The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25
conversation drifted away in other

CndnnelS.
AS we made our way to the hospital
after leaving the Holborn, Stamford
gave me a few more particulars about
the gentleman whom l proposed to
take a fellow ledger.
You mustn't blame ME If you don't
get on with him." he said: 81 know
nothing more of him than I have
learned from meeting him occasion
ally in the laboratory. You proposed
this arrangement. so you must not
hold me responsible"
"If we don't get on 1t will be easy to
part company" I answered. at seems
to me, Stamford l added, looking
hard at my companion, that you have
some reason for washing your hands
Of the matter. Is this fellows temper
so formidable. or what is It? Don't
be mealy-mouthed about IT."
at Is not easy to express the mex
p~ressible," he answered with a laugh.
Holmes Is a little too scientific for
my tastcs-it approaches to cold blood
edness. I could imagine his giving a
friend a little pinch of the latest vege-
table alkaloid, not out of malevolence,
you understand. but simply out of a
spirit of inquiry in order to AVE an
accurate idea of the effects. To do
him justice, 1 think that he would take
1t himself with the same readiness.
He appears to have a passion for
definite and exact knowledge"
Very right, too"
YES: but 1t may be pushed ito ex-
cess. When 1t comes to beating the
subjects In the dissecting-rooms with
a stick, it is certainly taking rather a
bizarre shape"
Beating the subjects!"
Yes, to verify how far bruises may
be produced after death. l saw him
at 1t with my own eyes"
And yet you say he is not a medical
student?"
mo. Heaven knows what the OBJ
jects of his studies are! But here we
are. and you must form your W i'm
pressions about him"
As he spoke. we turned down a mar
row lane and passed through a small
side door, which opened into a wing
of the great hospital. It was familiar
ground to me, and I needed no guild
ing as we ascended the bleak stone
staircase and made our way down the
long corridor with it's vista of white
washed wall and ~dun-colored doors.
Near the further end a low, arched
passage branched away from 1t and
led to the chemical laboratory.
This was a lofty chamber. lined and
Uttered with countless bottles. Broad,
low tables were scattered about. which
bristled with r~etorts, test-tubes. and
little Bunsen lamps. with their blue
pickering flames. There was only one
student in the room. who was bending
over a distant table absorbed In his
work. At the sound of our steps he
glanced round and sprang to his feet
with a cry of pleasure.
i've found It! I've found I'll" ne
shouted to my companion, running
toward US with a test-tube in his hand
81 have found a reagent which Is pre-
cipitated by ~haemoglobin, n by moth
ing else"
Had he discovered a gold mine,
greater delight could not have shone
upon his features.
"Dr. watson-Mr. Sherlock Holmes"
said Stamford. introducing us.
How are your" he said. cordially
gripping my hand with a strength for
which I should hardly given him credit.
you have been In Afghanistan, I pre-
ceive."
How on earth did YOU know that?"
l asked, in establishment.
Never mind,'' said he, chuck!ing t.
himself. THE question now Is about
~haemoglobin. No doubt you see the
significance of this discovery of mine?'
at is Interesting, chemically, no
doubt I answered.; "but practical
ly-"
"why, man. 1t is the most practical
medico-legal discovery for years.
~ I-A ID a.. ~ In
fallible test for blood-stains? Come
over here, now!" He seized me by the
coat-sleeve in his eagerness. and drew
me over to the table at which he had
been working. LET us have some
fresh Blood he said, digging n long
bodkin into his finger, and drawing off
the resulting drop of blood In a chemi-
cal pipette. "Now, I add this small
quantity of blood to a litre Of water.
You perceive that the resulting mix
ture has the appearance of true water.
The proportion of blood cannot be
more than one in a million, I lave
no doubt, however, that we shall be
able to obtain the characteristic re-
action"
AS he spoke, he threw into the ves-
sci a. few white crystals, and then
added some drops of a transparent
fluid. In an instant the contents as
sumed a. dull mahogany color, and a
brownish dust was precipitated to the
bottom of the glass jar.
"Ha! hai' he cried, clapping his
hands and looking as delighted as a
child with a new toy. What do you
think of that?"
at seems to be a very delicate test"
l remarked.
Beautiful beautiful. The old quail
acum test was very clumsy and uncer-
tain. So Is the microscopic examina-
ton for blood-corpuscles. The latter Is
valueless II the stains are a few hours
old. Now. this appears to act as well
whether the blood is old or new. Had
this test been invented. there are hun-
dreds of men now walking the earth
who would long ago have paid the pen
atty of their crimes"
Indeed" 1 murmured.
Criminal cases are continually hing
ing upon that one point. A man Is sus-
pected of a crime months perhaps after
It has been committed His linen or
clothes are examined, n brownish
stains discovered upon them. Are they
blood-stains, or mud-stains, or rust
stains, or fruit-stains. or what are
thew? That is q question which has