248 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



his papers, and by Mr. Wallace. He clearly showed that this 

 ground was delusive and unphilosophical, as proved by the ex- 

 posure made of Slade and others in the police courts, whither the 

 common sense of the English people had relegated the question 

 of spiritualism. He proceeded to examine the examples of clair- 

 voyance adduced in Professor Barrett's paper, and showed their 

 entire similarity to the exploded theories of Spiritualists. The 

 evidence given by Mr. Marshall and Serjeant Cox in the police 

 courts in favour of Slade was next fully gone into, Dr. Macllwaine 

 observing that it was one thing to collect facts, and quite another 

 to reason correctly on them and to examine evidence. He also 

 exposed the fallacy of comparing the discoveries of Galileo and other 

 pioneers in true science with the alleged facts of spiritualism. In 

 the one case acknowledged phenomena were brought into agree- 

 ment with known laws ; while, in the other, a new and undiscovered 

 law was asserted, in order to account for dubious facts. He 

 considered it certain that the alleged miraculous occurrence of 

 clairvoyance and spiritualism could be accounted for on perfectly 

 natural principles and ingenious juggling, and denounced the 

 charlatanism which lay at the bottom of most of them. While 

 admitting, as he was bound to do, the existence of such a power 

 as mesmerism, Dr. Macllwaine strongly disapproved of its practice, 

 and read extracts from the Lancet, condemning it as highly 

 dangerous even when really exhibited. He showed the absurdity 

 of saying that spirits possessed hands of flesh and blood, and could 

 pull watch chains and write on slates, as Mr. Wallace and Serjeant 

 Cox asserted that they could. The messages alleged to be sent 

 from the spirit-world were puerile and absurd, and could not warrant 

 the belief that they were genuine. Dr. Macllwaine proceeded to 

 show the dangerous moral tendency when individuals were 

 encouraged to surrender their wills and reason to the control of 

 others. He also referred to the results of such acts in America, 

 and strongly censured their practice on the young especially. Dr. 

 Forbes Winslow had publicly stated that there were 10,000 patients 



