Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CCII. Why dead Bodies bleed in the presence of their Murderers. (Book 202)

HOnest Antiquity was so desirous of knowing the Truth, that when natural and ordinary proofs fail'd, they had recourse to supernatural and extraordinary. Such was the Jews water of Jealousie, which made the otherwise undiscoverable Adulterer burst in sunder; the innocent Vestal's Sieve, in which being ac∣cus'd of Incest, she carry'd water without shedding. Such also were the Oaths made upon Saint Anthonie's arm, of so great re∣verence, that 'twas believ'd the perjur'd would burn a year with the fire of that Saint; and in our time the excommunication of Saint Geneviesue, which those that incurr, are commonly reckon'd not to out-live a year. In like sort the zeal of Men against that horrid crime of Murder, hath made them cherish a perswasion, that a Carkase will bleed before its Murderers; (though most slain Bodies bleed when they are stirr'd) that so the Conscience of the Actors being disturb'd, they might either by word or ge∣sture

be brought to make discovery of themselves. For, indeed, the Blood which was congeal'd in the Veins presently after death, becomes liquid again after two or three dayes, when it is in its tendency to corruption; which Liquefaction, and the Inquisi∣tion after the Murderer, hapning commonly at the same time, 'tis no wonder if the Body bleed in the Murderer's presence, since it doth so frequently when he is absent. Yet because this false per∣swasion from the co-incidence of times, ceases not sometimes to have its effect, and to discover Truth; therefore Legislators have thought fit to authorize it, and to use it as an Argument at least to frighten the Murderer; though, indeed, 'tis no conclu∣sive one to condemn him.

The Second said, That 'tis not credible that Courts of Justice who often admit this proof to good purpose, could so continue in ignorance of Natural Causes, as not to discern the effusion of Blood ensuing upon its putrefaction in the Veins, from that which happens upon confrontation of a Murderer. 'Tis better there∣fore to seek further for the cause, than to question the effect; which some attribute to some secret Antipathy of the murder'd person's blood to that of his Murderer; or else to their mutual emission of spirits, which still seeking the destruction of each other's person, those of the Murderer being the strongest, be∣cause still living, cause a commotion in the Blood of the dead, which thereupon breaks forth at the out-let of the wound; Cam∣panella attributes it to the sense where-with all things are indu'd, and which still remains in these dead Bodies; so that having a sense of their Murderers, and perceiving them near hand, they suffer two very different motions, Trembling and Anger, which cause such a commotion in the Blood, that it flows forth at the wound. For the spirits, which during life had such perceptions as were necessary for their receiving and obeying the Soul's com∣mands, retain somewhat thereof after death, and are capable of discerning their friends and their enemies.

The Third said, If this opinion concerning the emanation of spirits, whether by Sympathy or Antipathy, be true, it will follow, That one who hath done a Murder with gun-shot, cannot be discover'd by this sign; and that one slain in his Wife's arms, and in a crowd of his friends that endeavor'd to defend his life, will bleed rather in the presence of his friends than of his Mur∣derer, whose spirits are more inwardly retir'd through fear of punishment; whereas those of his friends are sent outwards by Anger and desire of Revenge: Yea, if the Murderer had been wounded before, he should rather bleed than the dead, because his Blood is more boyling, and capable of commotion by the spirits issuing out of the Carkase. And had they any Sympathy, they could not discover the Murderer for want of sense, which they never had; for the spirits which are in the Blood scarce de∣serve that name, being purely natural, and void of all sense even during life, and specifically different from the animal spirits. The

vital spirits which are a degree above them, vanish together with life, whence the Arteries that us'd to contain them are empty. And those that serve for Sensation cannot remain in a dead Body, because they are easily dissipable, and need continual reparation; whence we see all the senses fail in a swoon, because the Heart re∣cruits them not by a continuity of their generation: Besides, should they remain after death, they would be unactive for want of fit dispositions in the Organs. Moreover, natural causes act necessarily when their object is present; but sometime tis known, that Murderers have thrust themselves more diligently into the crowd of Spectators than any other persons, for avoiding suspi∣tion, and no such bleeding hath hapned in their presence; and that Executioners take Criminals the next day from the Gallows or the Wheel, and not a drop of Blood issues from their wounds. And why should not a dead Sheep as well fall a bleeding afresh in the presence of the Butcher that kill'd it? Or a Man mortally wounded, when he that did it is brought unknown into his Chamber? For 'tis hard to imagine that we have less sense and knowledge whilst life remains than after death, that a wounded person must die that he may become sensible. In short, tis easie to see that this effect is not like other wonders which have a cause in Nature; because though we cannot assign the particular cau∣ses of these, yet they are prov'd by some demonstrative, or at least some probable reasons. And as for Antipathy, it should rather concenter all the dead person's Blood in his Murderer's presence, and make it retire to the inward parts. Wherefore, I conclude, that not only the causes of this miracle are not yet found, but also that 'tis impossible there should be any natural one of it at all.

The Fourth said, That according to the opinion of Avicenna, who holds, That the Imagination acts even beyond, and out of its Subject, this faculty may cause the effluxion of Blood; the Criminal's Phansie working mightily when the person slain by him is objected before his Eyes; And the nitrous vapors arising out of the Earth upon digging up the Body, together with the heat of the Air greater than that of the Earth, and increas'd by the conflux of Spectators, may in some measure contribute to the new fermentation of the Blood. But the truth is, after all our inquiries, this extraordinary motion cannot be better ascrib'd elsewhere, than to God's Providence, who sometimes performs this miracle for the discovery of Murder, which would otherwise be unpunisht, but not always. And 'tis no less impiety to deny, that Divine Justice comes sometimes to the aid of that of Men, than 'tis ignorance and rusticity to be satisfi'd in all cases with uni∣versal causes, without recurring to particular ones; which God employes most ordinarily for the Production of Effects, yet does not so tye his power to the necessity of their operations, but that he interrupts the same when he pleases, even so far as to give clay power to open the Eyes of the blind.