I am, sir, yours faithfully, CAMILLE FLAMMARION, 10, Rue des Moineaux (Palais Royal). Paris, May 8, 1870. The foregoing resume of the labors of the Dialectical Society of London shows once more that mediumistic phenomena long ago entered upon the road of scientific experiment. It would seem as if only the wilfully blind could henceforth deny their allegiance. The results of the studies described also form an answer to the question frequently asked, whether one can undertake similar experiments without knowing a true medium. I reply that, in any meeting of a dozen persons, there will always be one or more mediums. This was proved by the seances of the Count de Gasparin. The English report also contains (May 25, 1869) a communication from the electrician, Cromwell Varley, declaring that mediumistic phenomena could not be discredited by any observer of good faith, and that, to him, the hypothesis of disembodied spirits is the one that best explains them--just plain, common spirits (as a general thing), like the majority of the citizens of our planet. The scientific experiments of the Dialectical Society's committee were continued by the "Society for Psychical Research," founded in 1882, the successive presidents of which were Professor Sidgwick, Professor Balfour Stewart, Professor Sidgwick for a second time, Professor William James, Sir William Crookes, Frederick Myers, Sir Oliver Lodge, Professor Richet--all eminent in the departments of science and education. Let me mention here the splendid work of Dr. Hodgson and of Professor Hyslop in the American branch of this society. The experiments were continued, in a masterly way, by the celebrated chemist, Sir William Crookes, and yielded him the most wondrous results. My readers will presently realize this. CHAPTER IX THE EXPERIMENTS OF SIR WILLIAM CROOKES The learned chemist, Sir William Crookes, member of the Royal Society of London, the author of several discoveries of the first rank (among which should be placed the discovery, in 1861, of the metal, thallium), and of ingenious experiments on "radiant matter," published his first researches on the subject we are here considering in a review of which he was the editor--the _Quarterly Journal of Science_. I had the honor of contributing certain astronomical papers to this journal.[62] I will first lay before my readers an extract from Mr. Crookes's article of the 1st of July, 1871, entitled "Experimental Investigation of a New Force," in which he describes his studies with Home. I also had occasion myself more than once to hold conversation with this medium.[63]