Notices of Books. 
397 
1877.] 
The facfts of the luminosity of magnets was also independently 
established by Dr. Charpignon, who, in his “ Physiologie, Medi- 
cine, et Metaphysique du Magnetisme,” published in 1845 — the 
very same year in which the account of Von Reichenbach’s 
observations first appeared — says : “ Having placed before the 
sonnambulists four small bars of iron, one of which was magnet- 
ised by the loadstone, they could always distinguish this one 
from the others, from its two ends being enveloped in a 
brilliant vapour. The light was more brilliant at one end (the 
north pole) than at the other. I could never deceive them ; they 
always recognised the nature of the poles, although when in 
their normal state they were in complete ignorance of the sub- 
ject.” Surely here is a wonderful confirmation. One observer 
in France and another in Germany make the same observation 
about the same time, and quite independently ; and even the 
detail of the north pole being the more brilliant agrees with the 
statement of Reichenbach’s sensitives (Ashburner’s Trans., p. 20). 
Our readers can now judge how far the historic and scientific 
method has been followed in Dr. Carpenter’s treatment of the 
researches of Von Reichenbach, not one of the essential fadts 
here stated (and there are hundreds like them) being so much 
as alluded to, while “ suggestion,” expectation,” and “impos- 
ture,” are offered as fully explaining everything. We cannot 
devote much time to the less important branches of the subject, 
but it is necessary to show that in every case Dr. Carpenter mis- 
states facts and sets negative above positive evidence. Thus, as 
to the magnenometer* and odometer of Mr. Rutter and Dr. Mayo, 
all the effects are imputed to expectation and unconscious 
muscular action, and we have this positive statement: “ It was 
found that the constancy of the vibrations depended entirely upon 
the operator’s watching their direction, and, further, that when 
such a change was made without the operator's knowledge in the 
conditions of the experiment, as ought , theoretically, to alter the 
direction of the oscillations, no such alteration took place.” Yet 
Mr. Rutter clearly states — 1. That the instrument can be affected 
through the hand of a third person with exactly the same result 
(Rutter’s “ Human Electricity,” App., p. 54). 2. That the instru- 
ment isaffected bya crystal on a detached standbv ought close tothe 
instrument, but without contact {toe. cit ., p. 151). 3. That many 
persons, however “ expectant ” and anxious to succeed, have no 
power to move the instrument. 4. That substances unknown to 
the operator, and even when held by a third party caused correct 
indications, and that an attempt to deceive by using a substance 
under a wrong name was detected by the movements of the instru- 
ment ( loc . cit., Appendix, p. lvi.). Here then Mr. Rutter’s posi- 
* The magnenometer is a delicate pendulum which, when its support is 
touched by certain persons, vibrates in a definite dire&ion, the dire&ion 
changing on the motion suddenly stopping when different substances are 
touched at the same time by the operator. 
