SAVANTS AND MEDIUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

SAVANTS AND MEDIUM.

FEATS IN SPIRITUALISM. : A REPORTED EXPOSURE. EXPERIMENTS IN PARIS. J The Parisian Weekly journal Opinion publishes a - remarkable report setting forth the . results of a series of experU meftts made at the Sorbonne ; under test conditions with' a Polish , spiritualistic medium, named Guzik. This medium had ; long been famous throughout the spiritualistic world for his / success 'in moving objects ."without touching 'them," in causing persons attending * a seance to feel "the touch of spirit hands," and for ■his •'-materialisations,'V; *u •:" •*•••• «• ■* Guzik recently consented *to give a series of sittings " under., test conditions ir- which five distinguished v savants took part. These, were M. P.. Langevin, Professor of ■ Physics • at the «College de France; M. Etienne Raboud, Professor of Biology at the Sorbonne; M. Laugier, head of the Physiological Laboratory; M. A. Marcelin, attached to the ChemicoPhysical Department; - and M. Mayerson, Assistant Director of the Psychological Laboratory- at the same institution. ' . -V' The experiments took place in the laboratory for experimental • biology at the Sorbonne. The report tended to show that the famous medium's much vaunted feats were merely conjuring tricks of the most ordinary description, and that when he was" actually placed under test conditions he was unable to produce a single one of the phenomena with which he had so often impressed deluded audiences.

Elaborate Tests Carried Out.. ; The tests took place at a table aDout four and a half feet long and two feet wide, which was placed in one corner of the laboratory. The medium was seated at one end of this table and the scientists who were controlling the experiments safe round it with their hands lying flat on a strip of phosphorescent paper that had been laid round the edges of the table top. The little fingers of the hands of each person taking part in the sitting (including the medium) were hooked in those of his next door neighbour, and the room was in complete darkness except for the faint light given out by the phosphorescent paper, which . was Just sufficiently strong to reveal the position and movements of the hands lying on the table. The controllers sitting on Guzik's right and left each tried to keep one knee and foot in contact with those of the medium. It was noticed that during the experiments Guzik's manager, De Jelski, sometimes suggested that the controllers of the experiments should talk among themselves in a low tone of voice, while at others he called for : absolute silence. Occasionally he spoke to Guzik in Polish, and if he received no reply De Jelski declared that the medium was "sleeping."

Feats Performed with Free Leg. During the first series of experiments all the traditional phenomena, such as mysterious touches, light blows, and movements of furniture- were exemplified. The . professors i alter this apparently astonishing series of manifestations said. nothing the : medium i had left. They had, however, discovered the exact means by which every "phenomenon" had been produced, and niter Guzik's departure they repeated his whole programme. M. Marceli took the place of the medium and showed by actual demonstration-that it was quite easy to liberate one leg, without his colleagues' knowledge, from his controllers. With this free leg he found himself abb to do all that Guzik had done. All this, however, was only hypothesis, and in order to transform what was a very great possibility into certitude the scientists resolved -to 'renew their series of experiments with the medium under conditions of automatic control that would leave no doubt as to intervention or non-intervention of the limb.3 of the medium for the purpose of producing his "phenomena." The second series ui tests proved from the point of view of the assembled scientists absolutely conclusive. From the moment the mediums legs were automatically controlled, says the report, no phenomena of any kind occurred. In their summing up of the results of the experiments the five scientists who signed the report were absolutely crushing in their verdict against the medium. They stated, moreover, that / undoubted attempts were made by him to release one of his legs, and they declared their complete and unqualified conviction that the phenomena that occurred werg due to no mysterious mechanism but were produced solely by the medium's elbow and by the leg which he succeeded in freeing.