In the next case the percipient was fully entranced It will be observed that she did not claim to be "possessed," but only to be in communication with spirits of the dead.
No. 66. From Dr. O. Vidigal, San Paulo, Brazil.
[A second-hand account of the case, translated from the Revue Spirite, appeared in the Spiritualist newspaper Light for March 21st, 1896. Subsequently Dr. Hodgson investigated the case, and the testimony of the chief witnesses was obtained both orally and in writing. Dr. Vidigal, his wife, Mr. Edward Silva and his daughter were seen and their evidence obtained in June, 1896. The original account, drawn up after Dr. Hodgson's inquiries, and printed in the Journal, S. P. R., for October, 1898, is extremely long. A brief summary of the case is therefore printed here.]
In September, 1893, Dr. Vidigal went to the Emigration Depdt and engaged as a servant a young Spanish girl of ten or twelve years of age, who had arrived in Brazil only a day or two previously. Very soon after her arrival at Dr. Vidigal's house (perhaps on the same evening) she was hypnotised by a visitor, Mr. Edward Silva, at the request of Dona Vidigal's mother, who asked that the girl should try to see what was going on at her hacienda some miles distant. Instead of replying to the questions put to her, however, the girl had visions on her own account z—beautiful sights as she described them. She then professed to get into communication with her own father. Later she gave a message purporting to proceed from Dr. Vidigal's mother, who had died on the 16th June, some three months before the date of the'séance. The message was to the effect that the deceased lady had left a sum of 75 milreis (between,6 3 and £4) in the pocket of a dress which was still hanging in her room. Most of the dead lady's wardrobe had been given away; but two dresses still remained in the room. The room had not, it is believed, been entered since her death; and nothing was known of the existence of