“Babinet, Royer, and Jobert De Lamballe, all three members of the Institute, particularly distinguished themselves in this struggle between skepticism and supernaturalism, and most assuredly have reaped no laurels.
The famous astronomer had imprudently risked himself on the battlefield of the phenomenon. He had explained scientifically manifestations. But, emboldened by the fond belief among scientists that the new epidemic could not stand close investigation nor outlive the year, he had the still greater imprudence to publish two articles on them.
As M. de Mirville very wittily remarks, if both of the articles had but a poor success in the scientific press, they had, on the other hand, none at all in the daily one.
M. Babinet began by accepting a priori, the rotation and movements of the furniture, which fact he declared to be “hors de doute.” “This rotation”, he said, “being able to manifest itself with a considerable energy, either by a very great speed, or by a strong resistance when it is desired that it should stop.””
H. P. Blavatsky
