The recent use of aniline blue in connection with spirit manifestations has been warmly received by the opponents of Spiritualism. A spirit that had emerged from the usual cabinet where the medium lay entranced was rudely sprinkled with aniline blue by a wicked skeptic. The spirit retreated to the cabinet, and on investigation it was found that the medium's cheek was dyed a deep blue.
From this coincidence the opponents of Spiritualism are now joyfully arguing that the alleged spirit was not a spirit at all, but only the medium disguised; and it is claimed that no medium will hereafter try to personate a spirit through fear that he will be dyed blue and his dishonesty thereby exposed.
It will, of course, be asserted by earnest Spiritualists that the mere fact that the medium was found with his cheek dyed proves nothing. As is well known, a spirit, in order to be visible, must clothe itself with material particles taken from the body of the medium, which particles are returned to their owner when the show--that is to say the manifestation--is over.
If a spirit meets with an accident while wearing the medium's body, and the body is thereby stained with blue or any other color, it is not the spirit's business to wash it before returning it. All bodies borrowed by spirits are at the risk of their owners, and the latter must expect that some little wear and tear will happen, especially in cases where a spirit finds a body a tight fit and bursts it out under the arms or across the back.
Still, it must be confessed that this argument will have little effect upon unbelievers, who will continue to maintain that if a medium shows the mark of aniline blue that has been sprinkled on an alleged spirit he is an impostor. This conviction cannot be removed by anything the Spiritualists can say, and mediums who are wise will take measures to avoid any possible future complications with aniline blue.
This can readily be done by permitting only blue spirits to materialize. We know on the authority of SHAKESPEARE that there are blue spirits, and it is plain that aniline blue would make no mark on them. Of course in order to provide blue spirits with a temporary blue body it would be necessary for the medium to paint himself blue. Were he to do this, and to exhibit only blue ghosts, the malice of the sprinklers of aniline blue would be brought to naught.
In case, however, any attempt should be made to dye blue spirits black or yellow it would be well for every spirit to carry a damp sponge in its pocket and to wipe away any coloring matter that wicked men might throw at it.
