THE SEMEN. 205 



The examination of the urine of women whose persons 

 are suspected to have been violated would also frequently 

 furnish evidence of the fact by manifesting the presence in 

 it of the spermatozoa, which in its passage through the 

 vagina it had washed away from its walls. 



With reference to the second class of cases mentioned, 

 those requiring for their satisfactory elucidation the deter- 

 mination of the nature of suspicious stains, here again, by 

 means of the microscope, evidence the most conclusive may 

 frequently be obtained. 



Now, if the stains in question be formed by the seminal 

 fluid, and if they be not too old, the microscope applied 

 to them will detect in them the spermatozoa. 



With regard to the length of time at which the sper- 

 matozoa may be detected in the matter of a stain, I have 

 reason to think that this has scarcely a limit : I have myself 

 noticed them in the semen several weeks old, and they then 

 appeared to have undergone scarcely a single appreciable 

 change, the spermatophori contained in the seminal fluid 

 being equally well seen. 



In examining stains occasioned by the seminal fluid, it is 

 advisable to use the same precautions as those which w r ere 

 pointed out in reference to blood stains, and to moisten them 

 with either serum or albumen. 



The reader's imagination will suggest to him numberless 

 cases in which the determination of the nature of suspected 

 stains would be a matter of the utmost importance, and 

 would lead to the production of evidence of the greatest 

 consequence, and in no other way obtainable. 



Lastly, with reference to the third class of cases, those of 

 unnatural offences : here also the microscope, by revealing 

 the presence of the spermatozoa in the rectum, or on some 

 other part of the body, may throw great light on occur- 

 rences, which otherwise would in all probability be buried in 

 complete oblivion and mystery. 



in which instances it is most probable that connexion had occurred at 

 least some hours previous to admission. 



