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Analysis by Dr. J. Patron of Supposed Blood-stains
Gibraltar, 30th January 1873
At the request of Her Majesty's Attorney General I proceeded on
board of the American brig Mary Celeste anchored in this Bay for
the purpose of ascertaining whether any marks or stains of blood
could be discovered on or in her hulk.
After a careful and minute inspection of the deck of the said
vessel some red brown spots about a milimetre thick and half an
inch in diameter with a dull aspect were found on deck in the
forepart of the vessel these spots were separated with a chissel
[sic] and carefully wrapped in paper No.1.
Some other similar spots were equally gathered in different parts
of the deck and wrapped in papers numbered, 2, 3, and 4.
Paper No.5 contained a powder grated from a suspicious mark seen
on the top-gallant rail part of which was obtained on board and
part from a piece of timber belonging to the said vessel in Her
Majesty's Attorney General chambers.
I carefully examined the cabin both with natural and artificial
light; the floor, the sides of the berths, mattrasses [sic] etc.
were minutely searched and nothing worth calling attention was
seen that could have any relation with the object of my
enquiries.
On the 31. January [This is the day following the date of his
report] at 2 o'clock I received from the hands of Mr. Vecchio
Marshal of the Supreme Court the five papers above mentioned and
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and a sword with its sheath found on
board the said vessel.
The spots which were in paper No.1, 2, and 3 were cut in small
pieces of about a quarter of an inch long and broad passed
through a white thread and suspended half an inch from the bottom
of tubes containing a small quantity of distilled water.
The contents of paper No.4 were put in a small filtering bag as
their minuteness would not allow any other process of maceration
and the same was done with the contents of paper No.5.
The maceration went on in the five tubes for two hours and a
quarter; the distilled water remaining after this period as clear
and bright as in the very beginning of the experiment.
Notwithstanding I left the things as they were till the next day
and 23 hours maceration did not produce any alteration in the
transparency of the liquid the water being then heated with the
spirit lamp as no precipitate or cloudy aspect appeared I
consider the experiment over and of a negative character.
The stains on the pieces of timber remained unaltered in their
aspect and the finger which was passed over them was not tinged
or stained in any degree their aspect remaining as it was before
maceration.
The contents of paper No.5 macerated in the bag were then
examined with a microscope and nothing particular was seen but a
few particles of rust (Carbonate of Iron) and some fragments of
vegetable substance (Fibres of Wood).
The sword presented on its blade about the middle and final part
some stains of a more suspicious character; although few very
small and superficial, their aspect was reddish and in some parts
brilliant like albuminous coloured substance, my first impression
was that they were really blood stains, examined with an eight or
ten diameter magnifying glass these stains presented an irregular
and granulated surface; the granules becoming smaller in
proportion of their distance from the central and thickest part.
After in hour and three quarters maceration the transparency of
the liquid remained unchanged; heat produced no cloudy alteration
in it and the result was as negative as in those of the stains
found on the deck.
The largest of these reddish spots was carefully grated from the
blade and put under a microscope of Doctor Hartnack objective
No.7 and ocular No.3 coresponding to a magnifying power of 330
diameter. A yellow and imperfectly crystalised substance
resembling Citrate of Iron presenting here and there some red
granules was seen with some fragments of vegetable ramified
fibres; but no blood globules could be detected. Three other
stains were tested with Hydrochloric Acid and after a perceptible
effervescence a yellow stain was produced of chloride of Iron;
the insufficiency of the liquid could not permit of any other
experiment.
The blade heated under the flame of the spirit lamp recovered a
natural brilliancy after the removal by heat of the superficial
crust the sheath of the sword was clean inside and with no mark
of any kind.
From the preceding negative experiments I feel myself authorized
to conclude that according to our present scientifical knowledge
there is no blood either in the stains observed on the deck of
the Mary Celeste or on those found on the blade of the sword
that I have examined.
(Sig'd) J. PATRON
M.D.
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