eae NOTES AND MEMORANDA. ill 
fibrin. The coagulation of blood is caused by the spontaneous solidi- 
fication of the fibrin, as a network of filaments, which entangles the 
blood-globules, and forms a mass called the clot. The albumen remains 
liquid, and is gradually forced out as the clot contracts. If blood is 
placed in alcohol, the albumen solidifies in minute granules. The 
albumen being thirty to forty times as abundant as the fibrin, when 
both of these constituents are solidified, which takes place when blood 
or a tissue containing blood is placed in alcohol, the filaments of fibrin 
cannot be distinguished, as they are concealed by the albuminous gra- 
nules. The same condition was induced when Mrs. Fero’s head was 
immersed in alcohol. Although the blood had coagulated, the fibres 
were surrounded by a liquid containing albumen, which soon formed 
granules, and concealed the fibrin-filaments. Hence it seems unreason- 
able to believe that Dr. Stevens saw fibrin, as he thought probable. The 
following question was proposed to the same gentleman (a question 
which, properly answered, was regarded by the defence as of great 
importance): “Can you distinguish between a piece of flesh stained 
only with liquid blood, then soaked in alcohol, and afterwards bruised, 
and a piece of flesh bruised before death, and then soaked in alcohol ?” 
He replied that he could not distinguish between them. 
Dr. Van Derveer found in the specimens examined by him broken 
ultimate muscular fibres, also some healthy muscular fibres. He like- 
wise stated that he observed fragments of broken blood-globules driven 
into the ultimate muscular fibres. This statement is of such a character 
that its mere announcement might be regarded as its sufficient refuta- 
tion; but, lest injustice be done to the expert who made it, it is proper 
to submit it to examination. The blood-globules of man have an 
average diameter of .,);;th of an inch. They are not solid bodies, 
but, on the contrary, have a consistency which is very nearly fluid. 
They are homogeneous, and are not provided with an investing mem- 
brane. It is these minute, almost fluid bodies, we are told, which 
were shattered by blows upon the head, and their fragments—fluid be 
it remembered — forcibly driven into the solid ultimate muscular 
fibres, the average diameter of which is ;},th part of an inch. And 
this observation, it should be borne in mind, was made not upon fresh 
blood-globules, but upon the alleged fragments of blood-globules 
which had been subjected to a five months’ immersion in ninety-five 
per cent. alcohol. 
It appears that, after this long immersion of the tissue in alcohol, 
Dr. Van Derveer swears that he positively identified, as fragments of 
blood-globules, certain particles which he saw in specimens of the tissue 
examined under the microscope! Moreover, he swears that he saw these 
fragments of blood-globules (fragments of fluid bodies) imbedded, like 
wedges in a log of wood, in the substance of the solid ultimate muscular 
jibres, where, we are asked to believe, they had been mechanically driven 
jive months before, by the force of blows which were assumed to have been 
struck upon the head of Mrs. Fero. But, even if we admitted the cor- 
rectness of the observation, and that blows might produce such effects, 
of what importance is it in the case, when we are unable to determine 
whether the condition described was produced before or after death ? 
