October 28, 1892. J 



SCIENCE. 



243 



not honestly differ as to how the blood came there. The micro- 

 scope will tell with true and unerring certainty whether the ad- 

 hering substance on a weapon is hunaan or animal hair, or 

 whether what is thought to be hair is not cotton, silk, or wool 

 fibre. It is a well-known fact that portions of brain-Rubstance 

 adhering to weapons which have caused the fracture of the skull 

 and laceration of the brain can only be recognized by the micro- 

 scope. While, when the substance is fresh it cannot easily be 

 mistaken, it is quite different when it becomes dry; it will then 

 assume a gray or brown color, and become quite horny. In this 

 state no physical appearance can tell what it is, the naked eye is 

 at a loss to recognize its source. Quite different with the micro- 

 scope; it will tell you. Moisten the substance, and you will see 

 its color become whiter and its consistence quite soapy. Now if 

 you soften the mass in a solution of common salt, I will show 

 you nerve-cells or nerve-fibres ; though so smaU, being only ^^^jj of 

 an inch or less in diameter, you shall see them plain and distinct. 

 Likewise, hair adhering to clubs or weapons of any kind can be 

 recognized as to its source, whether it has been torn out by force 

 or not. If by force, we plainly see the tubular sheath of the hair, 

 with the hair issuing from it; the color is distinguishable, the 

 size, and whether they are cut at both ends or pointed at one, 

 whether the bulb or sheath in which it grows is still attached to 

 them, etc. It may not be amiss to state that hair from lower 

 animals differs in a great many particulars from that of man; the 

 hairs of animals, generally speaking, are coarser, thicker, shorter, 

 and less transparent. The ones which bear a close resemblance 

 to that of man are the spaniels and sky terriers whose hair is long 

 and silky, though the linar markings on the cortial portions are 

 not so numerous and fine. It is a deplorable fact that very little 

 of value has been written upon the subject of hair in its medico- 

 legal relation. While it cannot be denied that all the works on 

 forensic medicine mention this subject, yet they are based upon 

 very little oris^inal research ; they are mainly copied one from 

 another. We shall say more on this subject at a later date; we 

 are willing to admit that it may not at all times be perfectly dis- 

 cernible as to the source of the hair, yet, when taken in conjunc- 

 tion with other evidence, doubt may be removed and positive 

 evidence established. 



It is understood, of course, that the examination of supposed 

 weapons should be conducted with the greatest care, and notes 

 taken, full notes in fact of all the detail and every process in the 

 operation; especially spots and marks which can have any pos- 

 sible bearing upon the case under question should be carefully 

 noted. 



In the broad domain of chemistry and toxicology the micro- 

 scope is a very important factor for the identification and verifi- 

 cation of many ordinary tests, which are made to determine the 

 composition of solids and liquids. Not many years ago, death 

 from poison was surroundel by dread and fear scarcely compre- 

 hensible at the present day. Tradition informs us that persons 

 suspected of having committed murder by poisoning were broiled 

 alive in England, and in France burned at the stake, and in the 

 various other countries tortured in the most inhuman manner. 

 It is now, however, generally conceded that, with modern 

 methods introduced for the detection of poison, the fear of dis- 

 covery has been rendered greater than the dread of punishment. 

 The greatest advance in legal chemistry was throu2;h the achieve- 

 ments of Bunsen and others ; quantities so minute as to be out 

 of reach of all other known methods of analysis, we are enabled 

 to identify with unerring certainty. Mauy poisons, such as 

 strychnine, arsenic, morphine, etc., will crystallize with certain 

 reagents into characteristic forms, which are peculiar to them- 

 selves. 



Of late considerable attention has been paid to the microscopi- 

 cal examination of hand-wiitings. While perhaps the microscope 

 cannot be considered an aid in forming an opinion as to the real 

 author of a given specimen, yet its value for the detection of al- 

 teration and changes made in the original cannot be underrated. 

 It is impossible to make an erasure of any written or printed lines 

 and hide them from detection by the microscope; the most skil- 

 ful forger cannot restore the slightest derangement of the fibres 

 on the finished surface of the paper. 



Equipped with the modern improvements and possessing tlie 

 requisite skill, the progressive microscopist may be said to be a 

 true friend of the curious, in the full meaning of this expression. 

 It is true that sometimes our most exhaustive means of industry 

 and research are only rewarded by negative results; yet it cannot 

 be denied that in the majority of cases we reap the reward of 

 diligence and industry by seeing our work change the whole 

 theory of a plea in civil and criminal action, becoming a terror 

 to the guilty and joy to the innocent. 



The tenth congress of the American Ornithologists' Union 

 will convene in Washington, D. C ., on Tuesday, November 15, 

 1893, at eleven o'clock, am. The meetings will be held at the 

 U. S. National Museum. The reading of papers will form a 

 prominent feature of the meetings. Associate as well as active 

 members are earnestly requested to contribute, and to notify the 

 the secretary before November 13 as to the titles of their com- 

 munications aii<l the length of time required for tht-ir presenta- 

 tion, so that a programme for f ach day may be prepared. 



— Among the articles of the November number of The Forum 

 is one on -'The Library of the United Stales" by Mr. Ains- 

 worth R. Spofford, Librarian of Congress, who explains the rank 

 that this great library will take among the great libraries of 

 the world. In the series of articles on Municipal Government 

 there appear two contributions in the November number: 1, 

 by the Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, who compares the Govern- 

 ment of Birmingham, England, with the Government of Boston, 

 and tries to ascertain why Boston's government costs five times 

 as much as Birmingham's, they being cities of about the same 

 size; and 3, by Mr. Charles Francis Adams, who points out les- 

 sons from the municipal experience of Quincy, Massachusetts. 

 Professor Edward S. Holden, Director of Lick Observatory, 

 tells what we really know about Mars. In the series of articl^s 

 giving the results of his investigations into our public-school sys- 

 tem, contributed by Dr. J. M. Rice, the November number con- 

 tains his study of the schools in Buffalo and Cincinnati. 



— Mr. O. P. Hay has furnished for recent " Proceedings of the 

 National Museum ' ' three interesting biological papers. The 

 first is entitled "On the Ejection of Blood from the Eyes of 

 Horned Toads," and establishes beyond question the fact that 

 under certain conditions about the time of moulting Phryno- 

 sorna coronatum ejects from the eye a small quantity of blood. 

 Mr. Hay records personal observations on the toad*, and also 

 quotes the experiences of others. Professor L. M. Underwood 

 furnishes the following account: " In 188.5 a student of mine re- 

 ceived a specimen of horned toad from California. In examining 

 the animal I took occasion to turn him on his back, using a lead 

 pencil for the purpose. The animal resented this treatment, and 

 showed considerable anger, opening bis mouth and puffing up his 

 body. On being irritated still more, he grew more and more en- 

 raged, until finally blood spurted from just above his eye to a dis- 

 tance at least a foot from the animal, as several spots struck my 

 arm considerably above the wrist. After spurting the blood the 

 animal became limp and collapsed, and remained in a stupor for 

 some time; and when handled behaved as if dead. After a time, 

 possibly not over five or six minutes, certainly not over ten, the 

 animal revived and commenced to run about the table. Wishing- 

 to know if he would repeat the operation, I commenced to irri- 

 tate him again in the same manner. After becoming enraged 

 again, the animal soon went through the same process, ejecting: 

 blood from the same eye as before. He then fell into a similar 

 stupor and remained about the same length of time, after which he 

 revived. No amount of irritation could produce a third discharge, 

 although the animal showed some anger." Mr. Hay also records 

 " Some Observations on the Turtles of the Genus Malaclemys.'^ 

 and presents a number of interesting facts concerning • ■ The 

 Breeding Habits, Eggs, and Young of Certain Snakes." No. 905 

 of the Museum '• Proceedings " consists of a valuable paper by 

 Mr. L. O. Howard on " The Insects of the Sub- Family Encyrtinse- 

 with Branched Antennae." Three new genera {Pentacnertius, Teira- 

 cladia. Calocerinus) and species are described, five species being 

 figured. 



