THE SPIRITS IN RUSSIA.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 835, 11 July 1871, Page 3

THE SPIRITS IN RUSSIA.

("Pall Mall Gazetti:.") The Bussian Academical Gazette retorts the result of a spiritual seance which Mr Home lately gave in the presence of several learned men in St Petersburg. Mr Home having expressed a wish to convert them to spiritualism, the representatives of science agreed to attend a seance, provided .they might themselves choose the place in which it was to be held, and make all the preparations they thought necessary. These were simple, hut they completely answered their purpose. Seals were placed on the doors of the room in which the meeting was to be held, and a heavy glass table instead of an ordinary one was placed W it. On this table stood a lamp with a reflector, so that the ground under the table was brilliantly illuminated, and the slightest movement made by Mr Home could be observed. The 'tiedium having accepted the challenge ©der these conditions, the seance hegan at the appointed time. All present (two mathematicians, two chem Mts, a physiologist, and a doctor) seated themselves round the table forming a chain upon it with their hands. In a little while Mr Home announced that ho began to feel the presence of spirits, and that these wore nianilesting themselves outwardly by the fluctuations of the flame of a taper standing on the table. It was replied 'hat these fluctuations were produced not by spirits but by the. ventilator ; W fact when this was shut the iiuctu*toona ceased. The medium was some-

what embarrassed ; but without losing countenance hastened to declare that he felt the presence of the spirits, which betrayed itself by the quirk throbbing of his pulse. The pulsations were indeed extremely rapid, but one of the persons present explained that this phenomenon was owing to the tension which had now lasted some time, and to the high temperature of the room; to prove his words this person had his pulse felt after having declared that he experienced no sensation but that of fatigue, andjthe number of beats corresponded exactly with that given by Mr Home. After these two failures the medium gave up the experiment with the table, and proposed to alter the weight of some object. A common bucket was then placed on a- weighing machine. The company waited long and in vain ; no change of weight occurred. It was very late, everybody was tired—Mr Home, perhaps, most of all—and the seance broke up. While taking leave Mr Home promised to repeat the experiment ; but he gave out next day that he was indisposed, and therefore unable to keep his engagement.