Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-26
A story of the microscope.

Some time ago, being in company with q
medical man, whom will call Mr.. B., we
| fell into conversation on the uses of the micro
/ scope, in the management of which he was an
| adept. "Now," said he, 81 will tell you story
| of what happened to myself-one which, | think,
| well illustrates the Importance of this instru-
ment to society, though | was put in very un-
pleasant position, owing TO my acquaintance
| with it,
81 have, as you know, given a good deal of
| attention TO comparative anatomy, especially to
the structure of the hair as it appears under the
microscope. To the unassisted eye, indeed, all
| hair appears very much alike, except as it is
long or short, dark or fair, straight or curly,
coarse or fine. Under the microscope, however,
the case is very different; the white mans is
round, the negro's oval, the mouse'S apparently
| jointed the bats jagged, and SO on. Indeed
| every animal has hair of peculiar character
and, what is more, this character varies ac-
cording to the part of the body from which it is
taken,-an important circumstance, as will ap-
pear from my story, which is thus
81 once received letter by post, containing
few hairs, with request that would examine
| them, and adding that they would be called for
| IN lew days. Accordingly, / submitted the
they were from the human eyebrow, and had
been bruised. made note to this effect, and
folded it up with the hairs in an envelope ready
| for the person who had sent them. In few
] days stranger called and inquired whether |
had made the investigation. f0h, yes, said
there they are, and you will find them and their
| description in this envelope handing it to him
at the same time. He expressed himself as be-
ing much obliged, and offered me fee, which,
| however, declined, telling him that could not
think OF taking anything for so small q matter,
1t turned out, however, of more consequence
than had imagined, for within week was
served with sup9Da to attend as a witness on
a trial for murder. This was very disagreeable.
as have said but there was no help for it now.
| The case was this: A man had been killed bv A
| blow from some blunt instrument on the eve
brow and the hairs sent to me for examination
| mad been taken from hammer IN the possess
| sion of the suspected murderer | was put in
| the witness 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 which sufficed to convict the prisoner.
Inc jury, however, were not easily satisfied that
my statement was worth anything: and il re-
| quired the solemn assurance of the Judge that
| such conclusion was within the reach of
science to convince them that they might act
| upon it.
Zone juryman in particular-and old farmer
was very hard to satisfy. Does thee mean TO
say, said he, that thee can tell any hair of anv
| animal. l answered that would not take upon
myself to assert positively that | could do So
although | believed l could. We'll, said he
| Tll prove thee
M"The prisoner, as said, was convicted. and
"Nhl hohiSJ anu III INT DuSy Tic Vi an extensive
practice, forgot all about my obstinate old farm
er. About two years afterward, however, a per-
| son, an utter stranger to me, called on me with
few hairs screwed up in piece of paper, which
he asked me to examine and report on
Is this another murder caseP INQUIRED /:
| for if so, will have nothing to do with it, Pye
| had enough of that sort of work.
"'No, no. said he, 1T is nothing of the kind.
| IL is only matter of curiosity which should
| be very much obliged if you would solve: and
if you will do it will call or send for the result
| OF your examination in few days time Hay-
| ing received this assurance, undertook the in
| yestgation.
when he was gone and had leisure put
the hairs under the microscope, and soon discov-
cred that they were taken from the back of a
Norway rat.
1.-TWO or three days afterward, as was sitting
in my consulting room, an old farmer LOOKING
man was ushered in. Well said he, has thee
looked at them hairsP
Yes answered, and l find that they are
from the back of a Norway rat WELL ex.
claimed he, so they are. Thou has FORGOTTEN
me, but / have not forgotten thee. Does thef
recolleet the trial for murder at l. assizes
said would prove thee, and so | have, for
them hairs come from the back of rats Skin
my son sent me from Norway So the old gen
tleman was quite satisfied with the proof Il
which he had put me, and l, as you NAV sun
pose, was well pleased that my skill and sagaci
ty had stood such queer proof as this ant
more convinced than ever of the value Of tht
microscope"
Here the doctor ended HISTORY, which have
given as nearly as possible in his own words
and upon which believe that thorough de
pendence may be placed.-JournaL of Micro
Scr0py.