The savants of France are vieing with those of Italy in their enthusiasm over the illumining revelations of Psychical Science, and amongst these must be mentioned M. Camille Flammarion, the brilliant astronomer, who, in his entrancing work, "The Unknown and Psychic Problems," published in 1900, cites 180 cases of the spirits of persons at the moment of death having presented themselves to relatives and friends by whom they were recognised. In the preface he says :—

"This work is an endeavour at the Scientific analysis of subjects generally considered foreign to Science, and even as uncertain, fabulous, and more or less imaginary. But I am about to show that these facts exist. I am going to bring the methods of the Science of observation to the establishment and analysis of phenomena generally relegated hitherto to the domain of marvellous or supernatural stories, and to prove that they are produced by unknown forces and belong to an invisible and natural world different from that which strikes our senses. . . Many will exclaim—'What is the good of such researches ? You will find nothing. These are secrets which God has reserved.' It is always thus with people who prefer ignorance to knowledge. With this manner of reasoning and acting we should never have known anything. It is that of those who are not in the habit of thinking for themselves, and who confide to their pretended directors the care of holding their consciences in fetters."