The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-04-19
THE SHOWER OF FLESH.
A Scientific Analysis OF Supposed Fiesn
"A Scientist Declares II to be d ad Frog

A Scientific Analysis OF Supposed Flesh
"A scfentisr Declares IL to be d ad FROG
Spawn.
DR.. J. Lawrence Smith, scientist, to
whom was given the specimens OF flesh
which it was claimed fell In Bath coun-
ty, Ky., has furnished the following re-
port Of his analysis:
I have examined the specimens OF
matter that were sent to me from Bath
county as having fallen from clear sky,
in a limited space, in the neighborhood
of Mudlick Springs. The pieces received
BY me had been placed in alcohol, and
they had evidently shrunk considerably
from their original bulk. =.
The four pieces furnished me by
Captain Brent, of Mount Sterling, and
Mr.. Madden, of the Courier Journal,
were from one-half to one inch in size;
they had the appearance of dried gela--
tinous matter OF irregular shape and
were more or less colored. FLaments
were attached to the exterior. Under q
feeble magnifying power the edges were
translucent; when heated in water the
pieces became enlarged and more trans
lucent. The dried pieces when cut
across showed on the exterior o soft
gelatiuous substance without any hbrous
structure.
Under the microscope the parts that
had dried showed an irregular flamen-
tous structure. The dried pieces, when
placed in flame, burned readily with
the strong and we'll known smell OF ami
NAL matter. The pieces we're examined
carefully under the microscope. but
there was not the slightest indication OF
any muscular fiber or other structure
belonging to what is commonly known
as animal tissue. In my mind this mat
ter gives every Indication OF being the
dead spawn Of the batrachian reptiles,
doubtless that of the frog. They have
been transported from the ponds and
swampy grounds by currents OF wind,
and have ultimately fallen on the spot
where they were found.
This is no isolated occurrence OF the
kind, I having come across tho mention
of several previous instances in the
course of my reading. The only one I
can now fix the date Of is recorded by
Muschubroeck and occurred in Ireland
in 1875. The matter is described by him
as very glutinous and fatty and softened
when held in the hand, or emitted an
unpleasant odor when exposed to the
action Of the fire.
The ovum or egg of the batrachian
reptiles is o round mass of transparent
jelly, in the center OF which appears q
small black globule. In the present
case the passage through air would have
dried up, more or less, this gelatinous
mass, 80 that the exterior would have
become hard and the interior, as I found
it, still soft and gelatinous. As regards
the quantity supposed to have fallen
there is doubtless exaggeration, for the
singularity Of this phenomenon would
doubtless have such startling effect on
the minds of the witnesses as to cause
them to magnify the number. I have
desired more of the matter to be sent to
me, when, if there is any modification
of these views, I will make them
known.
Considerable excitement exists among
the people generally concerning this
affair, and it viii be hard to c. nvince
the country people who witnessed this
phenomenon of Professor Smiths
theory.