APPLICATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 117 



was afterwards found. No evidence could at 

 first be discovered to support the early suspicion 

 that the mother was a murderess. A long and 

 sharp knife was indeed found upon her, but, 

 after a keen scrutiny, nothing particular was 

 observed about it, except that there were on 

 the handle a few hairs, so very small as to be 

 scarcely visible. " Here is hair on the handle 

 of your knife !" was the remark made to the 

 suspected mother, in whose presence the exa- 

 mination was conducted. " Yes, very likely," 

 was the immediate and composed reply ; " and 

 perhaps there is blood on it, too ; for, as I re- 

 turned from the wood, I found a rabbit in a 

 snare, and cut its throat with my knife/' The 

 knife was despatched to London for microscopic 

 examination. It was there found that it had 

 been washed. Alter very minute investigation, 

 it was farther found that a fluid had penetrated 

 between the horn-handle and the steel-lining. 

 It was blood, but certainly not the blood of a 

 rabbit rather, apparently, the blood of a hu- 

 man being. After examining the hairs on the 

 handle, the Microscopist, who had been inten- 

 tionally kept from all knowledge of the special 

 facts of the case, unhesitatingly declared that 



