Monday, October 26, 2026
Science

Glowing ghoul or chemical tool? The toxic chemistry behind Victorian séances

In November 1857, during a séance in Jersey City, the medium Leah Brown claimed her body produced luminous particles. So intense was the luminosity emanating from her, she recalled in her memoir, that it almost burned her hands. She rinsed her hands under a tap and then pushed them into the damp ear...

Glowing ghoul or chemical tool? The toxic chemistry behind Victorian séances
Image: Phys.org
In November 1857, during a séance in Jersey City, the medium Leah Brown claimed her body produced luminous particles. So intense was the luminosity emanating from her, she recalled in her memoir, that it almost burned her hands. She rinsed her hands under a tap and then pushed them into the damp earth outside.

Originally published at Phys.org

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