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That hemoglobin, or red colouring matter of the blood, forms crystals has been known for a long time. These crystals vary in different animals, as they are studied under the polarizing microscope, both in form and molecular structure. That is of immense importance for the scientific criminologist. "A man's blood is not like the blood of any other living creature, either fish, flesh, or fowl.
It forms about nine tenths of the solid matter of the red corpuscles and to it is due the colors of the blood. When united with the oxygen it forms a compound, called oxyhemoglobin, which has a bright red color; the hemoglobin alone has a dark red color. These colors are the same as those of the blood as it takes on and gives off oxygen.
Professor Edward Reichert of the University of Pennsylvania has discovered that the blood crystals of all animals and men show characteristic differences. "It has even been suggested that before the studies are over photographs of blood corpuscles may be used to identify criminals, almost like fingerprints. There is much that can be discovered already by the use of these hemoglobin clues.
They supply the elements which are found in the body in small quantities and serve a variety of purposes. Calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate are important constituents of the bones and teeth; and the salts containing iron renew the hemoglobin of the blood. Others perform important functions in the vital processes.
"The spectra of the blood pigments," he added, "of the extremely minute quantities of blood and the decomposition products of hemoglobin in the blood are here infallibly shown, varying very distinctly with the chemical changes which the pigments may undergo." Whose blood was it? I asked myself. Was it of some one who had visited the tomb, who was surprised there or surprised some one else there?
The peculiarities of the starch of any plant are quite as distinctive of the plant as are those of the hemoglobin crystals in the blood of an animal. I have analyzed the evidence of my microscope in this case thoroughly.
Blood of different men, of men and women differ. I believe that in time we shall be able to refine this test to tell the exact individual, too. "What is this principle? It is that the hemoglobin or red colouring-matter of the blood forms crystals. That has long been known, but working on this fact Dr.
It has for the hemoglobin of the blood four hundred times the affinity of oxygen, and a proportion of only two tenths of one per cent may produce heart derangement. While we are wondering that we are alive in the face of such dreadful facts, we may note further that gas is rather variable in its qualities as an illuminant.
"There is," he went on slowly, "a blood test so delicate that one might almost say that he could identify a criminal by his very blood-crystals the fingerprints, so to speak, of his blood. It was by means of these 'hemoglobin clues, if I may call them so, that I was able to get on the right trail. For the fact is that a man's blood is not like that of any other living creature.
*Passage of Oxygen through the Blood.*—In serving its purpose at the cells, the oxygen passes twice through the blood—once as it goes toward the cells and again as it passes from the cells to the exterior of the body: Passage toward the Cells.—This is effected mainly through the hemoglobin of the red corpuscles.
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