The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-06-29
Miscellaneous,

CItitu 10 HAIR.
SOME time ago, being in company with
medical man, whom | Will call Mr.. r.
We fell into conversation on the use of the
microscope in the management Of which
h. was an adept "Now," said he 81 will
tel you q story Of what happened to my
self-one which, l think, well illustrates
the importance of tAis instrument to 50.
ciety, though | was put in very unpleas-
ant position owing to my acquaintance
with 1t.
/" have, as you know, given good deal
OF attention to comparative anatomy, es-
peclaIiy to the structure OF the hair as ii
appears under the microscope. To the un-
assisted eye indeed, all hair appears very
much alike, except as it is long or short,
dark or tair, straight or curly, coarse or
InG. Under the microscope, however! the
case IS very different; the white mans is
rOUnd, the negrOs oval, the nous ) aDpa-
Ientiy iointed, the blt's Jagged, and so on
indeed, every animal has hair of a pecu-
Hdr Character, and, what is more, this cha
racter varies according to the part OF the
body from which it is takcn-an important
circumstance, as viii appear from my story,
which is this:
| once received letter by post, con
tanning few hairs, with request that |
would examine them, and adding that they
would be called for in a few days Ac-
cOTdngly | submitted the hairs to the mi
CrOscope when | discovered that thew
were from the human eyebrow, aud had
been bruised. ! made a note to this effect,
and folded it up with the h1irs IL an envel-
ope, ready for the person who had sent
them. In few days 8 stranger called and
inquired whether ! had made the investi
cation. Oh, yes | said. there they are
and YOU will find them and their dcscrip-
ton in this envelope handing it to him at
the same time. He expressed himself as
being much obliged, and offered me a fee,
which, however, / declined, telling him
that | could not think of taking anything
tor so small "a matter
1t turned out, however, of more con
sequence than | had imagined, for within
a week | was served with a subpoena. to
attend rs witness on a H'jd for nlurGer.
IhIS was very dlsagrecabic, as | have said.
but there was no help for it now. The
case was this: A man had been killed hy
blow from some blunt instrument on the
eyebrows, and the hairs sent to me for Cx-
animation had been taken from a hammer
IN the possession OF the suspected mur.
derer ! was put into the witne SIS box,
and my testimony, that the hairs were
from the human eyebrow, and had been
bruised, was Just the link in The chain of
evidence whlcn sumJ,d q ae,,,-,at o.
prisoner. The jury, however, We're not
easily satisfied tnat my statement was
worth anything; and it required the
solemn assurance of the Judge that such
conclusion was within the reach of
science, to convince them that they might
act upon it.
one juryman il particular-an old
farmer-was very hard to satisfy. Does
thee mean to say said he, that thee can
tell any hair Of any animal?' | answered
that | would not take upon myself to as
sert positively that | could DO So, although
l believed l could. Well said he, IN
prove thee
The prisoner, as said, was convicted,
and in the busy life of an extensive prac
tice, forgot all about my obstinate old
farmer. About two years atterWard, how
ever, a person, an utter stranger To me,
called on me with few hairs screwed up
in piece OF parer, which he asked me to
examine and report on.
- Is this another murder CaSe? | in
quired for if ; | will have nothing to
30 with it. I've had enough Of that sort
of work
No no. said he, it is nothing of the
kind It is only a matter of curiosity,
which | should be very much obliged il
YOU would solve; and if YOU Will dO it.
viii call or send for the result OF your eX-
animation in few days time Having
received this assurance, | undertook the
investigation.
When ne was gone. and had leisure,
l put the hairs under the microscope, and
soon discovered that they Were taken from