John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh.

  • Robert Strutt, 4th Baron Rayleigh
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of our Proceedings. I fancy that he was disappointed with the reception that his views met with, having been sanguine enough to expect that he would obtain the same credence when he wrote on psychical matters as when he was dealing with Physics or Chemistry. In later years I understand he did not often introduce the subject, but when questioned was firm that he had nothing to retract. One would give much to know whether this attitude is still maintained. Any hesitation that I may have felt in undertaking the honourable office to which you have called me was largely due to the fact that I have no definite conclusions to announce, and that such experi¬ ences as I have had were long ago, and can hardly now carry weight as evidence to anyone but myself. But I have always taken an interest in questions such as those considered by the Society, and I may perhaps as well give a short account of what I have seen, for it will at any rate help to explain my attitude and serve as a founda¬ tion for comment. I may begin with what is now called hypnotism. This is an old story ; but many have forgotten, or never realized, the disbelief which was general in the ’fifties of the last century both on the part of the public and of medical men. As to the former, reference may be made to Punch,1 and as to the latter I suppose there can be no doubt, although of course there were distinguished exceptions. At the present day orthodox medical opinion has so far shifted its ground as to claim for the profession control of what was formerly dismissed as impossible and absurd—certainly a less unreasonable position. It was some ten or eleven years from the date of Punch's cartoon that I witnessed in a friend’s rooms at Cambridge an exhibition of the powers of Madame Card. I think eight or ten of us were tried, including myself. We were made to gaze for a time at a “ magnetic ” disc ; afterwards she made passes over our closed eyes, and finally defied us to open them. I and some others experi¬ enced no difficulty ; and naturally she discarded us and developed her powers over those—about half the sitters—who had failed or found difficulty. Among the latter were personal friends of my own and two well-known University athletes. One was told that he could not give his name, another that he would have to cross 1 Vol. XXIV, p. 120 (1853). Lecturer on Electro-biology : “Now, Sir ! you can’t jump over that stick.” Subject: “ Jump ? Eh ! Ugh ! Lor bless me, jump ? No, I know I can’t—never could jump—Ugh ! ” (Thunders of applause from the gentlemen in the cane-bottom chairs —[i.e. believers].)