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Mr. H. O. Cook found, in opposition to Dr. W. Heinrich, that liminal tonal stimuli show the intensive variations known as ‘fluctuations of attention’ (thisJournal, October, 1899, pp. 119 ff.). Dr. Heinrich has just published a new investigation upon the subject (De la constance de perception des tons purs a la limite d’audibilitd, in the Bulletin international de l’academie des sciences de Cracovie, Jan., I900, pp. 37 ff. Dr. Heinrich’s result is surprising, in view of the introspective verdict that the tone, heard as tone, fluctuates.

BOSTON, MASS., Feb. 2

Dear Dr. Hall:
In reply to your further letter of Feb. 23rd, I fear that my previous letter, perhaps owing to its brevity, did not sufficiently explain the situation as regards Mrs. Piper. Imperator, communicating through Mrs. Piper’s trance, very soon claimed and assumed the supervision of the trances. I definitely agreed to this supervision. For a number of years prior to this time I practically made such arrangements as I pleased as regards the introduction of fresh persons to sittings with Mrs. Piper.
Imperator stated that it was impossible that the best work could be achieved from their side under such conditions, that Mrs. Piper’s organism regarded as a machine had been “battered and worn,” that it needed much repairing, that the utmost care must be taken as regards the persons introduced on the earthly side, and the persons allowed to use the machine from the so- called spirit side. This Imperator regime began at the latter part of January, I897, and I refer you to section 7 of my report in Part XXXIII of our Proceed- ings, entitled “Recent Changes in Mrs. Piper’s Trance,”
From my own point of view, Mrs. Piper’s organism as a medium of communication from the other side to this represents an extremely delicate machine, which is likely to get out of order unless the utmost care is taken as regards the conditions. This is not realized by the ordinary person; and yet we know well that even in cases which are probably enormously less complex, absolute exclusion is necessary. There are, e. g., machines used in physical experiments which are isolated in such a way that observers are not permitted to even enter the room in which the machine is placed. And yet persons who are completely ignorant of the conditions, both general and special, under which the communications through Mrs. Piper come, actually feel aggrieved that they cannot in succession try their apprentice hands and the apprentice hands of their spirit friends at the working of such a complicated and delicate machine as Mrs. Piper’s organism.

Yours sincerely,

R. HODGSON.