ted. Such omissions are confined, indeed, to single sentences or
paragraphs, with only the exception of a somewhat technical discussion
of the Cartesian philosophy in Chapter XVII. It had at first been
intended to omit the whole of Chapter XI., as containing only fanciful
and non-evidential matter; but statements of this kind form an integral
part of the communications, and so, on the whole, it was thought fairer
to retain M. Sage's chapter on the subject, especially as it may be
found of popular interest.

The original appendix has been incorporated, after modifications, in
Chapter XII., since the incident here discussed was in progress as M.
Sage wrote and has since been closed. His conjectures as to its possible
development are naturally omitted. Finally all references to the
_Proceedings_ (or printed reports) of the Society itself have been
carefully verified. In every case the words of the reports themselves
are given in preference to any re-rendering of M. Sage's translations.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface by Sir Oliver Lodge xi

Objects of the Society xix

Chapter I 1

Mrs Piper's mediumship--Is mediumship a neurosis?

Chapter II 7

Dr Richard Hodgson--Description of the trance--Mrs
Piper not a good hypnotic subject.

Chapter III 13

Early trances--Careful first observations by Professor
William James of Harvard University, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Chapter IV 20

The hypothesis of fraud--The hypothesis of
muscle-reading--"Influence."

Chapter V 27

A sitting with Mrs Piper--The hypothesis of
thought-transference--Incidents.

Chapter VI 39

Phinuit--His probable origin--His character--What
he says of himself--His French--His
medical diagnosis--Is he merely a secondary
personality of Mrs Piper?

Chapter VII 52

Miss Hannah Wild's letter--The first text given
by Phinuit--Mrs Blodgett's sitting--Thought-reading
explains the case.

Chapter VIII