Philip Lucas to Faraday   1 August 1853¹

Sir

Among the innumerable letters that you have doubtless received about table turning, the following plan of testing its truth may not have been suggested to you.

On the axis of the table above the legs, let another table rotate which shall extend about eighteen inches beyond the upper and placed at a sufficient distance from the top to enable the experimenters to stand upon it so as to place their fingers on the first table: it is evident that any movement of an involuntary or voluntary nature, will cause the lower table to rotate as it forms a portion of the upper whereas if it rotates from other causes, independent of other material, the whole will revolve. I annex a small drawing to delineate my meaning

and remain | Your obedient Servant | Philip Lucas Junr

Mr Bailey’s² | Dr White’s Grove | Hampstead | 1 Aug 1853