PSYCHOMETRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY Detecting fraud

Buchanan who first discovered and wrote about psychometry also prodeced a monthly Journal of Man which I have obtained an ecopy of for the years 1852 to 1855. The whole journal is a treasure chest of information which gives an idea of the broad range of interests so many people looked at. It contains a lot of reports on early Spiritualist Activity, Faraday's experiments and even the military might of Russia lol. It also covers in great depth Phrenology one of Buchanans other major interests.
The following article is great fun about Psychometry
PSYCHOMETRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY.
BUCHANANS JOURNAL OF MAN PAGE 55
Feb 1855

PSYCHOMETRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

The success of Mr. Fontayne of this city, in making perfect photo­graphic counterfeits of bank bills, and the difficulty of detecting such counterfeits, led me to suggest the applicability of psychometry as one of the methods of detection. A chemical test, however, is much the cheapest and most available method of detecting such counterfeits. A Iittle corrosive sublimate in solution, applied to the face of the photo­graph, immediately bleaches it. The danger in such counterfeits lies in the fact that they are so well executed no one would be at all suspi­cions, and might circulate till worn out without exciting distrust.
To test the applicability of psychometry, I obtained from Mr. Fontayne. a genuine bill of a Wheeling bank, and a photographic copy' of the same, from which I obtained psychometric impressions, as follows:
The genuine bill being folded up so as to present the signature of the President, Mr. G., this was applied upon the forehead of the psychometer! and yielded the following impressions:
First impression-intense excitement of the perceptive organs - of the intellect - considerable excitability and anxiety - probably a person somewhat harrassed and overtasked with the details of business-a good deal of care on the mind - a person of active industry and perseverance - a great deal of resolntion - rather an ardent, impulsive nature, and rather powerful energy. I do not recognise any definite trait as to the moral and social character, the excitement is altogether intellectual and ener­getic. The concentration of excitement is in the region of anxiety and watchfulness. There is no strong excitement of the violent passions. I do not observe any dishonest feelings or any strong moral sentiments.
This is probably a fair sketch of the impression left by the writer, and corresponds to the appearance of his signature, according to the princi­ples of chirognomy.
The photographic copy of the same bill was then tried, the signature, as before, being placed upon the forehead of the psychometer. The same effort was made to catch the mental impression as before, but nothing distinct was discovered. A faint trace of the previous impres­sions still remained upon his mind, but nothing additional could be per­eceived, all was inactive, faint, and shadowy, showing that no impression was really imparted.
A less accurate psychometer, of sprightly imagination, might easily have been deceived in this experiment, and taken his own current of thought for a psychometric impression of the photograph.
The nature of the foregoing experiment was of course carefully con­cealed from the psychometer, as it is necessary, to give an accurate im pression, that he should not be influencedby previous knowledge of the subject of his examination. ~