ECTOPLASMIC NONSENSE

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15028, 28 August 1922, Page 6

ECTOPLASMIC NONSENSE

"MADAME EVA."

FRENCH INVESTIGATIONS.

Four French scientists who for two months have been experimenting to ascertain whether "eetoplasmic emanations'' really appeared from a'medium, have reported negatively. The scientists watched the medium Eva at the French Faculty of Science during 15 seances, and only saw an attempt at vomiting and then swallowing some inert substance. Mme. Bisson, the French spiritualist, had insisted that she watched Mme. Eva and saw repeatedly some living or moving substance emanate from the mouth, hands, and other parts of her body, gradually taking on the form of human limbs or faces, and subsequently shrink and vanish. This alleged substance is what spiritualists call "ectoplasm." Dr. Louis Lapicquc, Professor of Physiology of the Faculty.of Science and head of the Laboratory of General Physiology at the Sorbonne; Dr. Georges Dumas, Professor of Experimental Physiology and Pathology; Dr. Henri Pieron, Professor of Physiological Physoiogy; and Dr. Laugicr, of the Faculty of Science, agreed to make tests of Eva. They held their sittings in a dark room specially prepared on Indications from Mme. Bisson. On several occasions, they state in

Iheir signed report, Eva went into that stale of trance which, according to Mme. Bisson, precedes the emission of ectoplasm. Mme. Eva appeared to be in considerable pain, her breathing became hurried, and there was a muscular contraction and deep groaning. Only twice, though, did anything appear. On the first occasion a disclike shape came out of Eva's mouth, and under a flash-lamp appeared thin and firm, surrounded by some softer substance hanging in threads and covered with mucus. This projected about 2.2-5 inches in length and 1 1-5 inches across. The substance, being held tightly between the lips, moved with the mouth. It, was withdrawn into the mouth, reappeared for a second, and then disappeared. There was a movement of the mouth as if tbc medium was masticating and moving something with her tongue, and the substance was swallowed. A condition of the experiment was that the ectoplasm was not to be seized. On the second occasion the substance looked like indiarubber.