The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-27

b
- wat The coroner asserted he would
nnd' 10 aid him in his investigation.
-" mere had that coroner first read or
Aeald or the possibility. which made so
strong an impression on him that he
IisAed the ridicule that might follow and
me adverse criticism his medical knowl-
edge would be subjected TO?
certain It IS that the idea made such
profound Impression on him that ne
may De regarded for scientific purposes
as IN an autO-hypnotic condition. and
that the sudden ordinations of himself
ana Mr. Marsh were Suggestion, o.
the strongest character TO impress the
subjective sensoriums Of his auditors.
now FULLY controlled by awe and expecta-
ton.
Ihat the environment prepared all eX-
cept the coroner for the Impressions they
received VIII be seen by a subsequent
event in connection with this investisa-
tlon. The eyes were again examined.
FOUR hours later, after their removal
from the heads and at distance from the
scene Of the tragedy.
At this examination, amid accustomed
surroundings, Mr.. Marsh states that he
saw only the lower part Of the image
which was apparent a few hours before
and that that part which he then saw was
so very faint as to induce him to state
Had / seen the eye only at this second
examination, 1 would have been positive
OF nothing, so vague was the view as then
observed" At this same examination
when Photographer Prudden (who had not
been at the first examination Of the ewes
in the dead woman's head, at the scene
of the tragedy, looked for the first time
on the dead eyes with a microscope, not
only failed to see an image, but the opacity
was such as he could not see the retina
though he spent two hours in the exami-
nation of the eyes and removed the crys-
taline lens and washed the surfaces with
alcohol and ether in his. endeavor to rem
der them transparent
This, to my mind, strengthens the con-
viction that these reputable people, who
were present at the first examination,
were during the time of that investigation,
in a hypnotic condition and that
the Suggestion" making the pic
ture on their minds was the ex-
clamation of the coroner and the
druggist That the coroner was in an
autohypnotic condition, induced by the
strength and imperative nature of the
idea that he would find an image foE If
he simply wished to investigate the mat
ter he would have made his examination
without outlining his hopes to others.
There is no doubt that if the coroner
was in as placid and unbiased state of
mind as the photographer, Prudden, he
would have found the eyes just as opaque
! as did that gentleman.
The exceeding difficulty and the neces-
sary auxiiiaries in the examination of an
eye in life, that has for its object the de-
| termination of the condition of the retina.
is so great that it is hardly worth spend
ing the time in discussing the insurmount-
able obstacles to an examination worthy
of the term, under the conditions as de-
scribed at jamestown.
1t may be of interest to discuss the
basis for the assumption that inspired
the coroner's efforts at the examination
referred to. The tradition is an old one
and is allied to others that have long
since been discarded, such as the be-
lief that the wounds of the victims will
bleed afresh if the assassin will but touch
the body, etc 1t is a myth that obtrudes
itself at intervals and has done so for a
few centuries. Like many other myths, it
has been investigated by scientific men,
hoping TO lay it for all time The last series
of experiments in this line were conducted
in Vienna about 1876 to which l will
briefly allude later on.
Theaeye we may regard as camera,
consisting of a series Of lenses and media.
arranged in q dark chamber, the iris
serving diaphragm, and the object Of
the apparatus is to form on the retnl
distinctimage of external objects.
Without entering into the anatomical
arrangement OF the retina, too particu-
arly, we may describe ii as consisting of
two portions, ca pigmentary; Co termi-
nal elements of the optic nerve. A strik-
ing fact is the abundance Of black pig
ment in the retinal epithelium. This pig
ment is sensitive TO light but changes in
dueed in it by light are very slow It is
the one referred to in some of the scien-
tiic comments on the foregoing story
from Jamestown, as corresponding to the
material that renders the photographers
plate sensitive To show that this is an
error as to its being essential to visual
| perceptions, it will be only necessary to
mention the fact that this pigment is alb
sent in albnos, yet they have fairly dis
tinct vision. In addition to this pigment
there is also a purplish red pigment, called
by some psychologists visual purple"
and by others "rhodopsin." This pigment
is highly sensitive to light.
If an eye in its normal condition be
kept covered with the eyelid for some
time in dark room, or if a newly ex-
cised eye be kept in darkness, and the
image of some bright object, as a lamp
or a lighted candle, etc, be thrown on
the retna suddenly. the portion on which
the rays fail will be found bleached,
the. remaining parts of the retina being
the usual purple, giving US the so-called
optograrn. Now, if the retina be quickly
removed and treated with a 4 per cent.
solution of potash-alum, before the
bleaching effect is destroyed, the bleached
image is. in Photographic parlance,
| fixed" This has been done by Edwald,
Keuhne and other scientific men on the
eyes of rabbits, frogs, etc, and in one
experiment on the human eye, the mat
ter was fully and satisfactorily deter
mined It was in Vienna-the man,
condemned criminal. was kept in com
pIete darkness for several hours previous
to his execution, he was instructed to
fix his gaze intently on building facing
the place of his execution, on which
very bright light fell. When the black
can was pulled over his head the eye
was prevented from accepting any fresh
image or picture; the execution followed
! Immediately, and the examination held
on the eyes within a few minutes after
| the execution, resulted in finding the
buIlding as an outlined object on the ret
ina. The details were wanting and the
picture faded rapidly. This experiment
and nearly all the others up to date of
a similar character, have never LETT any
more satisfactory DATA than that under
Tho most favorable conditions, strong
| Iiebt or a. well Illuminated object can only
leave its outline on the retlna. Inc de-
tars faded too rapidly to even be OBJ
lone