, 1877-02-03
SPARKS or SCIENCE.

~HV ~sbAV ~ AI<s ! Af4tHT3IeS1Ni'
SPARES OF SCIENCE.
DLOOD-IDEST1FICA
Tho aclcnce Of Medical Microscopy |. being
studied with great activity at the present time,
and one Of tho most Interesting questions with
IN It's scope Is that relating to the possible
Identification Of human blood in distinctton
from that Of other mammals. II Is commended
by bomo authorities that there arc no means
now known to Science by which tho blood Of
man can be certainly distinguished from that,
for instancc, Of tho dog, tho OK, and
tho shccr. Others again, expert In
the usn Of tho microscope, maintain that
tho affair Is quite possible. and indeed that 1t is
M accomplished fact. Moro than this, thcT
dare to asacrt that tho Identification may It, all
c1scs bo so sure rs to be admitted, where need
cd, ns Trustworthy testimony In criminal cascs.
The american Lato- -Rtytstsr garo in = late NUM-
her an Interesting article Upon this point Of the
subject, written By Dr.. r. U. Piper, and accom-
panied with illustrations BY Tho author.
DR.. Piper hss devotcd much tisno to tho ciucl-
tla.fon Of the matter IN dispute, and. as the
result Of aboye 10, 600 careful examinations, has
reached the conclusion that human blood may
be distinguished from any other by compare.
tive measurement Of the rcd corruscles. 1le Is
also confident that this determination can be ac-
c!ratcly n,adc whether the examples DO fresh or
sdn: s H. Ssa & nss';ss ssetfe, 70 tG tbs bRseay ys 9
iiood-sta.ns "are 'tolerabiy vssn', y they
ns{ &c ssss ssisssia ee eaTas aes.9 unes ts
tho microscope; . discrimination between anl-
C!ouhry, In bis !" Manual OF Recent Medicine"
further nf.sMa that, '!IIonesxr great may bu tho
agc Of THO spots, n.ictoseoplcal examination will
nevertheless rcveal the rood 7atobales; those on
back from eight to twelve years.
Opposed to these conclusions Is. among 9TH
ers. pr. Woodward, Of Washington, who asserts
that There arc certain manmats-arnongthcm
tho dog;7,wl!oso red corpusc!cs are 80 nearly
identical in ala with those OF human blood, that
they cai,not be distinguished By any power Of
tho microscope, even IN fresh blool, much lcss
IN dried stais.'' Nov It Is upon the distinction
!n a!xc between tho rcd corpu.elc, ln man ait.
In tho dog, as examined in both the dried and
tho fresh htatcs, that Or. fpcr mainly bases his
position In tho article already mentioned. Ills
cxamtnatfons weEc madc With magoifyfng
1t bluod from about fifteen individuals Of
ditfcrent ages and both sexes, and from nearly
Us many dogs, including a spaniel, NeWfound-
land, two or three terriers, and uoncrcls Of
Inc methods practiccd in the Investigations
md measurements wc.e calculated With tho
greatest caro- to Insure accuracy, and Casc IN
average ns tolow.. 81. Human h nleo4 ,eorpn;sees
tres. Dogs blool-corpusclcs measured 1857
Of an inch, 0o6S 80 tnilllmetres.
0u!liycr, the authority followed byDr. Carpcn-
Ss. IT,. rst 5na o nsnatso ac pi SGesi
i'os's blood, l.s5is II ia Incl, oJ;i, 10 mllli.
metres.
Schmidt, another authority, giycs: Human
Dogs blood, 1859 OF au Inch, oo7l, 90 mlllt-
metres.
Thcac table. show that tho difference hctwecn
tho corpusclcs In human blood and In that Of tho
d9g y dlatlnst'y sscoEazah1e e. r. ite multitude
animal do tho corpuseles approach in size
SO near to those Of man As In the dog. From
these observations no feela competent 70 aasttt
regard to the human OF animal source Of blood.
staIns may b. safely admitted into our law-
eolFta. 1lo hlmsclf las often been called upon
to furnish such testimony. OF thu yaluo Of eyi-
example y elted by him fron, the work %
artiso'', whlei. Tor IL !ntcre*t wo hero repeat;
TAe TRIAL occurred 1t Norwich, England, about
~ ea q sns q
ttIe ground IN q sma!l plantation, quite dead from
wound y ths throat; sasRielea fe1l upon the
admitted having taken her child % the p!an,ation
o:t ss s eotna @ sss aaest u ~ Thsfs VI
faund In lao wnn,aas possession = larxe knife.
which was submitted u = careful examination;
nothing was found upon II. however, with The cx.
ccpt1on Of a few pieces OF halr ndheFing to tho
hundlc. ANAL a to b. scarcely sst1ls Thr cx.
animation being conducted In thu presence
lng: "hsie !: r. e faf o. ,h.!s
''fet, daru say there u, and very l!ke1Y somo
stains Of blood, tor, ~ cane home found rab-
knife"
Tho knife was sent 10 London. and, with tho
particles OF hair, suhfntted to microscopic ex-
animation. No traca Of blood could at hrst bc de-
tected upon tho weapon, which ePpeaFed to havo
handle from Ito shaft. was found that duid had
penetrated Into tho socket which MAS found 10 be
blood, certainly not the blood OF rabbit but bear
Ink resemblance to that Of humaa body.
The hair was then submitted to examination. This
hair xax found by tho microscopic to b. TINT OF
s4virfel. Now, round tho neck Of thu child at tho
time OF tho murder therv was tlppet of squirrels
fur. This sttou3 ctEramst4ntfal evidence was
deemed ey tho Jury san1eEent t2 convict tho
@cssed her crime.
Tho drawing and measuring ot enlarged blood
eorpuscles ta original With Or. Piper, who has
thus been able to exhibit biz determinations In
tho clesrest form IN courts Of Justice.
ANCIENT MAPS.
The last number Of Naturs contains m intor-
eating article describing somo Of tho moro uoto-
worthy culdoslties displayed 1t the International
Geographical Congress 1T Pats Ia 1875. Among
these arc several old uapa Of tho world.