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 NEW YORK: 
 
 FUlSySHED BY JAMES G.CrEEG0EY, 
 5 4 Br oadway. 
 
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SPECTROPIA 
 
 OR, 
 
 SURPRISING SPECTRAL TLLrsTOXS. 
 
 GHOSTS EVEEYWHEEE, 
 
 AXD OF AXY COLOITB. 
 
 WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 PFBLISIIED BY JAMES G. G Pt E G O R Y, 
 
 Xo. 540 BROADWAY. 
 
 M.DCCCI.XIV. 
 





oeig£ 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 TnK t'olluwiiii!: Uliisidiif; are foniided on two well-known facts; namely, the 
 j)ersisteiicy of inij)ressions, and the production of coniplenientary eoloui-s on, tlie 
 retina. 
 
 The explanations arc divided into two parts. The first cniisists nf 
 directions for seeing the si>ectres. The skcond, a Itricf and popular, as well 
 as a scientific, description of the manner iu which the spectres are produced. 
 and is intended fur the use of those who may wish to know more of this 
 Kuhject than is contained in flie first Pai't. 
 
 .\s an aj)olojry for the api)arcnt disregard of taste and fine r.rt in the 
 plates, such figures ai-e selected as best serve the purpose fur which they are 
 intended. 
 


DIRECTIONS, 
 
 '[	 .-eft t'lc spectres, it, is only uecessaiT to look s/eadUy at tin- ilot, or asterisk, wliieh is to be found 
 oil each of tiie plates, lor about n quarter of a iniiinte, or wliile eouiiting' about twenty, the plate beiiiir 
 well illuiuiuated Ity either artiticial or day light. Then tnniiiig the eyes to the ceiling, the wal^ 
 the .sky, or beiter still to a white sheet hung ou the wall of a darkened room (not totally dark), and 
 l.)oking rather steadily at any one point, the spectre will soon beghi to make its appearance, increasiiiL'' 
 in intensity, and th"ii gradually ranishing, to re-appear and again vani.^h ; it will continue to lio 
 .so several times in succession, t.ich reappearance being fainter than the one preceding. Winking 
 the eyes, or passing a linger rapidly to and fro before them, will frequently ha.«ten the appearance 
 of the .spectre, especially if the plate has been .<trongly illuminated. 
 
 Tiio.se wlio use gasligl.t will find it convenient, after having looked at tli!' plat* as above 
 described, to extemporise a darkened room liy having tlie gaslight turned low. 
 
 The size of the spectres will he determined by tlie distance of the olxservers from the plate, 
 and from the surface against which t'.iey are .«een ; being larger tlie neare'' the plate, and smaller 
 the nearer tl e surface ; so that short-sighted jtersons will see tliein )urgi-r tiian long-sighted, if 
 both are equidistant from the surface against which tliej' are seen. 
 
 Should any one net be able to see the spectre's features, the reason will be, cither that the 
 eyes have been allowed to wander, or the head to move, while looking at the jilate. 
 
 Many persons will see some one coloured .-.)ieciie better than the ociiers in consequence of 
 their eyes not being equally sensitive to all colours. 
 
 The colours in the plate will lie found to revi-rse themselves in tlie sjiectrcs, as explained 
 elsewhere, the spectres always appearing of the toniplementary colouv to that <jf the plate from 
 which it is obtained. Thus, blue will ajipear orange, and orange blue, &c. 
 


LIST or THE PLATES. 
 
 n.ATE I. 
 
 I'liiti wiiii.'1'il Hgiire of Victory will give a wliite speitre by artificial light (rather green by daylight), the red 
 wreaths green, the green roses red, and tlie orange stars bine. 
 
 PLATE II. 
 Tiiis orange fignre will give a bine spectre. 
 
 PLATE III. 
 This green fignre will give a red spectre. 
 
 PLATE IV. 
 And this yellow figure of Victory will give a pnrple spectre. 
 
 PLATE V. 
 This black skeleton will make a white spectre. 
 
 PLATE VI. 
 This black fignre will give a white sjjtctre. 
 
 PLATE VII. 
 And this blue figure an orange si)ectre. 
 
 PLATE VIII. 
 And this red figure will give a green spectre. 
 


PLATE IX. 
 Tlieso fifrnres will give green and yellow spectre*. 
 
 PLATE X. 
 Tlii* purple hand will give a vellow spectre. 
 
 PLATE XL 
 This skeleton will also give a white sjict-tre, witli a vellow mantle. 
 
 PLATE XIL 
 Tliis will give a dark spectre. 
 
 PLATE XIIL 
 This Cii|)id will give a rose-coloured spectre, with how and arrow yellow. 
 
 PLATE XIV. 
 This figure and liroom will give a yellow spectre, cloak and hat red, and moon white. 
 
 PLATE XV. 
 
 This is a rainliow with colours reversed, the spectre of which will he found a good resemblance ot 
 
 nature, especially when seen on a cloudy sky. 
 
 PLATE XVI. 
 The face of this figure will come out green in the spectre, the garment red, and the clofld white. 
 
 The colours of the specti-es ))roduced hy these figiires wiU not only he subject to a slight variation in 
 different eyes, hut also by the degree in which the plates are illuminated while being looked at. 
 
 All the sjiectres will appear life-sized if the observer is about si.xteeu feet from the surface against which 
 they are seen. If much further, they will apjiear colossal. 
 


POPULAR AND SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION. 
 
 It is a curious fact that, iu this age of scientific research, the absurd follies of spiritualism should 
 find an increase of supporters ; bnt mental epidemics seem at certain seasons to affect our minds, 
 and one of the oldest of these moral afflictions — witchcraft — is once more prevalent in this 
 nineteenth century, under the contemptible forms of spirit-rapping and table-turning. The modern 
 professor of these impostures, like his predecessors in all such disreputable arts, is bent only on 
 raising the contents of the pockets of the most gullible portion of humanity, and not the spirits of 
 the departed, over whicii, as he well knows, notwithstanding his profane afisuraption, he can have 
 no power. 
 
 One thing we hope in some measure to further in the following pages, is the extinction of the 
 superstitious belief that apparitions are actual spirits, by showing some of the many ways in which 
 our senses may be deceived, and that, in fact, no so-called ghost has ever appeared, witiiout its being 
 referable either to mental or physiological deception, or, in those instances where several persons have 
 seen a spectre at the same time, to natural objects, as in the case mentioned by Dr. Abercrombie, in 
 his work on " The Intellectual Powers : " — " A whole ship's company were thrown into the utmost 
 fonsfernation, by the apparition of a c<x)k who had died a few days before. He was distinctly seen 
 walking ahead of the ship, with a peculiar gait, by which he was distinguished when alive, from 
 having one of his legs shorter than the other. On steering the ship toward the object, it was found 
 to be a piece of floating wreck." 
 
 A ghost, according to the general descriptions of those who fancy they have been favoured 
 with a sight of one, apjjears to I)e of a pale phosphorescent white, or bluisli white colour ; usually 
 indistinct, and so transparent that objects are easily seen through it. When moving it glides in a 
 peculiar manner, the legs not being necessary to its locomotion. 
 
 All the senses are more or le.ss subject to deception, but the eye Ls pre-eminently so ; especially 
 in the case of individuals who are in ill health, because the sensibility of the retina is then generally 
 much exalted, as is also the imagination. 
 


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 We may divide the illusions to which the sense of sight is liable into I'uur kiuds. Firet, 
 iiieutal, or those arising in the brain itself, and only referred to the eye. Second, those produced 
 by the structure of the eye. Third, those arising from the impressions of outward objects on the 
 retina. Fourth, those produced by various combinations of the foregoing. It is only the second 
 and third we .shall have occasion to touch upon. But before we can well imderstand their nature, 
 it will be necessary to get a slight knowledge of the structure of the eye, and some idea respecting 
 tlie nature of light. 
 
 With perhaps the exception of the ear, the eye is the most wonderful example of the in6nite 
 skill of the Creator. A more exquisite piece of mechanism it is impossible for the human mind 
 
 to conceive. The annexed diagram (Fig. 1) of- a horizontal 
 section of this organ will give a better idea of its general 
 structure than whole pages of letter-press. It will be seen to 
 consist of a globe of three envelopes or coats, which are kept 
 distended by three transparent humours or lenses : the aqueous 
 (e), the crystaline (/ ), and the vitreous (g). Tlie outer coat (a) is 
 dense, white, and fibrous. In front of the eye it gives place to a 
 perfectly transparent one, called the cornea (d). The next coat, 
 the choroid (b), is vascular, very black on its internal surface, iu 
 order that light falling on it through the ijujjil (A) may not be 
 reflected. The pupil is an opening through a diaphragm which is called the iris (J), from its colour 
 varying in different individuals. It has the power of expanding and contracting tlie pupil, for the 
 purpose of regulating tlie supply of light to the retina (c), or third and last coat which lies immediately 
 on the choroid. It is transparent, very complex, and the only part of the eye we shall carefully 
 
 consider. The following diagram (Fig. 2) rejjresents a section of it 
 magnified 250 diameters, a is called the limitary membrane, and 
 forms its innermost surface, or that which is next the vitreous 
 humour ; b consists of the layer of oj)tic nerve fibres ; c is a 
 layer of grey nerve cells ; d, two layers in wliioh tiie principal 
 retinal blood-vessels are spread out ; e, two layers of granular 
 matter ; /, Jacob's membrane, or layer of rods and cones. Fig. 3 
 will give some idea of the sujjposcd connexion lictweeu these 
 various parts, the same letters referring to the same parts as 
 in Fig. 2. 
 
 When a ray of light enters the eye, it passes through the humors or lenses, and is formed 
 by them into an image, on the choroid, of the object looked at. The extremities of the rods and cones 
 
 FiK. 1. 
 
 ■OOOOOOQOTQ- 
 
 s 
 
 WMw$ 
 
 im>' 
 
 ^ ^mm^ 
 
 rig. 2. 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 


hiive tlio power uf ini|iivciiitiiig ttie image there formed, ami eoiivey it up through the ultimate parts 
 
 of tlie retiua (Fig. 2), tiieuoe along the optic nerve fibres to tiie brain. We are inclined to regard 
 
 the extremities of the rods and cones as ■iUc true seat of perception, in consequence of observing a 
 
 considerable distance between the retinal blood-vessels and the choroid, whiui performing Parkinje's 
 
 experiment.* This experiment consists in passing a lighted candle slowly to and fro before the eyes, 
 
 at about two or three implies from the nose, when the retinal vessels will exhibit themselves before 
 
 the observer not unlike branching trees. Tliey may be 
 
 seen by daylight, Ijy passing the large teeth of an ordinary 
 
 comb slowly backwards and forwards before the eye 
 
 whilst looking- on a smooth sheet of paper, or upon the 
 
 sky. Fig. 4 represents those of the left eye, as seen by 
 
 candlelight. The sjiot marked k is the exact centre of 
 
 the retina. (Tlie .same letter marks the same spot in 
 
 Fig. 1.) It is the seat of most distinct vision, j is the 
 
 entrance of the optic nerve (Figs. 4 and 1), from the 
 
 centre of wliich the retinal artery will be seen emerging 
 
 and S))readiiig over the entire retina ; but in the diagram 
 
 that part only is represented which could be seen tolerably 
 
 distinct. Tlie background to the artery appears of a pale red, except at the part occui)ied by the 
 
 optic nerve, where it is white. 
 
 After this rai)id glance at so complicated a structure, and Ijearing in mind that some persons 
 can sec its several parts with vastly greater facility than otliei-s, it cannot be a matter of surprise 
 that individuals not aware of these fticts are, now^ and then — 
 especially at night, and wherx carrying a light about — startled 
 by what they fancy an apparition, but which • is in reality 
 nothing more than some part of the structures above con- 
 sidered. A lady assures us that she saw tlie ghost of her 
 husband as she was going downstairs with a lighted candle in 
 
 her hand. The spot k, Fig. 4, when seen against a wall a FIk. 5. 
 
 few feet distant, ajipears about the size of a hnraan head, and wants very little to furnish it with 
 features. Figured paper on tiie wall, and a host of other things, may supply them, or even the 
 retinal artery, which often lends body and limbs. (Pig. 5.) 
 
 Pig. 4. 
 
 *Thi8 distance can easily be perceived by getting an imprcssiiiu on the retina according to the '• l)iiei;liona," 
 page 4, and then, on performing the above experiment, the arterial ramificationa and the central spot will be distinctly 
 psrceived to move over the spectral flgore. 
 


10 
 
 Besides the above meutioued structures, there are otliers wliich may phiy an importaut part 
 iu these illusious, especially the common muscee volantes, so called from their resemblance to 
 
 flying flies. Tliey consist of .cells and filaments, the debris of the 
 structures of the eye, and float about in its humours. That some 
 of them exist very near the retina appears evident from the 
 fact that, on placing the eye close to a gauze wire blind, distinct 
 miniature images of parts of the gauze will Ik- seen in them. 
 (Fig. 6. 
 
 We now pass on to consider some of the leading j)roperties 
 of light. There have been many theories propounded from time 
 to time in order to ex])lain the various phenomena connected with 
 this subject, but only one accords well with all, and that is called 
 the undulatory or vibratory theory, which, from its numerous com- 
 plications, will compel us to coutiae ourselves to a consideration of that part only wliich is necessary to 
 our present use. This theory regards light as the vibrations of au imponderable ether pervading all 
 space, the number of these vibrations varymg in a given time for each of the three primary colours — 
 blue, yellow, and red — the greatest number producing blue, the least red, and an intermediate number 
 yellow, all other colours being produced by the combination of these in various proportions. Any two 
 of the three primary colours mixed together makes the complementary colour to the third, and the third 
 is also complementary to it. Thus, blue and yellow make green, which is the complementary colour 
 to red ; red and blue make purple, complementary to yellow ; yellow and red make orange, 
 complementary to blue. When the three primary colours are mixed together, white is tlie result : 
 so that when a ray of white light falls upon a piece of paper, and all the vibrations are equally 
 reflected, the paper will appear white, and if they are all absorbed, it will ajipear black ; but, if 
 the paper absorbs .*ome and reflects others, it will ajijiear coloured. Thus, if it absorbs those 
 producing red, it will appear green, from the mixture of the vibrations producing blue and yjllow ; 
 and if it absorbs blue and yellow, and reflects red, then it will apjjear red. In this manner any 
 object w^e look at will appear of any particular colom-, according to which vibrations it absorbs 
 and which it reflects. 
 
 The retina is so admirably constructed that it is susceptible of different im])ressions of colour 
 by these different vibrations, except, in the case of a few individuals, who are either blind to all 
 colour, and therefore see everything black or white, and their intermediate shades, or who are blind 
 to only one or two colours. 
 
 "When we look steadily at a red object for a few seconds, that part of the retina on which 
 the image impinges begins to get less sensitive to vibrations producing red, but more sensitive to 
 


11 
 
 those procliiciiig blue mid yellow ; so tiiat ou turning tiic eve iuvay from the red object, and 
 permitting a little white light to enter it, that part of the retina whicii received the red image 
 will, in consequence of its diminished .sensibility to that colour, and its exalted sensibility to blue 
 and yellow, be able to perceive the two latter colours best, and by their mixture will give rise to 
 a green image of the red object. The same thing will be observed with all the other colours ; 
 the secondary image or spectre always a])pearing of the complementary colour to the object from 
 which the impression is obtained. 
 
 The duration ami vividness of these impressions on the retina vary greatly in different 
 individuals, and can be procured fro.u almost any object. A person may, after looking steadily, and 
 as often happens, uiicon.sciously for v short time at printed or painted figures, on paper, porcelain, «S;c., 
 see, on turning tne head in some i ther direetion, a life-sized or colossal spectre (the spectre appears 
 larger the greater the distance of the surface against which it is seen), and tliere can be little 
 doubt but that many of the reputed ghosts originate in tiiis manner. 
 



























































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