ge, who was then
Professor of Physics in University College, Liverpool. He accepted the
invitation, and subsequently gave "An Account of Some Experiments in
Thought-Transference" to the Society for Psychical Research, of which he
was already an unofficial member, and which account is published in the
Society's _Proceedings_.

The Report commences with a tribute, "since it bears on the questions of
responsibility and genuineness," to the important position Mr. Guthrie
held in Liverpool, as an active member of the governing bodies of
several public institutions, including the University College. Sir
Oliver Lodge then says:--

"After Mr. Guthrie had laboriously carried out a long series of
experiments ... he set about endeavouring to convince such students of
science as he could lay his hands upon in Liverpool; and with this
object he appealed to me, among others, to come and witness, and within
limits modify, the experiments in such a way as would satisfy me of
their genuineness and perfect good faith. Yielding to his entreaty, I
consented, and have been, I suppose, at some dozen sittings, at first
simply looking on so as to grasp the phenomena, but afterwards taking
charge of the experiments.... In this way I had every opportunity of
examining and varying the minute conditions of the phenomena, so as to
satisfy myself of their genuine and objective character, in the same
way as one is accustomed to satisfy oneself as to the truth and
genuineness of any ordinary physical fact.

"I did not feel at liberty to modify the experiments very largely, in
other words to try essentially new ones.... I only regarded it as my
business to satisfy myself as to the genuineness and authenticity of the
phenomena already described by Mr. Guthrie. If I had merely witnessed
facts as a passive spectator I should most certainly not publicly report
upon them. So long as one is bound to accept imposed conditions and
merely witness what goes on, I have no confidence in my own penetration,
and am perfectly sure that a conjurer could impose upon me, possibly
even to the extent of making me think that he was not imposing on me;
but when one has the control of the circumstances, can change them at
will, and arrange one's own experiments, one gradually acquires a belief
in the phenomena observed quite comparable to that induced by the
repetition of ordinary physical experiments."

Sir Oliver Lodge then describes in detail the method of procedure,