3'JO ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



K 



by any mode of microscopic inspection. Dr. Schmidt had constructed tables 

 of the relative si/e of the " dried blood globule in man and many animals." 

 Dr. Woodward thought too much stress had been laid upon these measure- 

 ments, and conceived that a question which it was very difficult to answer 

 in regard to fresh blood, must become almost unanswerable with dried blood. 

 He had himself been examined in a case where those concerned evidently 

 expected that the microscope would enable him to say of the specimen of 

 dried blood, this is the blood of man, or of this or that mammal. He had 

 found himself unable to decide, and had stated as his fixed opinion, that no 

 examination by the microscope of the blood globules, fresh or dried and re- 

 moistened, would enable any one to swear as to the source of the specimen. 

 He mentioned this, because in Philadelphia and elsewhere other opinions are 

 held and taught by many medical men. 



Dr. Lcidy stated his opinion to be the same as that held by Dr. Woodward. 

 He would feel it to be very unsafe to declare positively to what particular 

 animal certain corpuscles belonged. He alluded also to cases where, when, 

 judicially examined, he had been obliged to correct erroneous opinions simi- 

 lar to those spoken of by Dr. Woodward. 



Dr. Hammond agreed entirely with the opinions held by these gentlemen. 



Dr. Hartshorne stated that he had come to the same conclusion as to the; 

 impossibility of deciding positively as to the source of blood-stains, with or 

 without the use of the microscope. 



Dr. Hammond declared that in only one class of cases did he believe that 

 the microscope could be of any service; it would enable the physician to 

 pronounce with confidence that certain stains did not come from the blood 

 of a human being when the corpuscles contained therein were oval or 

 nucleated. 



Dr. Atlee stated that he had never observed any white corpuscles in speci- 

 mens of dried blood. Drs. Leidy and Hammond added the remark, that, as 

 far as their recollection served, they had not observed Uiem. 



Dr. Woodward declared that he had seen them very distinctly after six 

 months had elapsed, when blood had been dried rapidly on a slide. 



This difference of opinion was attributed by Dr. Morris to not using oblique 

 lights, by which these bodies are much more readily distinguished. 



RACES OF NORTHERN AFRICA (MEN WITH TAILS). 



At a recent meeting of the Boston Society of Natural History, Dr. Bod- 

 ichon, a French naturalist, residing in Algeria, gave an account of the vari- 

 ous races of men occupying Algeria, from personal observations. 



There are two white races; one, living in the moitntains, the Mauritanians, 

 Xumidians, or Berbers; and the Asiatics, or Arabs, 1. Also called Kabyles, 

 living in the mountains, small in stature, warlike, democratic, dwelling in 

 villages resembling the Swiss, planting trees, enjoying plentiful harvests, 

 fruits, etc. ; very independent and noble in their sentiments. They have no 

 judges, often settling their disptues by an appeal to the first person who 

 passes by; though polygamous, they prefer a single wife; they are fine 

 soldiers, and are not afraid of European troops. He considers these as an 

 indigenous race, and the same as the brown inhabitants of Southern Europe. 

 2. The Arabs, a tall, brown race, excellent horsemen, nomadic, possessing 

 no permanent villages; they are very fond of fighting, and pass at least 

 half their time in war; they have a strong religious sentiment, and arc very 



