accused can have no just cause of challenge or com plaint.

"That the Council should alone have the power of appointing a committee to investigate into any charges, and which shall consist of not less than 7 or more than 12 members of the Council or Society, and their report and findings on the charges shall be approved of by the Council before submitting same to the High Court of Justice, and that the High Court of Justice shall have power to vary or alter a report of the Council suggesting the removal of a solicitor from the roll; but that in no case shall have authority to remove his name from the roll without the report of the Council approving of that proceeding."

Mr. CORNELIUS WALSH seconded the motion.

Mr. R. K. CLAY said the only matter possessing any new feature of interest in these resolutions was that which had reference to giving apprentices liberty to hold other offices during their apprenticeship, and, so far as he was concerned, he could see no objection to apprentices occupying the position of linen drapers and other respectable businesses during their apprenticeship. He thought the Council ought to have submitted some statement on the subject to the Society.

The CHAIRMAN said that in 1885 the principle of that Bill was submitted to the Society.

Mr. CLAY.-Then I am to take it that this is merely A reproduction of the Bill that was adopted by the Society in 1885.

The CHAIRMAN.-Yes; and to make our position conformable with that of the solicitors in England' under the recent Bill.

Mr. CLAY said then he did not think any sufficient cause bad been shown to justify them in going back upon what they adopted in 1885.

The resolution was then put, and rejected, the proposer and seconder only voting for the motion.

Mr. HARKAN then moved

"That the Council of the Society be requested to take into consideration the propriety of suggesting to the Government that it would be an advisable measure to submit to Parliament a Bill to amend the Act 40 & 41 Victoria, chapter 57, constituting the Court of Appeal in civil canses in Ireland, by enacting that the paisne judges of the Queen's Bench and Exchequer, the Vice-Chancellor, and judge of the Probate Court, should be ex-officio members of the Court, and should act as such when required with the ordinary members of the Court, and that five judges should in all cases constitute a quorum.”

The resolution was not seconded.

The PRESIDENT said he was very glad there was no one present to second the motion. He thought the society bad enough to do without dealing with matters which did not immediately belong to them. He looked upon the Court of Appeal as a very admirable tribunal, and he was glad that they had no more substantial grievance than that put forward-than that which was contained in this resolution.

Mr. WM. FRY, junr., moved—

"That this meeting baving heard that the judges contemplate framing a general order to alter the date of the commencement and termination of the Long Vacation, hereby desire to say that, in the opinion of the society, as stated in the annual report, the Long Vacation should begin in July instead of in August, and terminate in October."

The change would result in benefit to both branches of the legal profession and to the public at large.

Mr. R. CLAY seconded the resolution, which was supported by Mr. Friery and passed.

Mr. CAREY moved

"That a special meeting of the society should be called for the purpose of considering the measure now before Parliament affecting the solicitors' profession and referred to by Mr. Harkan in bis resolution."

Mr. FRIERY seconded the resolution.

Mr. STANUELL explained that the measure had re

ceived the most careful consideration of the council, and, in fact, had been before Parliament for several years. Mr. CAREY said that, having regard to that explanation, he would withdraw his resolution.

The proceedings then terminated.

DEATH OF MR. JAMES W. MURLAND.

It is with deep regret we announce the sudden death of Mr. J. W. Murland, which took place on the 20th inst., at his residence, Nutley, Stillorgan road, Booterstown. The deceased gentleman, whose loss will be widely felt in Dublin, where he was one of the most prominent citizens, was universally known and respected in commercial circles, where his integrity of character and great administrative ability were fully recognised and appreciated. Mr. Murland, who was in his 76th year, had in his youth a distinguished University career, and was a member of the Bar of Ireland, having been called in the Easter Term of 1837. He was at the time of his death the chairman of a great banking institution-the Royal Bank and was for many years the chairman of the Great Northern Railway Company. He was also a commissioner of National Education; deputy chairmau of the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and Director of the Dundalk, Newry, and Greeuore Railway Company. Mr. Marland had not recently been complaining of ill-health, and no later than the day previous to his death had been at the Royal Bank offices, Foster-place, transacting bis ordinary official duties. He was found dead in bed yesterday morning. His death will be sincerely mourned by all classes, and especially by the poor, whose waute he was ever ready to relieve, being a large contributonto local charities.-Irish Times.

CRIMINAL APPEAL.

Sir Henry James's Bill for establishing a Court of Criminal Appeal has now been printed, and will provide Parliament with more matter for intelligent discussion than it can be confidently hoped that Parlia ment-or, at any rate, the House of Commons-will intelligently discuss. Its general effect is to establish a Court, to be called the Court of Criminal Appeal, of which the judges are to be the judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal, "with the exception of the Lord Chancellor." It may sit in two or more divisions, each consisting of not more than seven or less than three judges. The Bill abolishes the present Court for Crowu Cases Reserved (by repealing 11 & 12 Viot., c. 78), and provides for the performance of its present functions by the new Court, with an appeal by leave, in questions of law, to the House of Lords. These are not importaut innovations, and the interest of the Bill at present lies in the new appeals which it proposes to create.

Every person convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death is to be entitled to send to the Master of the Crown Office, within seven days after his sentence, & written statement, "setting forth the ground of his appeal," and thereupon the Court is to be summoned and to sit as soon as conveniently may be, if possible within twenty-one days. The Court is to have power to quash the "indictment and the proceedings thereon," or to enter a verdict of Not Guilty, if it is made to appear to them that the proceedings were technically irregular, or that the judge ought to have withdrawn the case from the jury. If they think that "the verdict was against the evidence or was not founded ou sufficient evidence," or that there or was misreception misrejection of evidence to the prisoner's prejudice, or that the jury were misdirected in law, or that there was miscarriage of justice owing to some informality in the trial," or the non-production of evidence whether known or not to the defeudant at the time of trial," they may order a new trial; but a second new trial is not to be ordered on the ground of non-production of evidence known to the defendant. It will be observed that the important provision here is the power to award

a new trial because the verdict was "not founded on sufficient evidence." The idea of a capital conviction "against the evidence," in the accepted sense of those words-namely, that no reasonable men could possibly have found such a verdict unless they were perversely determined to find it-is so remote that it is not worth while to alter the law on that account. All the other events are practically provided for already, because in cases of murder judges and prosecuting counsel are always ready enough, and defending counsel more than ready enough, to raise legal questions for the prisoner's benefit, and reserve cases upon them if necessary. Still, the method of new trial is more satisfactory in these cases for the ends of justice, though considerably less satisfactory to the prisoner, than the existing plan whereby the irregularly tried convict, instead of being tried over again regularly, is allowed to go free and cannot be tried again. The proposed new trial on the ground that the verdict "was not founded on sufficient evidence" is new and importaut, because all the convicted murderers who want to appeal under this Act will be able to allege this ground of appeal, and the strong probability is that the great majority of them will not be able to allege any other. This is, in fact, almost the only passage in the Bill which will have any interest for the general public. All the rest consists of technical re-arrangements of a rather technical branch of the law, on the whole, it seems, for the better, though perhaps not to the advantage of convicted persons.Saturday Review.

A MICROMETRIC STUDY OF 4,000 RED BLOODCORPUSCLES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. By MARSHALL D. EWELL, A.M., M.D., LL.D., F.R.M.S., Professor of Common Law in Union College of Law, Chicago, &c.

Since the time when Joseph's wicked brethren dipped his beautiful coat of many colours in the blood of a kid, for the purpose of deceiving their father, the subject of the identification of blood has been an object of more or less interest. Many methods have been proposed by which this end might be accomplished. Early in this century (1829) prominent medico-legal jurists, when called to testify on the trial of persons accused of murder, testified that by the sense of smell blood could be identified when treated with from one-half to onethird its bulk of sulphuric acid.

More recently it has been claimed that blood could be identified by the so-called "blood pictures" caused by the evaporation of a solution of its red colouring matter upon glass.

Again it has been claimed that it could be identified by a comparison of the forms of hæmatin crystals. It seems unnecessary to state that these methods are now entirely abandoned.

Among the methods still in use to a greater or less extent may be mentioned Teichmann's process by ohtaining bæmin crystals. This method, however, often fails.

The guaiacam test is still used to some extent, and in Connection with other tests will often be found useful; but is open to some fallacies.

Among the tests which are not open to fallacy is the spectroscopio test, by the comparison of blood spectra. This test, however, only identifies blood as being mammalian blood and does not serve to identify the animal from which it came. In this connection the recent test proposed by Dr. S. Monckton Copeman, of England, should be mentioned. This test has not, however, been sufficiently long in use to euable oue to speak of its merits.

Another test is the identification of red blood-corpusales by means of the microscope. Whenever circular, DOU-nucleated blood-corpuscles are thus found, their presence is proof of mammalian blood. Ever since 1846 it has been claimed with more or less positiveness that with certain limitations the different species of mammalian blood can be positively identified by the

micrometrical measurement of the red corpuscles. The late Dr. Richardson, of Philadelphia, was the most prominent advocate of this claim; and lately the claim has been renewed by Dr. Formad, of the same city, with even more positiveness than by Dr. Richardson. The celebrated controversy between Dr. Richardson and Dr. Woodward is probably fresh in the recollection of most readers. Dr. Richardson has stated, however, in an article published in Vol. 13 of the Monthly Microscopical Journal (London), on page 215, that so far as be was aware there was in 1875 "no method known to science, microscopical or otherwise, for distinguishing the blood of the dog, monkey, rabbit, musk-rat, elephant, lion, whale, seal, or in fact any mammal whose corpuscles measure more than 1.4000 of an inch in diameter."

Thus stood the controversy until 1888, when Dr. Formad, on page 28 of his "Essay on Comparative Studies of Mammalian Blood," refers to the work of Dr. Richardson in the following terms: "He was one of the most prominent advocates of the positive diagnosis of human blood from that of all domestic animals by means of micrometry under high amplification." Again on page 29 he uses this language: "Surely human blood can be told from that of all domestic animals, not counting the guinea-pig as a domestic animal. It depends, however, on whose figures are accepted for the mean diameter of this animal's corpuscles whether the guinea-pig's blood may be mistaken for human." The above quotation from the article by Dr. Richardson seems quite unambiguous, and does not seem to warrant the statement of Dr. Formad, above quoted.

This question has engaged the attention of the writer & considerable portion of his leisure since 1885. In the investigation of this question several preliminary questions present themselves for solution; among these is that of standards of length. Unless one is acquainted with the errors, if any, of the micrometer used by him as the standard upon which his measurements are based, the results obtained by him are positively worthless. Any one who has given this subject any attention can easily discover that if there was ever an absolutely perfect micrometer put upon the market its perfection was due to accident and not to art. Errors in micrometry may arise from several sources, the principal of which are: 1st, errors in the ultimate subdivision of the stage micrometer used; 2nd, errors in the valuation of one division of the eye-piece micrometer used; 3rd, errors of focus, and 4th, what is known as the personal equation. A full discussion of these sources of error would occupy more space than is allotted for this entire article. That such errors exist and are not insensible can be easily ascertained by any observer possessing the requisite apparatus and skill and patience in their use.

Eye-piece micrometers used in this sort of work are usually the ordinary Jackson micrometer or the filar micrometer. The method employed by some observers of projecting an image of the corpuscles on paper by means of the camera lucida is open to so many objections as to be entirely unreliable. As to the relative merits of the Jackson and filar micrometers it may be state, as the result of observations made by the writer for the express purpose of determining this question, that with low powers the filar micrometer is vastly superior; with very high powers, on the other hand, there does not seem to be very much difference between them in the hands of a competent observer; and in the measurement of blood corpuscles errors arising from the use of the Jackson micrometer will be practically insensible as compared with errors arising from defective focusing and improper manipulation of the light. In measurements with high powers defective focusing and improper manipulation of the light may be fruitful sources

of error.

In the observations hereinafter recorded the value of one division of the eye-piece micrometers was determined from a long series of observations of different subdivisions of "Centimeter A" of the American Society of Microscopists, and of a speculum centimeter

which had been carefully compared therewith, and with standards in the possession of the United States coast survey office; so that considerable confidence is felt in their accuracy.

The instruments employed consisted of a Spencer 1-10 homogeneous immersion objective, in connection with a Bausch and Lomb amplifier, giving an amplification of 1500 diameters; a Zeiss 1-18 homogeneous immersion objective, giving an amplification of 1800 diameters; a Bullock professional stand No. 2; a Bullock filar micrometer, and a Jackson micrometer ruled to 1-1000 of an inch. With the Spencer 1-10 and amplifier one divisiou of the filar micrometer eqalled 1-1000000 of an inch; and with the Zeiss 1-18 and Jackson micrometer one division equalled 0.1725 mikrons. In the earlier observations the English scale was used; but in the later ones the metric scale was used exclusively.

Having disposed of these preliminary considerations the question arises, in what condition shall the corpuscles be measured, dry or wet? All of the observations hereinafter recorded, except when otherwise mentioned, were made with a thin film of blood spread upon a slide or cover-glass and allowed to dry, this being the method usually adopted by workers in this department of micrometry.

The first question proposed for solution is, is there a constant, coutinuing average diameter of the blood corpuscles of the same person, and how many corpuscles must be measured in order to ascertain it? In endeavouring to settle this questiou the writer in 1885 measured six hundred and fifty corpuscles taken from bis finger, prepared in the manner above described and measured with a Spencer 1-10 and filar micrometer under as nearly identical conditions as possible. The results of these observations will be found in the following table:

results obtained, it is usually impossible to separate them and to say exactly how much is due to one and how much to the other.

Some years since, in order to test the relative accuracy of micrometric measurements with different apparatus in the hands of different competent observers, the writer ruled on a glass slide 15 spaces of approximately .004 and .008 inch, without applying any corrections for the errors of the screw of the ruling engine, and put the slide in the hands of a well-known microscopist, who has had much experience in micrometry, with the request that he measure the spaces and transmit the results to the writer under cover of a sealed envelope, and then hand the plate to some other competeut observer, who should do the same, and so on. No one of the observers knew the results arrived at by the others till the work was entirely completed, and the tabulated results read at a meeting of the State Microscopical Society held in Chicago. The results were quite striking. As will be noticed, all the observers used Rogers' stage micrometers, which, as is well known, are the most accurate scales in the market. Nevertheless the discrepancy in the these measurements amounted in many instances to nearly 3 mikrons. These measurements were not made by novices, but by expert manipulators, most of whom have had long experience in the use of the microscope and micrometer.

The table needs no further explanation than that the measurements are to the nearest hundred thousandth of an inch.

The English, rather than the metric system, was chosen for the reason that some of the observers had no metric scale, and it was thought advisable that each series of measurements should be on the same scale as well as entirely independent of the others. Under each measurement will be found the correction "+” or “—” necessary to make the measurement equal to the

(4) .315 = 8.00

100: July 11,

(6)

(5) ..316 = 8.03 .3188.08

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 417 415 411 407 409 408 405 +5

404

+6 +6 +4 -1 -1 +2

+4

410 407

408

498

408

Prof. B.

Mr. B.

1 2 .00840" 843 -1 +2 +2

3

4 832 815 822

5

+3 +2

Smallest corpuscle of the 650, Largest corpuscle of the 650,

1 mikron

From these observations it would seem that when the subject, daring the entire period through which the observations extend (such period not being long, 18 days in this case), is and continues, as respects his bodily bealth, in substantially the same condition, and at least one hundred blood corpuscles are measured under identical conditions, there is an average size sensibly constant; but it is to be observed that these observations do not determine whether this mean size continues constant, whether it changes from year to year, or whether the same mean would be obtainable by another observer. These questions require further observation. The notorious discrepancies between the averages obtained from the measurement of the blood corpuscles of animals of the same species by different observers, and the discrepancies between the measurements of the same ruled spaces by different observers hereinafter to be described would seem to indicate that some of these questions should be answered in the negative.

Are the discrepancies in the measurements made by different observers, found in their published results, due to real differences in the diameter of the blood corpuscles, or may they be explained by errors of measurement, or are they due to both causes combined? These differences are notorious, amounting to nearly two mikrons in some cases. As errors of observation and real differences of size, if they exist, both enter into the

Mr. H.

Mr. S.

Dr. E.

Mean.

839 845 834 818 823

In discussing the results of this table, it will be observed that every observer used a standard stage micrometer by the same maker. The greater part of the discrepancies in the above results are probably due to a variety of sources of error, partly instrumental and partly perso al, which, with the data at hand, it would not be easy to designate with certainty, but the principal of which are probably the failure of most of the observers to make a sufficiently large number of measurements, both in determining the value of oue division of the eye-piece micrometer and also in the direct measurement of the spaces to be measured. The probable error of a single comparison of a long series of comparisons made by the writer with a filar micrometer and 4" objective between the standard of the American Society of Microscopists and his own standard micrometer was, by the method of least squares, 38-100 of a mikron = (approximately) 1-62500 of an inch; while

the probable error of the result of 55 comparisons (880 single micrometer readings) was only 5-100 of a mikron, or approximately 1-500000 of an inch. The discrepancy between some of the measurements in the above table and the mean of the whole is as great as 1-17000 of an incb, while the difference between some of the results of the different observers is greater than 1-9000 of an inch, and had not the mean of at least five measurements been taken in every instance, this discrepancy must have been much greater. As it is, it is greater than the greatest difference between the different measurements of the blood corpuscles of man and some common domestic animals, e.g., dogs. The bearing of these results upon the measurements of blood corpuscles is obvious. To the objection that a low power was used in every instance it may be answered that where the power is high enough to make the object clearly visible and of an appreciable size, as was the case in these measurements, and where a series of measurements is made, the result is practically the same as if a higher power were used. At least such is the writer's experience in comparing lengths from 1-100 inch up to 4 inches.

The late Dr. Richardson claimed that the results obtained by him were largely due to the use of a very high power, 2500 to 5000 diameters. From a series of measurements of the same spaces with medium and high powers (360 to 2250 diameters), the writer is satisfied that this claim is not well founded. The results obtained with a objective were almost identical with those obtained with a Spencer 1-25 and Zeiss 1-18. In these observations a filar micrometer was used in every instance. Full details will be found in the proceedings of the American Society of Microscopists, 1889, P. 64.

In order to illustrate somewhat more fully the fact that identical results are not to be expected even by the same observer when the measurements are made at different sittings, the three series of measurements made by the writer (the mean of which is given in the above table) are here given, from which it will appear that even with the best apparatus varying results are to be expected. The first series, which is the mean of five measurements, was made with an excellent Bulloch filar micrometer, a Bulloch stand, and a 3-5 Zeiss objective; the second, which is also the mean of five measurements, was made at another sitting with the same apparatus, except that a 1" Zeiss objective was used. The third series of three measurements was made with a Rogers' screw comparator, the screw of which has no perceptible error. The value of one division of the filar micrometer and the index of the comparator was in each case determined from the same standard after a large number of measurements, and the different series were made as nearly under the same conditions as possible. The results arrived at are probably as harmonious as could be expected from the small number of micrometer readings.

great. It seems to the writer that most workers in this line have commenced at the wrong end of the subject and taken for granted the most important parts of the process, error in which will invalidate every subsequent step.

Since the above measurements were made the writer bas ruled another slide in spaces rauging from 1-2500 tɔ 1-5000 of an inch and submitted the same to several experts for measurement; but supervening illness has prevented a reduction of these observations and they must therefore be reserved for future publication.

All the proceeding measurements of blood corpuscles refer to fresh blood from a healthy adult. Four inquiries are here opened up: (1) as to the effect of desiccation of blood in a clot; (2) the effect of age upon the size of the corpuscles; (3) the effect of disease, aud (4) the effect of various other physical conditions, such as fasting, the exhibition of drugs, &c.

1. As to the effect of desiccation of blood corpuscles in a clot: The question which meets us here at the outset is, can corpuscles once shrunken and deformed by drying in a clot be restored to their normal size? That the difficulty of the identification of the blood corpuscles is greatly multiplied by desiccation in a clot is conceded by even the most sanguine of the advocates of such identification. Dr. Formad, who is, perhaps, more positive in his conclusions than any other writer, insists, on page 55 of the essay above cited, that in the medico. legal case not less than 500 measurements of the corpuscles must have been made. Various formulæ for restoring re-agents are to be found in the books, the favourite ones of which appear to be: the normal salt solution (per cent.), a 10 per cent, solution of glycerine, and a 30 per cent. to 33 per cent. solution of caustic potasb. Various other formule will be found in the books. Returning now to the question above propounded, whether corpuscles once shrunken by drying in a clot can be restored to their normal size anl condition, the writer asserts, without fear of successful contradiction, that the affirmative to said question, so far as appears in the literature on the subject, is a pure and gratuitons assumption, unsupported by evidence. In order to settle the question it would be necessary first to measure the corpuscles in their fresh state, theu to submit them to the process of drying in a clot, then to restore them by means of some alleged restorative solution, and then remeasure the same corpuscles in their restored condition. So far as we can ascertain this has never been done. The writer has tried various favourite solutions recommended by the principal authors upon this subject, and the results arrived at were such as to destroy all confidence in such alleged restoration. Among other solutions he has used a 10 per cent. solution (specific gravity 1028) of chemically pure glycerine, mauufactured by James S. Kirk and Co., of this city; and also a 10 per cent. solution of Price's glycerine, the normal salt solution, and a 30 per cent. solution of caustic potash, but to no purpose.

As a rule blood brought to the medical jurist for examination is presented to him in a more or less disorganized and demoralized condition on scraps of paper, cloth, leather, plaster, wood, etc., which have been subjected to the Lord only knows what conditions and vicissitudes, unknown factors which for aught the observer knows may materially affect the desired result. In view of what has been above written, to attempt to identify blood by the measurement of corpuscles under such circumstances requires more courage than the writer possesses.

2. As to the effect of age, it is conceded by all respectable authors that red blood corpuscles from very young auimals are larger and vary between wider extremes than those of healthy adults. These conclusions are corroborated by the observations hereinafter recorded uhon the blood of an infant 36 hours old and upon the blood of several young puppies.

3. That disease has an effect upon the size of the red blood corpuscles must be conceded by every one who has studied the subject. A variety of observations upon this subject will be found scattered throughout the

literature of the subject. There is a disease known as microcythemia which in particular has a most remarkable effect upon the size of the corpuscles. This disease will be found described in Ziegler's Pathological Anatomy, section_261, and more fully by Prof. Samuel (Koenigsberg): Realencyklopaedie der Gesammten Heilkunde, vol. xiii, p. 93. The average size of the corpuscles in this disease may run as low as six mikrous or even to two mikrous. In this disease observations have been made which are of particular importance in this connection, namely, that the average size of the corpuscles varied sensibly within a short time, in one recorded case within a period of three hours, the microcytes having within that time entirely disappeared, Without farther reference to the literature upon this subject, which would occupy too much space, the attention of the reader is invited to the accompanying series of measurements and plates of the blood of patients suffering from a variety of diseases. The diagnoses of the diseases of those patients, who were inmates of the Cook county hospital were taken from the daily records of the attending physicians having charge of the patients. The diagnoses of those cases from the South Side Dispensary were made by the physicians in charge at the time. The diagnoses of the two cases of pseudoleucocythæmia were made by Dr. Lester Curtis, of this city, to whom the author desires to express his obligatious for material assistance by way of references to the literature upon the subject. The blood measured was in every instance either drawn by the writer in person after an inspection of the patient, or by some one in his immediate presence, and it is believed that the diagnoses can be relied upon as correct.

4. As to the effect of fasting, we desire to make especial reference to the study by Dr. Lester Curtis of the blood of Mr. John Griscom made during a prolonged fast in the year 1881, which will be found reported in full in the proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 30. This study is very instructive, but lack of space precludes any extended quotations therefrom. Suffice it to say that the general conclusion to be derived from a perusal of this paper is that the effect of fasting is, among other things, to diminish the size and number of the red blood corpuscles. A great many very small corpuscles were found in the blood of this subject, some as small as the 1-12000 and 1-20000 of an inch in diameter. This observer also states that during this study he repeatedly saw blood corpuscles subdivide and form themselves into two circular red blood corpuscles in the field of the microscope.

It is well known that various drugs also affect the size of the red blood-corpuscles, but inasmuch as the writer has no observations of his own on this subject, he contents himself with a general reference to the literature upon the subject.

The bearing of these observations upon medico-legal cases involving the identification of blood by the measurement of red corpuscles is obvious. In such cases the specimen submitted for examination is usually if not always presented in the form of a clot which, as above stated, may and probably has been subjected to a multitude of variable factors. So long as these factors and their effects are unknown it seems to the writer the height of temerity to attempt to identify the blood; and in the present state of scientific knowledge for an expert to attempt such an identification without a precise knowledge of the existence and effect of all these factors is, in the words of Dr. Woodward, to render scientific exports more dangerous to society thau the very criminals they are called upon to convict.

SUMMARY.

The foregoing article may thus be summarised: (1) The only proposed methods of identifying blood that are worthy of discussion are (a) Teichmann's process of obtaining bæmin crystals; (b) the guaiacum test; (c) the spectroscopic test; (d) the microscopic identifi

cation of red blood corpuscles, and (e) the micrometric test. The last method only will be here discussed.

(2) In the use of the micrometric test no confidence can be placed in the result, unless the errors of the micrometer used, with reference to some authentic standard, are known. Instruments used in this investigation described.

(3) Where the subject continues during a short period in substantially the same condition of good health, there appears in the bands of the same observer to be an average size of the fresh_corpuscles, provided at least 100 corpuscles are measured,

(4) There are such large discrepancies between the averages obtained from the measurement of the fresh blood corpusoles of animals of the same species, aud between measurements of the same objects by different observers, as to throw doubt upon published results. Several tables of measurements given to prove this

statement.

(5) There is no advantage in using very high powers in such investigations.

(6) Drying of the blood corpuscles in a clot multiplies the difficulty of identification. It has never been proved that dried corpuscles can be restored to their normal proportions.

(7) The mean size of the red corpuscles of very young animals is larger, and their size varies between wider limits, than in adults.

(8) Many diseases alter the size of the red corpuscles, especially is this so in microcytbæmia.

(9) Fasting diminishes both the size and number of the red blood corpuscles. So also in the case of various drugs.

(10) In view of the foregoing it is impossible, in the present state of science, to say of a given specimen of blood, fresh or dry, more than that it is the blood of a mammal.-The Advocate (Minn., U. S.)

EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY.

THOMAS V. QUARTERMAINE ONCE more.

The state of judicial opinion on the question when a workman precludes himself from recovering against his employer under the Employers' Liability Act is becoming as embarrassing as that upon the Bills of Sale Acts. It will be remembered that the famous decision in Thomas v. Quartermaine, which, unfortunately, did not go to the House of Lords, left the law in this position, as put by Lord Justice Bowen: "It is no doubt true that the knowledge on the part of the injured person which will prevent him from alleging negligence must be a knowledge under such circumstances as leads necessarily to the conclusion that the whole risk was voluntarily incurred. The maxim, be it observed, is Dot scienti non fit injuria, but volenti." Then, after referring to certain conditions, the Lord Justice concludes: 66 Knowledge is not a conclusive defence in itself, but when it is a knowledge under circumstances that leave no inference but one, viz., that the risk bas been voluntarily encountered, the defence seems to me complete." That was the view adopted by Lord Ester and Lord Justice Fry, the other members of the Court. The decision has been very much canvassed and adversely criticised both in the High Court and the County Court, but never before has it met with judicial comment so strong as that which fell from Lord Coleridge and Mr. Justice Mathew in the case of Sanders v. Barker last week. It is worth while looking at what were the facts in that case: The defendants, the employers, are brewers in the City, and had a bandpump in their brewery used to force the liquor into the pipes by means of steam-power. It was against the well, and the fly-wheel was quite close to the wall, and it was worked by a turning wheel which let the steam into the pump. When the steam went in it ought to have worked by itself, but it required a touch or two to set it going, and these touches the workman gave with his finger. The plaintiff was the man employed at this work, and from time to time put his finger to the wheel