Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/254

 242 CHINESE LITERATURE

blood. Take a bone on which there are marks of a wound, and hold it up to the light ; if these are of a fresh-looking red, the wound was inflicted before death and penetrated to the bone ; but if there is no trace of saturation from blood, although there is a wound, it was inflicted after death."

(3.) " The bones of parents may be identified by their children in the following manner. Let the experimenter cut himself or herself with a knife, and cause the blood to drip on to the bones ; then if the relationship is an actual fact, the blood will sink into the bone, otherwise it will not. N.B. Should the bones have been washed with salt water, even though the relationship exists, yet the blood will not soak in. This is a trick to be guarded against beforehand.

" It is also said that if parent and child, or husband and wife, each cut themselves and let the blood drip into a basin of water, the two bloods will mix, whereas that of two people not thus related will not mix.

" Where two brothers, who may have been separated since childhood, are desirous of establishing their identity as such, but are unable to do so by ordinary means, bid each one cut himself and let the blood drip into a basin. If they are really brothers, the two bloods will coagu- late into one ; otherwise not. But because fresh blood will always coagulate with the aid of a little salt or vinegar, people often smear the basin over with these to attain their own ends and deceive others ; therefore always wash out the basin you are going to use, or buy a new one from a shop. Thus the trick will be defeated."

(4.) " There are some atrocious villains who, when they have murdered any one, burn the body and throw the ashes away, so that there are no bones to examine.

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