Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-24
A Murdered Mans Eyes.
Do They Retain an Impression of His NJ,
Uerer?

A Murdered Mans Eyes.
Do They Retain an Impression of His Mur-
derer?
A Star reporter found DR.. J. w. S.
Arnold, the eminent psychologist, at his
residence, No. 80 West Thirty-Second
street, and obtained short conversation
with him on the subject of dead mems
eyes. DR.. Arnold is savant of HIGH
standing in this city, and he has a wide
reputation as an authority on The human
eye.
II have just returned from a fishing
excursion" said he, "and l am pretty
well tired out. Such information as +
can give you, however. you are welcome
to-
The first question propounded to the
doctor was: "Does the eye of a MUIR
dcred man retain an impression of his
murderer"
THAT question: DR.. Arnold replied.
sis somewhat difficult to answer. That
the eye restraints an impression after death
is an established fact-that is, provided
the murderer is the last object seen, and
the eye be closed Immediately after the
impression is produced, so as to exclude
the entrance of any more light; then the
image, which has been formed on the re-
tina, can be made visible for a consider
able time after death. But in death, par
tlculary when d man is murdered, his ewes
generally remain open, so that, with the
lapse OF time, it is impossible to see the
impression. There have been experi
ments made with rabbits by confirming
them in dark rooms, cutting their heads
OFT, and placing them quickly in the light,
and the eye has shown the impressions of
passing objects in the street, Just like a
Photographic plate. The supposition
that the eye receives an impression after
death is a very old one; but until two or
three years ago the theory was never sue
cessfully demonstrated. About 1877
huhne and Brucke, German Psychologists,
made experiments with very gratifying
results, under the following conditions :
[. The impression must enter the eve.
Then tho eye must be screened or pre-
vented from receiving any other impress
sion. 3. In dark room the eve is soak
eel III four per cent. solution of alum.
8. The eye is dried, and the image will
be seen on the retina." .-
"What is your opiuion with regard to
this theory, as applied to the Hull case?"
my opinion is that it would be diff.
cult to get any clew. except under the
conditions have just named. And you
can see that, even so, it would be CUES
tionable one. Let us suppose that man
is murdered in his bed, and that his
murderer has escaped. An instant later
another man enters the room to assist the
murderer's victim, on whose eye, if it
closed, the impression of the Innocent
mans image is made. Upon examina-
ton the latter is found upon the retina
OF the dead mans eye, and although per-
tectly innocent Of the deed, if he has
been an enemy OF the murdered man he
is Immediately suspected. | question
whether this theory will ever be made
practicable for the detection of the MUIR
dercr, although in this scientific age there
is, believe, much to be looked for in
this direction" The doctor, at this
point in the conversation, pleaded an en-
gagcment, and was released.
The reporters next visit was to an emf
nent oculist residing in fashionable av-
enuc in the central part of the city, and
who did not wish his name to appear in
this article
'Will you kindly give me your views
about the impression left upon the retina
of the eye2' asked the writer OF this gen.
tleman.
with respect to Photographic pic
ture being received upon the retina which
could be developed after death, l will
tell you that no such picture has ever
been developed from the human retina;
and the experiments made IN Germany
and elsewhere in regard to this theory,
with the eyes of rabbits, show nothing
conclusive as to tue ability OF science to
produce a Photographic picture, but only
that at the bottom of the eye and in GER
tain portions of the retina colored pig
mcnt exists which is affected by the &C
ton OF light; and, moreover, that this
coloring matter does not exist at the
point Of the human retina by which the
most exact vision is performed. That
this coloring matter has something to
do with the function of vision cannot
be doubted, although what this is,
is now entirely unknown. 1t is true
that by exposing u rabbits eye, in
fixed position, opposite a window, for
considerable length OF time, the gen.
eral outline of the divisions of the win
dow can be developed after death. This,
however, merely shows the Interruptions
Of light and shade, and the effect pro-
duced upon the coloring matter of rab-
bits eye, and is not applicable in any
way to the human eye; nor does it show
at all that vision is series Of physical
photographs which can be reproduced
after death. On the contrary, the
latest developments Of science 90 to show
precisely the reverse Of this"
DR.. Bull, why resides in East Twenty.
third street, characterized the theory as
humbug, 50 far as any good it would do
in the way of the detection of murderers,
saying thata murderer would have to
stand for three minutes opposite the eye
of his victim before the impression could
register itself, and then the impression,
if seen at all, would be very imperfect.
The reporter visited many other men OF
authority on this subject, and found that
while there existed great diversity OF
opinion among them, the prevailing i'm
preston among them was that the theory
as applied to the human eye is valueless
as an aid in the detection of murder
New York Star.
sIDld Won ever seq the Catskill Noun.