Researches into the Phenomena of Modern Spiritualism

Highly distinguished physicist and chemist. Discovered the element thallium. Elected fellow of the Royal Society in 1863, Royal Gold Medal 1875, Davy Medal 1888, Sir Joseph Copley Medal 1904, knighted in 1897 and the Order of Merit in 1910. Invented the radiometer, developed the Crookes tube, invented the cathode-ray tube, pioneered research into radiation effects, contributed to photography, wireless telegraphy, electricity and spectroscopy. President at different times of the Royal Society, the Chemical Society, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the Society of Chemical Industry, the Society for Psychical Research (from 1896-1899) and the British Association. Founder of the Chemical News, editor of Quarterly Journal of Science.

Preface

- Will Phillips -

WITH A view to supplying the ever-increasing demand for authoritative pronouncements upon the great question covered by the term "Psychic Research", the Two Worlds Publishing Company Limited, has undertaken the reprinting of the fascinating history of the investigations of Mr., now Sir, William Crookes, into the regions tabooed by the bulk of his scientific brethren.

The articles, here quoted, first appeared in the Quarterly Journal of Science, of which Sir William was the able editor; and they have been supplemented by extracts from the speech of the eminent scientist delivered from the chair of the British Association, at its Bristol meeting in 1898, in which speech he declared over again his convictions concerning the value of the results of scientific investigation into what has been known as the realm of the occult.

Some correspondences appearing in the earlier reproductions of the Quarterly articles is withheld from this issue in order that the limit set by the price of the work may not be exceeded. Such deletion is, however, no material loss to the student, as it is, in the main, a repetition of the matter contained in the following pages. The first statements of the scientist were so full, so complete, that, with the diagrams given, they form the clearest and most conclusive answer to any criticism.

The phenomena investigated by Sir William Crookes are so intimately connected with Modern Spiritualism, that his testimony to their truthfulness is a vindication of the claims of the Spiritualists. Whatever may be said by the critic there is no doubt that the events tabulated by the eminent scientist transpired as he recorded them; and whatever the materialist may say, the Spiritualist declares that these undoubted manifestations, with myriads of others of like purport, establish the certainty of the existence of a world of spirits, with whom it is at times, under certain conditions, possible to open communication.

Frank Podmore (5 February 1856 – 14 August 1910) was an English author, founding member of the Fabian Society and psychical researcher.

Most works published by members of the SPR have received negative reviews by the scientific community, however, Podmore was an exception as he gave rationalistic explanations for much of the psychical research that he studied and his books received good reviews in science journals.[4][5] His book Studies in Psychical Research received a positive review in the British Medical Journal which described his debunking of fraudulent mediums as scientific and came to the conclusion the "book is well worth reading, and it is agreeable reading, for the style is generally vigorous and not infrequently brilliant."[6] ( Wiki )