Evening journal., 1903-02-09
NEW METHOD OF
TESTING BLOOD.
Professor Robin Tells How
He Will Make the Ex-
animation
TEST TO Be MADE ON ANIMALS

Il is Somewhat Intricate, But is Pro-
nouneed Far Superior to the Old Way
of Determining BY Microscopic Ex-
animation.
Professor Robin, OF Delaware College
Is making a new test to ascertain the
character Of the blood stains found
upon uhe articles at the Collins home
stead, near Laurel. where Mrs. Aida
Collins was murdered Her husband is
In Jail awaiting trial for her death. Re
earding the test Professor Robin said:
"The test Is not really new one.
The discovery of this method OF as
containing the presence of human blood
was made several years ago. 1 do not
know just who Is entitled TO the honor
of the discovery. Several German and
French scientists have been expert
menting with it for several years.
IL would not be willing to say that 1t
Is such an absolute test that it will en-
tirely take the place of the old tests and
lrevoutionize medical jurisprudence in
that respect. but It Is a very delicate one
land i'm connection with the other tests
will add TO the certainty Of the results.
"Tho old test of measuring and not
ing the size of blood corpuscles TO dis
tinguish the human blood from that Of
other animals / have never considered
a certain one. It has never been suf-
hcienty proved that the blood corpus
cles taken from dried blood could be
made TO resume their original size.
"The new test is made by the use of
serum from an immunized animal as q
lreagent That is. one OF the smaller
animals, such as a rabbit Is made inn
mune 20 human blood by repeated iniec-
tions of human blood into its system.
"a solution Of the substance supposed
TO contain the human blood is made and
diluted until Il Is perfectly clear An
llnhnitesimal drop of serum from the inn
munized animal is added TO the solution
in the test tube.
Blood Will Show.
"If there Is human blood there, with
I'm q quarter of an hour q slight cloudi-
ness will be observed. This increases
until sometimes IN half an hour from
The time the experiment began. but
certainly within an hour. q decided pre-
cipitation. takes place and a sediment
will be found at the bottom Of the tube
III there is no human blood In the
substance from which the solution is
made there will be no such precipita-
tion in that time There may be a pre-
icipitation after a lapse of several hours.
but it is not caused by the presence of
human blood. The time is the supreme
test
while the precipitation within the
given time, that is within one hour. Is
proof that human blood Is there its alb
cence Is not proof that it is not present.
"Ihe animal may not have been made
sufficiently immune. have I'm my
own experiments had such experiences
The test failed TO show the presence OF
the blood when I knew absolutely that
IL was there. I gave the animal more
injections. and after the lapse Of a day
)or two again applied the test and goi
the expected result
"lt cannot be depended upon as Z
proof of the absence of human blood
but when the precipitation takes place
within the hour it may be considered az
an absolute proof Of its presence.
j The experiments along this line arr
likely to cause a great change in meth
DDS of diagnosing certain diseases fo
the same principle applies to other sub
- stances, each substance when taken IN
= the shape of serum from an immunize,
n animal acting in the same way as
}, reajust for itself