Transactions of the Massachusetts Medico-Legal Society . judges and lawyers and doctors that theordinary Yankee gumption of twelve men is apt to be right as much as that oftwelve educated men — but to rely upon the natural sagacity to detect flawsin even medical testimony, and to size up men even if they are doctors. THE IDENTIFICATION OF SEMINAL STAINS.^ BY W. F. WHITNEY, ,, OF BOSTON, Associate Member. At the last meeting of the Society a paper was presented by Dr. WyattJohnston describing a micro-chemical test for seminal stains proposed by Flor-ence, of Lyons. It is briefly as follows :
Transactions of the Massachusetts Medico-Legal Society . judges and lawyers and doctors that theordinary Yankee gumption of twelve men is apt to be right as much as that oftwelve educated men — but to rely upon the natural sagacity to detect flawsin even medical testimony, and to size up men even if they are doctors. THE IDENTIFICATION OF SEMINAL STAINS.^ BY W. F. WHITNEY, ,, OF BOSTON, Associate Member. At the last meeting of the Society a paper was presented by Dr. WyattJohnston describing a micro-chemical test for seminal stains proposed by Flor-ence, of Lyons. It is briefly as follows : A suspected spot is soaked in dis-tilled water for a few minutes, and to the fluid obtained is added a drop of asaturated solution of iodine in iodide of potash (iodine, ; iodide of potash,; water, 30). An immediate precipitation of dark-brown rhombic crystalsof iodine takes place. Their general shape and appearance very closelyresemble those of the so-called hemin crystals, which are obtained from bloodstains by Teichmanns test. (Fig. 1.). Fig. obtained by Florences reagent, from a spot on clotli eiglit months old. The reagent and material were placed in my hands for the confirmation ofstatements made in regard to them. I have gone carefully over the ground,and find the facts to be, in every particular, as stated. The reaction took place readily both with the material furnished by , and that which was prepared under my own direction. The only 1 Read before the Society, February 3, 1897. 332 The Identification of Seminal Stains. difficulty encountered was that it was found impossible to dissolve all of theiodine according to the given formula. But after taking up as much as possi-ble the filtrate was found to act perfectly. Crystals were readily obtained from stains, which had been dried for a fewdays, several months, and two and a half years. Stains from any other of the ordinary fluids of the body (urine, saliva, milk,fecal material), failed
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