New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-02
DEAD EYES THAT REAR FITNESS

| Oh Ills ONH.
| DEAD EYES THAT BEAR FITNESS.
There is a well-wOrn story of the conviction
of a murderer having been attained by the
circumstance that recognizable image or
likeness was found impressed upon the victims
eye, after death. The story has been variousy
told. One version places the occurrence in
Lyons, France; another, in England. 1t was
probably invented about the time that
| dagucrrcOtypes came into use; and was per-
haps suggested by the fact that a small pic
ture of whatever the eye is looking at is
| formed in the center of the eye and is plainly
visible to other eyes. AS the story is told in
one way, n daguerreOtype was taken OF the
victim, and the image Of the murderer was
found in the eye by painter who was making
picture of the murdered man and had Occa-
sion to study the daguerreotype under high
magnfymg power Another version makes the
image found that of friend who bent over
the victim when expiring; the friend is of
course arrested as the murderer, and thus the
plot gains variety. The notion that such an
image i'm the eye could remain fixed after
death must certainly have seemed plausible to
romancers, or they would not have rung SO
many changes upon it. Perhaps however,
most readers have dismissed it from their
minds as absurd.
But the conceptions of fancy in one age
often become the facts of discovery in another
Within a few weeks patient German has an
nounced and exhibited some startling expert
mcnts that bring the eye-picture story fully
within the limits of possibility. DR.. W. KLINE,
Professor of Physiology in the University OF
Heidelberg, has been carefully reviewing and
extending Il discovery of DIR. Boil, now OF
Rome. DR.. Boil had found that the external
layer of the rctina of the eye possesses IN life
beautiful purple color. This color Is perpet-
ually destroyed and renewed while the eye Is
doing work Dr. KLINE found that light was
the agent by which the purple is destroyed !;
while the animal is alive the color is quickly
restored by the secretlye action OF the neigh
boring tissues. The next discovery was that
only certain kinds of light have the power OF
discharging the color. II kept i'll other kinds
of light such for instance as is obtained by
burning mixture of soda and alcohol, the
purple color remains unaltered, even after
death. Finally, Dr..kiihne found chemical re-
agents that would fix the color. Now came the
crowning experiment. He fastened rabbit so
posed to the light from an open window
shutter Then he instantly decapitated the
rabbit and put the eye i'll suitable pickle
Two minutes after the dccaptation the other
eye was similarly exposed to light, and it too was
aftcrward picked. The next morning both
eyes showed a sharply defined image OF the
square of light, surrounded by deep rose
tint. The image in the second eye was some
what the sharper and whittier of the two.
Prof Bunsen was present and witnessed this
marvellous experiment.
Obviously under more delicate treatment the
eye could be made to tell the story OF fainter
IMPRESSIONS The eyes OF human victims may
vet bear testimony IN courts OF law, when muir
dcrers are OH trial. In the case we have de-
scribcd, however, we have no doubt that Prois.
KLINE and Bnnsen dned on the decapltated
rabbit, and that it agreed with them. We are
only on the threshold of Il similar class of dis
coyeries. Window glass, for instance, that has
had letters fastened upon it and has been ex-
posed to light for several years, Is found to
have undergone some structural change, SO
that no cleaning will wholly ctiace the evidence
that the letters were once attached. No mat
ter how thoroughly the glass may be wiped
and polished, q breath upon III BRINGS odch
the shadowy outlines. the ghosts of the letters
again. Similar results have followed where
nothing but a shadow has rested on the pane.
Il is found that sunlight changes the color OF
glass, just as it alters the sensitive plate i'll
the photographers camera. a little more OF
such progress may enable Us to- compel the
walls of old buildings to picture forth the
scenes that were last enacted within them.
The opened tomb of a Greek hero may bear
| witness to the last procession within its walls
before it was closed from the light. How the
detective of the future will rcvcl in such evil
dence. Armed with a pocket telephone he
may find means of conveying the fatal Wills
pers of a conversation miles away from the
speakers. The mirrors, the window pancs, the
lacqucrcd furniture may picture the occurrences.
Last of all, the CHASTITY head of lap dog may
be brought into court, and its picked eyes,
under the microscope, may yield such images
as will convince Il jury that divorce is JUS
titled Think of what IL blood-curdling romance
Edgar Allan Poe could have written, if he had
been provided with such materials.
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| UATCHNAN, UHAT or THE MIGHTY
The number of those who yet put their faith