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either to coincide in the opinions which will be here put forth, or to 

 suggest some other explanation. Having premised thus much, I will 

 now proceed to the immediate object of this communication. Early 

 in the month of April, 1847, I was asked by Sir Benjamin Brodie, 

 whether it were possible to determine if skin, which had for many 

 years been exposed to the air, were human or not? I replied, I 

 thought it would be possible if any hairs were present. He then 

 spoke of a friend of his, Mr. Albert Way, whose name is so distin- 

 guished in the antiquarian world as one of our first archaeologists, 

 who was desirous of knowing whether certain specimens of skin, 

 stated to have been taken from persons who had committed sacrilege, 

 and which for centuries had been attached to the doors of churches, 

 were unequivocally human. In reply to this, I stated again that if 

 hairs were present, I had no doubt but the discrimination would be 

 comparatively easy. Here the matter dropped, but on the 25th 

 of May, 1847, 1 received the first of a series of five letters on this in- 

 teresting subject, and as no language of mine could better explain 

 the circumstances connected with it, I will take the liberty of reading 

 such parts of these communications as will be necessary for our pre- 

 sent purpose. 



(No. 1.) 



Wonhani Manor, Reigate, 

 May 24, 1847. 

 Sir, 



At the suggestion of my kind friend, Sir Benjamin 

 Brodie, 1 am induced to trouble you with an inquiry, regarding which 

 I shall feel much obliged if you will favour me with an opinion. A 

 tradition exists in Worcester that a man having been caught in the 

 act of committing robbery in the cathedral, was flayed, and his skin 

 nailed upon the doors as a terror to the sacrilegious. The doors have 

 been recently replaced by new ones, but they are still to be seen, and 

 having written to a correspondent at Worcester to ascertain whether 

 this strange tale were still remembered, he has sent me a portion of 

 the skin, which is now only to be found under the iron hinges 

 and clamps of the door. One small portion is enclosed, the inner 

 side of which appears to have received the impression of the grain of 

 the wood of which the door was formed. Would you have the kind- 

 ness to tell me whether you can form an opinion from such a frag- 

 ment as to the probability that it be human skin or not ? The 



