ntioned in my notes)
that the seance was commenced by an "invocation" from Mrs. Coleman, who
sat near the curtains. It was in no wise remarkable.

G.S.F.

* * * * *

DR. LEIDY.

The undersigned, a member of The Seybert Commission, appointed by the
University, in company with one or more of the other members, at
different times, from March, 1884, to April, 1887, attended twelve
seances with reputed Spiritualist Mediums. Led to view Spiritualism with
the respect due to its importance, based on the reflection that many of
the most intelligent and honorable of the community had become convinced
of its truth, I undertook the investigation of the subject free from
conscious prejudice, and with a desire to observe with unbiased judgment
the phenomena which might be presented to me in the seances of
Spiritualist Mediums. Of the dozen seances attended in company with
other members of the Commission, five were held with three Slate-writing
Mediums, two with as many Rapping Mediums, and five with four
Materializing Mediums. All the Mediums possessed more or less celebrity
as such among the advocates of Spiritualism. I further attended,
unaccompanied by members of the Commission, three seances, of which one
was held with one of the former Materializing Mediums, and two with
other Rapping Mediums.

The reputed phenomena or manifestations were carefully observed, as far
as circumstances would permit, _i.e._, under the conditions ordinarily
exacted by Mediums.

I have kept a record of my observations of the Spiritualist seances, but
it is unnecessary to relate them here. As the result of my experience
thus far, I must confess that I have witnessed no extraordinary
manifestation, such as we ordinarily hear described as evidence of
communication between this and the Spirit world. On the contrary, all
the exhibitions I have seen have been complete failures in what was
attempted or expected, or they have proved to be deceptions and tricks
of jugglery. Sometimes accompanied by buffoonery, I never saw in them
anything solemn or impressive, and never did they give the slightest
positive information of interest. Having thus far failed to discover
anything in evidence of the truth of Spiritualism, I yet remain ready to
receive such evidence from an honest Medium.

One of the Slate-writing Mediums, with whom we held several seances,
relieved the tedium of waiting for a slate-communication by writing in
p