Teichmann's crystal

Teich·mann's crystal

noun \ˈtīḵ-mənz-\

Definition of TEICHMANN'S CRYSTAL

: a crystal of hemin obtainable from hemoglobin that is used in a test for the detection of blood (as in a stain)

Biographical Note for TEICHMANN'S CRYSTAL

Teich·mann \ˈtīḵ-ˌmän\ , Ludwik Karol (1823–1895), Polish anatomist. Teichmann attended medical school in Göttingen, Germany, and after graduation remained there as prosector of anatomy. In an 1853 paper on the crystallization of certain organic compounds of the blood, he described the preparation of microscopic crystals of hemin. The simple, specific test developed by Teichmann for the presence of blood in suspect stains on clothes and other items became widely used in forensic medicine.