Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-16
Blood Test Will Tell.
ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN MAKE IDENTICAL
TON CERTAIN.

Bertillon's world-f famed system of
anatomical measurement in the iden-
tification of criminals soon will be
cast into the historical morgue of once
great and useful discoveries If the
claims of DIR. e. T. Reichert, Euro
pean physician, are given full ere
dence. DR.. Reichert declares the blood
crystals of two nonrelated individuals
are highly dissimilar; that the blood
of murder victim found on garments
Of a suspect can be identified beyond
a doubt by microscopic examination,
that the blood crystals of children are
of the same form and character as
those of the father and mother. He
asserts his discovery will determine
definitely the parentage of child.
thus relieving the courts of the COM
plexity that has survived through civ
iliZation, and will make the convic-
ton of a life taker comparatively easy.
1t will remove the questionable cir
cumstantial evidence which has cost
innocent lives. DIR. Reichert tells of
his discovery in the following article.
My discovery concerning the char
acteristcs of blood may make the
murderer easy of detection, and the
divorce riddle, where there are chill
dren, easy of solution. Until now
there has been no absolutely reliable
method of distinguishing the blood
stains of man, animal, bird or reptile,
but now the difference can be shown
even between the blood stains of man
and mani
Thus l am able to differentiate be-
tween the blood of various human be-
ings to an extent that / have actually
discovered a difference in the shape
of the blood crystals of one man as
compared with those of another. But
my research work has not yet been
developed to the point where this diff
ferentiation can be determined in the
blood of all other persons.
/ have found, for instance, that there
are certain phenomena in the blood
crystal shapes of an Englishman
which are not apparent in the blood
of a Chinaman. But scientists who
have watched my Investigations are
of opinion that eventually there may
not be the slightest difficulty in the
application of my methods to all HUI
mans.
In my researches I have examined
blood specimens of approximately hair
a dozen men. / found IN each instance
there is an. actual difference in the
shape of their respective blood crys-
tails, which has made it possible for
me to determine to just what man
certain specimens Of blood belong. It
e
| base my assertion that eventually
a scientific system will be worked out
by which it will be possible to make
the differentiation even more pro-
nounced than the famous Bertillon
finger print method.
In several instances l have found,
on examination of a child's blood crys-
tails, that there are certain phenomena
present in the blood of child which
also are apparent in the blood OF the
father. On the other hand, the same
phenomena do not exist in the blood
of the mother, as compared with that
of the child, and vice versa.
Just why this difference in crystals
shapes should be so pronounced In
the parents when compared with the
child | have not. yet been able to de-
termine. This much is evident, how
ever, that there is a difference, and
that there ultimately will be worked
out a scientific method whereby it
will be possible for any scientist to
determine through comparisons of the
crystals just who are the parents OF
a certain child. The value of this dis
coyery as an aid to the courts in the
solution of perplexing divorce suits is
at once apparent.
The discovery has the additional
value of providing a new method of
substantiating Darwin's doctrine OF
evolution, and of tracing the relation
ship between different species of an
imals, as reflected in the chemical con-
ditions and shape of their blood crys-
tails.
This discovery has already thrown So
Illuminating a light over portions of
cur knowledge Of natural history that
scientists say the theory advanced BY
Darwin that, in some long distant past,
man has related to the more exalted
apes, is carried another step nearer
proof.
For Darwin was not able to produce
under the microscope, as | have, the
actual crystals of the eoloring matter
of the blood which prove the relation
ship not only between the ape and the
man, but also between them and the
baboon and the monkey, and that Gu
rious bat-like creature-probably in
the direct ancestral line of mantle
lemur. How the discovery affects our
knowledge of natural history can be
told in two sentences. In the old
method of classifying animals accord
ing to their tribe, the bear was al
ways placed in the same family as the
dog, the wolf and the fox.
By my method Of comparing the
blood crystals of these animals it has
been proved conclusively that the bear
is closely related to the sea lions and
the seals Gas suspected by certain
naturalists), and is not closely related
to the dog, the wolf or the fox.