i88i.] 
Physiology of Mind-Reading. 
407 
IV. PHYSIOLOGY OF MIND-READING. 
By George M. Beard, M.D. 
t S “ thought-reading ” or mind-reading is now being 
exhibited in this country as an unexplained novelty, 
and is exciting much sensation, we have great 
pleasure in inserting the following paper by Dr. G. M. Beard, 
which, though it had been already published in the “ Popular 
Science Monthly ” (February, 1877), has just been sent to 
us by the author along with an important letter, dated 
May 31st, from which we extract the following passages : — 
“ Dr. Carpenter’s course in this matter is, as it seems to me, 
hardly worthy of a scientific man, for he has long been 
familiar with my investigations in this department ; indeed 
he sent to me for my original papers about two years ago, 
and he complimented me, in as high terms as one scientific 
man can bestow upon another, for the original work that I 
had done in this and allied departments of science. Now 
when the subject is brought up he nowhere recognises my 
discoveries which previously he had quoted with high ap- 
proval, but allows the credit to fall upon himself by implica- 
tion, or lets the matter remain undecided. 
“ I have written a letter to the “ Lancet ” on the subject, 
and have also sent them a copy of this essay, which was 
published in 1877. 
“ Irving Bishop was in America at the time I was making 
my researches, and had conversations with me about them, 
and gained what he knew from my studies and from the 
performances of ‘ Brown the mind-reader.’ ” 
In the history of science, and notably in the history of phy* 
siology and medicine, it has often happened that the ignorant 
and obscure have stumbled upon fadls and phenomena which, 
though wrongly interpreted by themselves, yet, when inves- 
tigated and explained, have proved to be of the highest 
interest. The phenomena of the emotional trance, for ex- 
ample, had been known for ages ; but not until Mesmer 
forced them on the scientific world, by his public exhibitions 
