The Sherlock Holmes test

[mightymads]

“I've found it! I've found it,” he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. “I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by hœmoglobin, and by nothing else.” (STUD)

One day I got curious whether such a test actually existed, so I googled. Found an interesting article and saving the link here.

Is there such a real reagent in the world that is precipitated only by haemoglobin? Nope! There is no reagent on the Earth that forms precipitates only with haemoglobin. So what Sherlock Holmes discovers in A Study in Scarlet does not exist. However, is there a single test today that can confirm with an almost 100% guarantee that a sample is blood? Yes. There are such tests.

In 1901, an amazing guy called Paul Uhlenhuth discovered a mind-blowing test that not just guaranteed the presence of blood – it even freakin’ guaranteed the presence of human blood! This test involves precipitates and it’s even called the precipitin test. BUT – there’s no reaction with haemoglobin here. In fact, in the preciptin test, the antigens present in human blood react with human antibodies that are added to them – to form white precipitates.

There’s another confirmation test for blood called the RSID test that’s becoming quite popular these days. This test is uber-cool because it is extremely easy to perform. In as little as 10 minutes you get to know with almost 100% accuracy if:
– a sample is blood and…
– if it is human blood!
This RSID thingy detects an antigen called Glycophorin A in the blood (and not haemoglobin)
—sherlockholmes-fan.com

Comments

[senmut]

Oh neat!

[mightymads]

:)

[mightymads]

A curious titbit :)

[copperfyre]

That's so cool that there is a test that sort of does do what Holmes said it did! Even if he's off on what it's reacting to. Thanks for checking that out and linking the article!

[mightymads]

The question which still stays—does haemoglobin precipitate in Holmes universe or did Holmes invent the 1901 test some twenty years earlier :))

[003_5]

cool! i have wondered whether or not that test was real.

[mightymads]

There are so many interesting details in the canon which make one wonder :)

[trobadora]

This is very cool!

[mightymads]

It is! The article mentions some more cool tests like using luminol (invented in 1936), to uncover hidden stains. Iron in haemoglobin reacts with it and shines.

[sarahthecoat]

cool!

[mightymads]

:)