O Livro dos Médiuns — Part II, ch. XI — Sematology and typtology

139Language of Signs and Rappings. — Alphabetic Typtology
The first intelligent manifestations were obtained by rappings, or typtology. This primitive means, which came in the infancy of the art, offered but very limited resources, and with it communications were confined to monosyllabic answers, Yes or No, by the aid of a designated number of raps. It was afterward perfected, as we have said.
The rappings were obtained in two ways, by special mediums; and a certain aptitude for physical manifestations was usually necessary for this mode of operation. The first, which might be called swinging typtology\ consists in the movements of the table, which raises itself on one side, then falls, striking its foot. For this, it is sufficient for the medium to rest the hands on the edge of the table: if he wishes to converse with any special spirit, he must make an invocation; in a contrary case, it is the first comer who is presented, or he who is in the habit of coming.
Having agreed, for instance, one rap for Yes, and two for No, — this is indifferent, — the questions they wish to ask are addressed to the spirit. We shall see, later, those from which it is proper to abstain. The difference is in the brevity of the responses, and the difficulty in so formulating the question that it may be answered by Yes or No. Suppose we ask the spirit, "What do you want?" He can answer only by one phrase; so we must say, "Do you want some thing?" "No." "Some other?" "Yes;" — and so on.

140It is to be remarked that, in the use of this means, the spirit often joins a kind of pantomime, that is, he expresses the energy of his affirmation, or negation, by the force of the raps. He also expresses the nature of the sentiments that animate him, — violence, by the rudeness of his movements; anger and impatience, in striking reiterated blows with force, as a person strikes with the foot with rage, sometimes throwing the table to the ground. If he is kind and polite, at the beginning and end of the sitting he inclines the table in salutation; if he desires to address himself to one person in the circle, he inclines the table toward him with gentleness or violence, according as he desires to express affection or antipathy. This is, properly speaking, sematology, or the language of signs, as typtology is the language of rappings.
The following is a remarkable example of the spontaneous employment of sematology: A gentleman of our acquaintance was in his parlor one day, where several persons were engaged with manifestations, when he received a"letter from us. While he was reading it, the stand which served for experimenting suddenly came toward him. Having finished reading the letter, he went to put it on a table at the other end of the room; the stand followed him, and inclined itself toward the table on which he had laid the letter. Surprised at this coincidence, he thought there must be some relation between this movement and the letter. He interrogated the spirit, who answered that he was our familiar spirit. This gentleman having informed us of the circumstance, we, in our turn, asked the spirit to tell us the motive of the visit he had made; he answered," It is natural that I should go to see persons with whom you are in relation, in order to be able, at need, to give you, as well as them, the necessary warnings."
It is thus evident that the spirit had wished to call his attention, and had sought an occasion to let him know that he was there. A dumb person could not have done better.

141Typtology was not slow in being perfected and enriched with a more complete means of communication— that of alphabetic typtology. It consists in designating the letters of the alphabet by means of raps; words, phrases, and even whole discourses, could thus be obtained. Following a rule, the table rapped a certain number of times to indicate each letter; that is, one for a, two for b, &c.: during this time, a person writes the letters as they are designated. When the spirit has finished, he lets them know it by some sign agreed upon.
This mode of proceeding, as may be seen, is very long, and requires an enormous time for communications of any length; yet there are persons who have had the patience to use it for the dictation of several pages; but practice brought about the discovery of abbreviative means, which allowed greater rapidity. The one most in use consists in having an alphabet written out, also a series of figures, marking the units; while the medium is at the table another person goes successively through the alphabet, if a word is in question, or of the figures, if a number; the necessary letter reached, the table raps of itself, and the person writes the letter; then begins again, for the second, the third, and so on. If a letter has been mistaken, the spirit warns by several raps, or by a movement of the table, and they begin again. With practice it is quite rapid, but it is much abridged by divining the end of the word begun, which is known by the sense of the phrase: if there is any uncertainty, the spirit is asked if he meant such or such a word, and he answers Yes, or No.

142All the above-mentioned effects can be obtained in a still more simple manner, by raps in the very wood itself of the table, without any movement, and which we have described in the chapter on Physical Manifestations, No. 64.
This is interior typtology. All mediums are not equally suited to this last mode of communication; for there are many who obtain only rappings by swinging; yet, with practice, most of them may attain it, and this manner has the double advantage of being more rapid, and less open to suspicion, than the other, which may be attributed to voluntary pressure. It is true that the inward raps could be imitated by an insincere medium. The best things can be counterfeited, which proves nothing against them. (See, at the end of volume, chapter entitled Frauds and Deceptions) However perfected this method may become, it can never attain the rapidity and facility of writing, and it is now very little employed; yet it is sometimes very interesting as a phenomenon, principally for novices, and it has the advantage of proving, in a peremptory manner, its absolute independence of the medium's thought. In this way answers have been obtained so unforeseen, so strikingly to the purpose, that it must be a person very obstinate in his opinion not to yield to the evidence: thus it is for many persons a powerful means of conviction. But no more by this means than by any other do the spirits like to lend themselves to the caprices of those who desire to put them to the proof by misplaced questions.

143In order the better to assure its independence of the medium's thought, various instruments have been devised, consisting of dials on which letters are traced, in the manner of the dials of the electric telegraph. A needle, moved by the influence of the medium, by the aid of a conducting thread and a pulley, indicates the letters. As we know these instruments only by drawings and descriptions published in America, we cannot pronounce upon their merit; but we think their very complication would be an inconvenience; that the independence from the medium's thought is quite as well attested by the inward raps, and still more by the unforeseen nature of the responses, than by all the material means. On the other side, the skeptical, who are always disposed to see everywhere snares and preparations, are much more apt to suppose them in a special mechanism than in taking the first table at hand, deprived of all accessories.
144. A more simple machinery, but which insincerity might easily abuse, as we shall see in the chapter on Frauds, is one we shall describe under the name of Table Girardin, in memory of the use Madame Emile de Girardin made of it in the many communications she obtained as medium; for Madame de Girardin, intellectual as she was, had the weakness to believe in spirits and their manifestations. This instrument consists of an upper movable stand, of from thirty to forty centimetres in diameter, turning freely and easily on its axis, in the manner of a roulette. On the surface, and at the circumference, are traced, as on a dial, letters, figures, and the words yes and no. In the centre is a fixed needle.
The medium resting his fingers on the edge of the table, this turns and stops when the desired letter is under the needle. Notice is taken of the letters indicated, and thus words and phrases are rapidly formed. It must be remarked that the table does not slide under the fingers, but the fingers, remaining on it, follow the movements of the table. Perhaps a powerful medium might obtain an independent movement; we think it possible, but have never witnessed it. If the experiment could be made in this way, it would be infinitely more conclusive, because it would remove a possibility of deceit.
145. It remains now for us to destroy a somewhat widely-spread error, which consists in confounding all spirits that communicate by raps, with rapping spirits. Typtology is a means of communicating, like any other, and not more unworthy of elevated spirits than writing or speaking. All spirits, good or bad, may use it, the same as the other methods. It is the elevation of the thoughts that characterizes superior spirits, and not the instrument they use to transmit them; doubtless they prefer the most convenient, and, above all, the most rapid means, but, in default of pencil and paper, they do not disdain to use the ordinary talking table; and the proof is, that some of the most sublime things have been obtained in this way. We ourselves do not use it; not that we despise it, but simply because, as a phenomenon, it has taught us all we can know; it can add nothing to our convictions, and the extent of the communications we receive requires a rapidity incompatible with typtology.
Thus all spirits who rap are not rapping spirits; the name should be reserved for those who may be called rappers by profession, and who, by the aid of this means, are pleased in amusing a circle, or vexing them by their importunity. On their part, spiritual things may sometimes be received, but never anything very profound; it would be a waste of time to ask them any scientific or philosophic questions; their ignorance and inferiority have justly won for them the title given to them by other spirits — that of the clowns or mountebanks of the world of spirits. Let us add, that, while they very often act on their own account, they are also often used by superior spirits, when these desire to produce material effects.