Item 74 - Letter from Sidney Colvin to Henry Sidgwick

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Refers to a conversation between the two that evening, during which was discussed the subject of '[mediumistic] performances'. Discusses the subject at length, in general and specifically with regard to its employment in police investigations. Refers to his conflict of opinion with Sidgwick on the subject, and to the latter's support of 'a grotesque and mischievous doctrine which professes to prove, by experiments practically assuming the point at issue, certain conjectures of the class long dominant concerning the nature of spirit and matter and their relation.' Concludes by saying that he believes that Sidgwick - for whose intellect he had had the most respect until that time - is 'countenancing a pack of confused and pestilent nonsense...', but hopes that their friendship will not suffer because of this disagreement.