The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-18
DocrOR's STORY.

IL Hleulcdl leCJuTer, WIN ieli iuJO COH-
versation on the use of the microscope,
in the management of which he was an
adept.
"Now," said he, III will tell you
story of what happened to myself-one
which, 1 think, well illustrates the i'm
portance of this instrument to society,
though l was put in very unpleasant
position owing to my acquaintance with
1t.
III have, as you know, given a good
deal of attention to comparative anato-
my, especially to the structure of the
hair as 1t appears under the microscope.
To the unassisted eye, indeed, all hair
appears very much alike, except as 1t is
long or short, dark or fair, straight or
curly, coarse or fine. Under the micro
scope, however, the case is very different;
the white mans is round the negro's
oval; the mouse's apparently jointed
the bats jagged; and so on. Indeed
every animal has hair of peculiar char
acter; and what's more, this character
varies according to the part of the body
from which it is taken; an important
circumstance, as will appear from my
story.
II once received letter by post, con-
tanning a few hairs, with request that
would examine them, and adding that
they would be called for in few days.
Accordingly, submitted the hairs to
microscope, when 1 discovered that they
were from the human eyebrow, and had
been bruised. 1 made note to this
effect, and folded it up with the hairs in
an envelope, ready for the person who
had sent them. In a few days stranger
called and inquired whether had made
the Investigation.
"'Oh, yes said, there they are, and
you will find them and their description
in this envelope handing it to him at
the same time.
"He expressed himself much obliged,
and offered me fee, which, however,
declined, telling him that / could not
think of taking anything for so small a
matter. turned out, however, of more
consequence than imagined, for within
a week was served with q subpoena to
attend as witness on a murder trial.
"This was very disagreeable, as have
said; but there was no help for it now.
The case was this: A man had been
killed by blow with some blunt instru-
ment on the eyebrow, aud the hairs sent
to me for examination had been taken
from hammer in the possession of the
suspected murderer. L was put into the
witness box, and my testimony, that
the hairs were from the human eyebrow,
and had been bruised, was just the link
in the chain of evidence which sufflced
to convict the prisoner. The jury, how
ever, were not easily satisfied that my
statement was worth anything; and it
required the solemn assurance of the
Judge that such conclusion was within
the reach of science, to convince them
that they might act upon it.
zone juryman in particular-an old
farmer-was very hard to satisfy.
'''Does thee mean to say said he,
that thee can tell any hair of any ami
NAL?
81 answered that L would not take
upon myself to assert positively that 1
could do so, although believed 1 could.
"'Well, said he, I'll prove thee
"The prisoner, as 1 said, was convict
ed, and 1 went home, and in the busy
life of an extensive practice, forgot all
about my obstinate old farmer. About
two years afterward, however, person,
an utter stranger to me, called on me
with few hairs screwed up in piece of
paper, which he asked to examine and
report on.
rs this another murder case - in
quired; for, if so, will have nothing
to do with it. I've had enough of that
sort of work
"'No, no. said he; lit is nothing of
the kind. 1t is only matter of curiosi-
ty which 1 should be very much obliged
to you if you would solve, and if you
will do it, will call or send for the re-
suit of your examination in few days
time Having received this assurance,
undertook the investigation.
"When he was gone, and had leisure,
put the hairs under the microscope,
and soon discovered that they were taken
from the back of Norway rat.
"Two or three days afterward, as 1
was sitting in my consulting room, an
old farmer-looking man was ushered in.
"'Well, said he, has thee looked at
them hairs p