October 17, 1SS4. 



SCIENCE. 



369 



of Greenwich, Berlin, Paris, and Washington, respec- 

 tively. 



In German geographical maps the meridian of Ferro 

 is used, for the most part, while this meridian does 

 not pass through the island of Ferro at all. The 

 so-called meridian of Ferro is assumed to be exactly 

 20° west from Paris, while the island is only 17° 50' 

 west from Paris. 



The new topographical maps of the Prussian land- 

 survey are based on the assumption that the Berlin 

 observatory is 31° 3' 41. 25" east from Ferro meridian, 

 while more recent telegraphic determinations place 

 the Berlin meridian 11° 3' 27.9" from Paris. 



It is to be hoped that the result of the conference 

 will not be a new international meridian, inconven- 

 ient at first for all nations alike. 



Horace Andrews. 



Albany, X.Y., Oct. 11. 



PSYCHICAL RESEARCH IN AMERICA. 



The adjective ' psychical ' has come, through 

 the use made of it by the English Society for 

 psychical research, to be the label for a special 

 class or group of phenomena, which to the 

 unthinking are outright marvellous, even awe- 

 some, and to the thoughtful, either interesting 

 or incredible, according to the individual men- 

 tal cast. A few English scientific men believed 

 that behind all the jugglery and deception of 

 spiritualism there lurked a foundation of real- 

 ity, perhaps grossly misinterpreted, but still of 

 reality. That belief led to the formation of the 

 active society named above, the work of which 

 has already been noticed in Science (iv. 40) . 



The evidence published b} r this society goes 

 to show that there are a number of more or 

 less rare psychological effects which are most 

 singular, and so unlike what the orthodox ps} r - 

 chology of the da}- admits, that no explanation 

 of them can yet be offered. The effects are 

 mysterious not only as to their cause, but also 

 as to their nature. One of them, hypnotism, 

 was still scoffed at by the sensible until within 

 a few years, but is now by common consent 

 admitted even into the society of the best 

 phenomena. Another of them, thought-trans- 

 ference, is still begging for a general acknowl- 

 edgment of its good standing, for there are 

 those who avow their own wisdom through the 

 announcement of an unreasoned disbelief in 

 the transmission of thought from one person 

 to another b} T any except the ordinary chan- 

 nels : if the transmission appear to occur, it 



is to be explained by some trickery, — so say 

 these persons, and they have done with the 

 matter. Now, among others of less preju- 

 diced opinion are a number of American 

 scientific men of acknowledged ability and 

 unquestioned integrity, who maintain that the 

 evidence in regard to this and other psychical 

 phenomena cannot be thus set aside by a vague 

 general accusation, but calls for further and 

 more rigid investigation. 



Prompted by the enthusiasm and suggestions 

 of Prof. W. F. Barrett, one of the most active 

 members of the English society, and supported 

 by their conviction of the serious nature and 

 value of psychical inquiries, the gentlemen 

 alluded to above have decided to form an 

 American psychical society to promote syste- 

 matic study of the obscure and abnormal facts 

 alleged to exist by trustworthy observers. 



They join in this enterprise cautiously, hav- 

 ing previously satisfied themselves that the tes- 

 timony is so good that it must be received as 

 raising a series of problems, to settle which 

 would be interesting and important. The 

 occurrence of thought-transference is naturally 

 met at first by sober minds with incredulity ; 

 but, now the evidence on the subject is pub- 

 lished, mere incredulity no longer suffices : 

 either to prove or to disprove the reality of the 

 transference would be equally desirable. If it 

 be an error, it should be unmasked : if it be a 

 reality, the discovery must appear to us momen- 

 tous. In any case, there is a plain and inter- 

 esting scientific duty to be performed. 



Psychical research is distasteful to some 

 persons ; for it touches upon spiritualism, and 

 to them seems akin to it. Now, spiritualism 

 is an evil in the world, — in America it is a 

 subtle and stupendous evil ; a secret and un- 

 acknowledged poison in many minds, a con- 

 fessed disease in others, — a disease which is 

 sometimes more repulsive to the untainted 

 than leprosy. Spiritualism has two supports, 

 — the first trickery and deceit, the second the 

 obscurity and inexplicableness of certain psy- 

 chological processes and states. It is rational 

 to hope that the first support without the second 

 would soon lose its influence. The strength 



