Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16

or size Such great magnification as 10 10
diameters also shows alternate wtdenfngs
and narrowings in hand-drawn ink lines
Marks by the same individual show that the
average distances between the successive
thickest and thinnest portions remain about
the same These latter irregularities are
due to occurrences of pressure OF the pen,
and Dr. Frazer thinks 1t probable that In
persons of well-balanced nervous organfza-
ton they occur farther apart than IN per
sons not so well balanced; nervouslyc ,oo
Photographs of lines thus magntfed 10
diameters and over are made with the pno-
tomicrograph apparatus, which Is com
bination of the camera and telescope. Such
photographs DIR. Frazer has termed trem-
ograms." and he permits me to reproduce
several of them with this article. You VIII
note that the tremogram OF the line drawn
with a ruling machine lacks the larger
Irregularities and the rhythmic widenings
an narrowings characteristic of that from
the hand-drawn ink line. Before the Frank
lin Institute few weeks ago Dr. frazer
made an interesting comparison OF tremo-
grams from forgeries of the same name py
three different persons with trenograms or
the natural writing of each OF the forgers.
There were forty-eight forged signatures
represented, and DR.. Frazer readily traced
them to their sources, showing that one OF
the three men executed sixteen, another
twenty and the other twelve. DR.. Frazer
says that the scientific study of handwriting
belongs to the science OF experimental psy-
chology. pure and simple, as Is acknowl-
edged by some of the worlds greatest AN
thropologists-such as Binet of France.
Analyses Ink on Paper.
Chemical analyses of ink figure much in
court and frequently determine the fate of
those concerned in the suit. In one noted
case for example, there was in dispute a
document alleged to have been written at
a certain date. The expert for the opposite
side analysed the ink, found 1t to be anilne.
and since the alleged date of the document
was before the discovery of aniline dyes he
thus won the suit for his attorneys. Ink
analysis throws light also upon the question
whether suspected manuscripts have been
altered for inks differ vastly in composition.
Hitherto it has been necessary to mutilate
manuscripts in order that samples of the
ink might be obtained for the chemist But
DR.. Frazer lately invented "colorimeter,
which analyses the ink upon the paper.
The light reflected from a delicate ink lire
Is passed through colored prisms. For this
invention the city of Philadelphia recently
| awarded him the Scott medal and premium.
Finding Sex and Age From Bones.
Bones constitute a grimmer class Of ex-
hibits figuring frequently in criminal cases.
A skeleton, or often a detached portion,
found amid suspicious surroundings. often
lays the foundation for a great murder case.
One of the first tests undertaken by the
medico-legal expert is to determine the sex
of the remains II the entire skeleton is
intact this is an easy matter. But sup
pose the body has been burned or dis
tointed and that only small fragments Of
bone remain. Here, for example, is jaw
bone-the only fragment intact How can
one determine the sex of a mere jaw bone?
In laboratory the other day 1 saw an in
genious device invented for this very pur-
pose. 1t consists of a small wooden plat
form against which the Bottom of the jaw
bone Is rested, and hinged to which there
is a board that may be raised until it
comedies with the angle formed by the