Tongue-tied
Sir: Mr Brian Inglis, like Cousin Alice, is at it again (18 July). He abandons, but not quite, his usual role of publicity agent for the medical demi-monde and takes up the theme of so-called metempsychosis, using his journalistic talents in unearthing spurious evidence from crackpot sources for its existence. I am told that he is a Doctor of Philosophy. If so it is a great pity that he has not learnt to examine the evidence he adduces for his beliefs with a scientific scepticism.
By the way, the spelling of the word for the non-existent phenomenon of xenoglossia is not xenoglossy, but this is a trivial criticism. Neurological, hysterical and Psychotic patients do occasionally utter gibberish containing recognisable words, but I have yet to meet a metempsychotic Patient with the gift of tongues. Perhaps Mr Inglis had this gift, and could recognise, say, Etruscan if he heard it.
1. MacD. Holmes
Le Pozzere, 50020 Panzano in Chianti, Prov. Firenze, Italy
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