Tue Microscope. 197 
or in other ways in manufactories. But there seems to be no 
reason to believe that it will itself have any injurious effects 
on the water. It is difficult to see how the sulphur once set 
free, can again combine with hydrogen to form sulphuretted 
hydrogen gas, as long as the organism is growing in the water. 
Indeed, if allowed to accumulate and periodically removed, it 
may tend to purify the water by abstracting from it some of 
the undue proportion of sulphur.” 
The paper was discussed by Dr. Dallinger and Professor 
Lattimore. 
—_a 0 >__- 
HAIR, MEDICO-LEGALLY CONSIDERED. 
DR. WM. J. LEWIS. 
W*. J. LEWIS, of Hartford, read the following paper on 
“Hair, Microscopically Examined and Medico-legally 
Considered.” 
The importance of closely inspecting weapons, and of care- 
fully examining hair found upon them, may best be shown by 
a few illustrative cases. In a case quoted by Dr. Taylor, a 
hatchet, having clotted blood and hair adherent to it, was pro- 
duced as evidence against an accused person, under whose bed 
the weapon had been found. This, with other circumstantial 
evidence, had turned public opinion strongly against the pris- 
oner; but when the hair was examined it was found not to be 
human, but to have been taken from the body of some animal. 
This circumstance led to a more complete sifting of the evidence, 
and the prisoner was acquitted. It turned out that the prisoner 
had killed an animal with the hatchet, and had earelessly thrown 
the weapon under his bed. (Taylor’s Med. Jurisp. Vol. L., p. 
508.) Some years since a little girl was murdered in one of 
our large cities, and the appearance of wounds which had been 
inflicted upon her head indicated that the weapon used was 
some blunt instrument. A club stained with blood was found 
near by. The counsel for the accused person endeavored to 
show that the club had been used by the prisoner for the pur- 
pose of killing pigeons. The club was submitted to examina- 
tion, and there was found in the clots thereon and in the 
splintered portions of the weapon, certain hairs which were 
