THE TENDENCY OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. 229 
'have made and against the sciences. ' But I would retain the scientific basis 
of study even in this new walk. For the scientific way, at least by its classified 
regimen, shows its narrowness upon its face. These being known can be cor- 
rected. 
A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF SPIRITUALISM. 
Some time since Mr. Henry M. Seibert endowed the chair of moral and in- 
tellectual philosophy in the University of Pennsylvania, with a request or provision 
that the trustees should appoint a commission from the faculty to investigate what 
is known as spiritualism. The trustees have, within a short time past, acted 
upon the bequest and made the appointments. The commission consists of Dr. 
William Pepper as chairman, who is the provost of the university, a gentleman of 
acknowledged scientific attainments. The other members are Prof. George A. 
Koenig, Ph. D., assistant professor of chemistry, and a graduate of Heidelberg; 
the Rev. Robert E. Thompson, A. M., professor of social sciences; Joseph 
Leidy, M. D. LL. D., professor of anatomy, and the Rev. George W. Fullerton, 
instructor. The commission will be divided into branches, and members assigned 
to them in accordance with their experiences and qualifications. Dr. Pepper 
will have charge of the medical and physiological phases of the subject; Profes- 
sors Leidy and Koenig, the physical aspects ; Rev. Dr. Fullerton and Rev. Dr. 
Thompson, the intellectual and metaphysical phenomena. Mr. Seibert was a 
firm believer in spiritualism, yet it is understood that all of the members of the 
commission are non-believers. Few people, unless they have given attention to 
the matter, have any correct idea of the number of persons who have embraced 
this belief The spiritualists claim a million of believers in the United States, 
and as many more in Europe. It is well to have an investigation by scientific 
men. It can do no harm, and may do a great deal of good. 
THE TENDENCY OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. 
At the Annual Meeting of the Victoria Philosophical Institute, held at Lon- 
don, England, in the last week in June, the Honorary Secretary, Captain F. 
Petrie, F. R. S. L., read the yearly report, by which it appeared that the Insti- 
tute — founded to investigate all questions of Philosophy and Science, and more 
especially any alleged to militate against the truth of Revelation — had now risen 
to 1,020 members, of whom about one-third were foreign, colonial, and American, 
and new applications to join were constantly coming in. An increasing number 
of leading men of science had joined its ranks, and men of science, whether in 
its ranks or not, co-operated in its work. During the session a careful analysis 
had been undertaken by Professor Stokes, F. R. S., Sir J. R. Bennett, Vice- 
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