, yet I presume they have told you that when a dowser 

 states this fact it ceases to be a fact and becomes an 

 absurdity ! 



The only other point I have time to notice is your Sect. 

 II. (p. 285). You head this, "Evidence that the Motion 

 of the Kod is due to Unconscious Muscular Action." 

 Naturally I read this with the greatest interest, but found 

 to my astonishment that you adduce no evidence at all, but 

 only opinions of various people, and positive assertions that 

 such is the case! Now as I k7iow that motions of various 

 objects occur without any muscular action, or even any con- 

 tact whatever, while Crookes has proved this by careful ex- 

 periments which have never been refuted, what improbahility 

 is there that this should be such a case, and what is the value 

 of these positive assertions which you quote as '' evidence " ? 

 And at p. 286 you quote the person who says the more he 

 tried to prevent the stick's turning the more it turned, as 

 evidence in favour of muscular action, without a word of 

 explanation. Another man (p. 287) says he '^ could not re- 

 strain it." None of the '' trained anatomists " you quote 

 give a particle of proof, only positive opinion, that it must 

 be muscular action — simply because they do not believe any 



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