dinary surroundings in
order to prevent all suspicion of fraud; she has given sittings in New
York and other places, and has paid a three months' visit to England.

Her education does not appear to have been carried very far. She has
doubtless read much, like all American women, but without method, and
probably very superficially. Her language is commonplace, sometimes even
trivial, but the records do not give me the impression that she is
really trivial-minded; language may be trivial when ideas are not. On
the whole, Mrs Piper's personality is attractive.

The point which naturally interests the man of science, and particularly
the doctor, is the state of health and the morbid heredity of Mrs Piper.
We have very insufficient information about these. I can find no
circumstantial report on this important matter anywhere. Mrs Piper was
rather seriously ill in 1890; a doctor attended her for several
consecutive months; this gentleman was also present at a sitting she
gave on the 4th December of this same year, 1890. It is evident that he
was in a position to study Mrs Piper closely. Dr Hodgson asked him for a
report, which would have been appended to the other documents. But this
doctor had the wisdom of the serpent. He promised, but changed his mind,
and absolutely refused to furnish any report whatever. Dr Hodgson asked
the subject a series of questions with the object of ascertaining the
state of health of her immediate ancestors, particularly from the
neuropathic point of view. She belongs to a family which appears to have
been very healthy and not in any way subject to nervous maladies.

Mrs Piper's own general state of health is even more interesting to our
inquiry than that of her ancestors, since most doctors persist in seeing
in mediumship a neurosis, sister or cousin to hysteria or epilepsy.

It is undeniable that many mediums present some physiological
peculiarity or other. Eusapia Paladino, for example, has a depression of
the left parietal bone. But, on the other hand, Mlle. Smith of Geneva,
who has been studied by Professor Flournoy, seems to enjoy health as
good as anybody's--even flourishing health. Perhaps, if a thorough
search were made, some defect might be discovered, but the person who
should not betray some inherited peculiarity probably could not be
found.

As far as Mrs Piper is concerned, she seems to have enjoyed
irreproachable health till towards 1882 or 1883. The exact date is not
stated.