HYPNOTISM IN ANIMALS. 83 



of an exact natural investigation, a slight comprehension of the 

 strength of the proof which science must absolutely command, if 

 it treats of the confirmation of events, and the connection of the 

 simplest circumstances, they would entirely cease from their sense- 

 less and fruitless endeavors, and seek to acquaint themselves with 

 the valuable acquisitions of to-day's teachings, without which man 

 — comparable to a ship without a compass or rudder — tossed about 

 on the sea of error and deception — can be perplexed to imbecility ! 

 The excellent advice to keep at a distance all mysterious and super- 

 natural manifestations, in spite of their charms and attractions, has 

 already been communicated to you. An instructive maxim says, 

 " There is a virtuous spirit of relinquishment in intellectual as well 

 as in moral power." And here, in order not to be led into temptation, 

 men must carry this relinquishment to the extreme of intellectual " tee- 

 totalism." It is more difficult to deal with the second group of this 

 class. It is clear that if the few natural investigators who compose 

 this group were not entirely divested of the spirit of strict research 

 which they may once have possessed, they would have found ways 

 and means to confirm, in a scientific manner, the " events viewed un- 

 equally " which they are not ashamed to testify to as though they were 

 actual circumstances, so as to win the confidence and esteem of all 

 natural investigators. As they have by no means succeeded in this, 

 the weight of their testimony sinks, in spite of its truth, to the level 

 of that of the unlearned persons mentioned in the first group of this 

 class. 



In reference to the perception and knowledge of natural events 

 one cannot vote, per major a, as in human laws. The votes here 

 must be weighed. However, to give no opportunity for misconstruc- 

 tion, I will say, beforehand, that the natural investigators of whom I 

 speak have not lost all their weight and respectability in science be- 

 cause they vouched for the reality of unheard-of and absolutely in- 

 credible events, but because of the foundation on which they placed 

 this testimony. 



They refer us triumphantly to the " scientific " investigation of a 

 Hare, a Crookes, a Butterow, and other well-known " natural investi- 

 gators ! " However, he who examines this startling literature, will 

 only become more confirmed in his ideas. The way alone in which 

 these " investigators " perform their experiments, and the manner 

 in which they make their reports, prove very clearly that they 

 are really no investigators at all. To give one striking example, 

 Crookes announces earnestly to the scientific society of London, of 

 which he is a member, that he has discovered a new feature in Na- 

 ture, which he calls " psychic force." Through the influence of this 

 force, according to Crookes, the weight of a body can be increased or 

 diminished several pounds, without visible interference ! 



And how do you think Crookes has investigated and estab- 



