130 Recent Literature, [ February, 
“will case contains nothing new of scientific interest, your com- 
“mittee beg to be relieved of further consideration of the subject, 
“ Resolved, That we call the attention of the Franklin Institute to 
“the numerous objections to which expert investigations are 
“open, when undertaken as at present by parties securing the ser- 
“vices and interested in the decision of the court, and we earn- 
“estly recommend that the Franklin Institute takes such action 
“that the change from the present plan may become a subject of 
“legal enactment.” The signers of this remarkable production 
are Dr. W. H. Greene, Dr. Geo. A. Koenig, Dr. Wm: H. Wahl, 
Mr. Moody, Mr. Pemberton, Sr., and Dr. Isaac Norris. 
The humorous points of this report cannot be better appreciated 
than by comparing it with the statements of some of those experts 
whose testimony the committee was to examine. Compare the 
first “inasmuch” with this by the ex-President of the Franklin 
Institute, Prof. R. E. Rogers: “I don’t recall in any of our 
Dr. Rogers.—“<It has been entirely 
as the chemical expert testimony in the | overlooked by the writers of the text 
Whittaker Will case contains nothing | books that these reagents’ (7. ¢., , potas- 
new of scientific interest—.” si i 
| 
| 420). 
| — There may be writing which contains 
, ironthat * * tested for iron by the method 
which has been adopted will fail to show 
the presence of iron” : a 
—The “fire test’’ devised by Dr. Rogers 1 
for determining iron in inks and pro- 
| nounced the “most rigorous” (p. 6438-9): 
| +. Fohnson.— Professor, is the fire 
test stated in the books?” “No, sir.” 
“Then it is a result from your own origi- 
nal experimenting ?”” “Yes, sir’ (p. 6470). 
—Mr. Fohnson.—* But they do see that 
there is a blue, the result of the mixture?” 
Dr. Rogers.—* Of what ?” 
Mr. Fohnson.—* Of the sulphuric acid 
and ferrocyanide of potassium.”’ 
Dr. Rogers.--“ No, they do not. I 
don’t think such a thing has been ob- 
served generally.”’ 
Mr, F—« When you put them in one 
bottle, how can you avoid it ?” 
r. Rogers.—“ They are not put in one 
bottle.” Se 
Mr. F—* Suppose they are.” : 
Dr. R—*T have never known them — 
to be put in one bottle, except instances 
in which I have done it” (p. 6497). 
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