Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-09
DIR. FORafAn DEAD.
The Great Expert and Surgical Micro
scopist Died in Philadelphia Sunday.

Scopist Diou ia Thiihueipnih buuunys
DIR. Henry +. Formal, the famous
surgical microscopist, died ON Sunday at
the residence of his sister, Marie For
mad, Sixth street, near Poplar, Phila-
delphia.
The deceased is the expert whose tes-
timony on the subject of blood cor
puscles, impaired such additional
graphic interest to the Benson murder
trial, the verdict in which was reached
in the superior court here Saturday
night last.
DIR. Formad's remarkable personality
is familiar, literally, to thousands of
Wilmingtonians. II will be remembered
with what absorbed, breathless interest,
the silent audience drank in each word
dropping from the mouth of tho "sleuth
hound of science" rs in strange, broken
accent, he declared, lightly lingering
one blood-stained garment after another,
that this one is saturated with corpuscles
consistent with human" indications,
and this (holding up another to public
view is not SO clear. What impressed
his listeners strongly was the extreme
care and exactitude with which he al
lowed his evidence to go in, always
correcting counsel's over-free para
phrase of his definitions. His anxiety
in this direction perhaps more than any
thing else tended TO give his testimony
great weight with the jury. Physically
he was man of large heavy type, and
OF rather pleasing expression. His man
ner of giving testimony suggested GER
tain nervousness. but possibly arising
only from his recognition of the respon-
sibility attaching to his statements in
testimony.
Some months ago while making q
post-mortem examination at the Penn
sylvania University Hospital he acct
dentally cuthimself and blood poisoning
resulted. DR.. Formal treated the matter
lightly. Since then he has not enjoyed
his usual health and has been ailing
for the past month. An attack Of
cholera morbus so afflicted his already
weakened constitution that death re-
suited yesterday.
Dir. Henry F. Formal, B. NJ, M. D.,
was born March 10th, 1S47, in Schelez-
nowdsk, province of Caucasus, Russia.
His earlier school days were spent at
Simpheropol, in the Crimea, and his
academic training at Jassy and after
wards at Berlin. He studied the natural
sciences at Heidelberg and Bucharest.
where he received the degree of b. M,
in 1863. He gave special attention to
medicine and microscopy for three years
at Heidelberg and Berlin. He came to
this country In 1874 and the following
year entered the medical department Of
the University of Pennsylvania, gradu-
ating after two years course. He at
tnndn6 fhraa IN,
ology at Berlin and Strasbourg. He
published the results of his researches
in pathology and medical jurispru-
dence. His publication under the direc-
ton of the United States government,
with S. Q. Wood as collaborator, on in
designations in diphtheria, was a pro-
nounced success.
He was appointed demonstrator of
pathology in the University of Pennsyl-
vania and in 1879 lecturer in expert
mental pathology. From 1883 to 1885
ue was Mutter lecturer in the College of
Physicians. With DR.. S. Wier Mitchell
he gave extensive study for two years to
the venom of serpents. The results were
made public in 1877. He was a member
of almost every scientific society of
note, and in his position as coroner's
physician achieved great fame.
For eight years he was coroner's
physician in Philadelphia, and during
his career held no less than $4,000 post
norton examinations. AS surgical
microscopic and expert no was without
peer in this country. At time of his
death he held the position of consulting
physician to the coroner and also to the
court. He has testified professionally
in 80 murder trials.
In the course of his testimony in the
Benson murder case at the superior
court here, he stated that he had first
given attention to the study of blood at
tho age of IA. He was member of the
orthodox Greek Church. He was mar
ried in 1872.
1t is stated that his demise will greatly
affect the pending Lingo trial, us he was
the last of the two physicians interested.