, 1877-05-05
Dead Eyes that Bear E. illness.


recognizable image or likenHess was
found impressed upon the victim :
eve. after death. The Story has been
yariously told. One version places
the occurrence in Lyons, France ;
another in England. l. was p'ohably
invented about the time that deguer-
reotypes came into use and was per
haps suggested by the fact that small
picture of whatever the eye II 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, a
daguerreorype was taken OF the victim
and tie image Of the murderer was
found in the eye by painter who
was making a picture OF the mnrder-
ed man aud bad occasion 10 study The
daguerreo,ype under high nagnifiing
power. Arother version makes the
image found that Of friend "ho bent
over the victim when egplrlngi the
friend Is Of course arrested as ihe
murderer, and thus the plot gains
yarie V. The notion that such an I'M
age in the eye could remain fixed after
death must certainly have seemed
plausible TO romaucerS, or they would
not have rung so many changes upon
it. Perhaps, however, most readers
have dimiss;ed it from their minds as
absurd.
But the conceptions Of fancy in one
age often become the facts OF dlScov-
cry in another. Within a few weeks
a patient German has announced ana
exhibited some startling experiments
that bring the eye~picture story with
in the limits of possibility. DIR. "
Kuhne, Professor of Physiology in the
University of Heidelberg, has been
carefully reviewing and extending q
discovery of DIR. Boil, now OF Rome
D.. Bon had tounG that the externa!
layer Of the retina of the eye possesses
in life a beautiful purple color. This
color is perpe,ually destroyed and re
newpd while the eye is doing work
DR.. KuhDe found that light was the
agent by which the purple Is destroy
ed while the animal is alive the col
OF is quietly restored by the secreilve
action of the neighboring tissues, The
next discovery was that only certain
kinds of light have the power of dis
charging the color. If kept in other
kinds of light, such for instance as Is
obtained by burninga a mixture OF soda
and alcohol, the purple color remains
unaI,ered, even after death. Finally,
DR.. kuhue found chemical re>agents
that would fix the color. Now came
the crowning experiment lie tasten-
ed a rabbit so that one of Its eyes was
for three minutes exposed TO the g bit
from an open window shutter. Then
be Instantly decapilated the rabbit
and put the eye III suitable pickle.
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
somewhat the sharper and winter OF
the two. Prof. Bunsen was present
ard witnessed this marvellous eXperi>
ment.
Obviously under more delicate
treatmen, the eye could be made tc
tell the story of fainter impressions
The eyes Of human victims may ye'
bear testimony IN courts of law, whet
murderers are on trial. In the cast
We have described, however, we hay,
no doubt that Prufs kuhne and Bun
sen dined on the decapitated rabbit
and that il agreed with them. W,
are only on the threshold Of a similar
class OF discoveries. Window glass
for instance, that has had letters tas
tened upon it and has been exposed I,
the light tor several years, Is found t,
have undergone some structure
change so that no amount OF clean
ing will entirely etface the evideEu'
that the letters were once attach
ed. No matter how thoroughly tht
gass may be wiped and polish, d
a breath upon it brings back III,
shadowy outlines, the ghosts OF tn
letters again Similar results have fol
lowed where nothing but a shadow
has rested on the pane. II is foun(
thai sunlight changes the color o
glass, just as it aI;ers the sensitive
plate III the photographers camera
A little more of such progress may en-
able us TO compel the walls o: old
buildings to picture forth the scene.
that were las: enacted within them.
The opened tomb of Greek hero
NAV bear witness TO the Iass process
sion within its walls before il wa;
closed from the light. How the de,
teclive of the future viii revel in sucl
evidence Armed with pocket teIer
phone he may find means OF convey
ing the fatal whispers of converse,
tion miles away from The speakers
The mirrors, the window panes, The
lacquered furniture may picture tht
occurrences. Last OF AZ, the ghastl,
head of lap dog may be brought in.
to court, and lis picked eyes, unde
the microscope, may yield such i'm
ages as will convince a jury that
divorce is Justified. Think ol what ;
blood~curdIing romance Edgar Altar
Poe could have written, if he haC
been provided with such materials :
". \. Iribcae.