Eight Days with the Spiritualists: or, What led me to the subject - What I heard - What I saw - and my Conclusions.
London & Chard: F. Pitman / T. Young, 1872. First Edition. Hardcover. Small slim octavo (7" x 5"). 74pp. Lovely modern half leather binding: Half red calf over marbled paper boards; with decorative rules to edges of leather. Spine has gilt title & rules. An investigation into Spiritualism by James Gillingham (1838-1924). Gillingham began life as an ordinary shoe-maker, but following a chance encounter with a man who had lost an arm began to manufacture prosthetics, and as a "surgical mechanist" designed and produced a variety of custom made prosthetics that were decades ahead of their time. As a result of his work he encountered the phenomena now known as "phantom limbs" - where people still feel as if an absent limb is still present - which caused him to conjecture that there was both a "spiritual and a natural body." He wrote a small work on the subject, which led him into contact with Spiritualists, causing him to first study their claims, and then undertake his own practical "experience and investigation." These are described in this book, along with his conclusions on the subject, which are overall favourable to Spiritualism. Rare. Worldcat appears to locate only two other copies. From the collection of Dr. M. H. Coleman, with his ex-libris seal blind-stamped on the front free endpaper. Page edges lightly browned, slightest age-toming to pages, else a clean VG+ copy. Item #48356
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