Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Walter John Kilner

Walter John Kilner, M.D. B.A., M.B. (Cantab.) M.R.C.P., etc. (1847–1920) was a medical electrician at St. Thomas Hospital, London. There, from 1879 to 1893, he was in accusation of electrotherapy. He was aswell in artful medical practice, in Ladbroke Grove, London.

He wrote affirmation on a abuttals of accommodation but is today best remembered for his astern absorption The Human Atmosphere. In 1883 he became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians. In his added time he was a afraid chess player.

The Human Atmosphere

In 1911 Kilner appear one of the aboriginal western medical studies of the "Human Atmosphere" or Aura, proposing its existence, attributes and accessible use in medical analysis and prognosis. In its confidence that the animal action acreage is an indicator of bloom and mood, Kilner's abstraction resembles the after plan of Harold Saxton Burr. However, while Burr relied aloft voltmeter readings, Kilner, alive afore the appearance of semiconductor technology, attempted to ad-lib accessories by which the naked eye ability be accomplished to beam "auric" action which, he hypothesised, was apparently ultraviolet radiation, advertence that the phenomena he saw were not afflicted by electromagnets.1

Glass slides or "Kilner Screens"2 absolute alcoholic solutions of abnormally coloured dyes, including a dejected dye alleged "dicyanin" (probably "Dicyanine A"3), were acclimated as filters in "Kilner Goggles"4 which, calm with lights, were captivated to alternation the eyes to apperceive electromagnetic radiation alfresco the accustomed spectrum of arresting light. After getting so trained, one could allocate with the apparatus. Kilner did not acclaim alone examination the accountable through these lenses.

Etheric Double

According to his study, Kilner and his assembly were able, on abounding occasions, to apperceive aureate formations, which he alleged the Etheric Double, the Inner Aura and the Outer Aura,5 extending several inches from patients' naked bodies, and his book gave instructions by which the clairvoyant ability assemble and use agnate goggles.

Arthur E. Powell's

The alone drawbacks to Kilner's adjustment are the absence and toxicity of the chemicals he recommended. Later, Oscar Bagnall6 recommended substituting the dye pinacyanol (dissolved in triethanolamine) but this dye is aswell not simple to obtain. Lindgren7 states that azure dejected and amethyst bottle may be commissioned for the dyes acclimated by Kilner and Bagnall.

Kilner's book was greeted with scepticism as able-bodied as activity but admiring the absorption of Sir Oliver Lodge. In 1920 a revised copy of his book was appear and affably reviewed.8 Kilner's plan was adapted for the heyday of Theosophy and his allegation were congenital into Arthur E. Powell's book "The Etheric Double".9 Powell accurately fabricated bright that Kilner had especially differentiated amid his own plan and the acumen and eastern systems of spiritualism.