The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-09-21
-eS"<>'Ss Ss-rz------
GGlllhSsll fAr AL

IhiS Nus Dccii c;tilcu tue age OF
hunbug;" )" whether the n,aIadv be
acute or chronic, however, no observer
of the times can doubt that so far as
humbug' is concerned, the disease is
epidemic:
Much has recently been said in the
journals Of this city in regard to a pro-
cess OF cmbalminy as practiccd by a
certain DIR. Plate, and an effort has
been made i'll certain journals to i'm
press the public with the idea that the
gentleman referred to is really the dis
coycrcr of the process. But let us
RENDER to Cesar the things that arr
C;rsar's.'
To practical anatolnists, the discovc-
ry OF some liquid capable of prcscrv-
ING animal matter from decay, has long
bccu Il dcsiucratum as earnestly
sought, perhaps, as was the philoso-
piers stone by alchymists, and seem
ingly with as little success. until DR..
Sucquct, Of France, at length hit upon
method of injecting the subject,
which accomplished the purpose so adj
mirably that his numerous "prcpara-
TONS in the "ALuscum~ef Compara-
i've Anatomyoat the Ecole e>c4e c4ee> Mcdi-
c,ne' III pag1s, are looked upon by most
ooseryeFs as wax preparations, SO en-
'ltely free arc they from all offensive
-odor. They are cmbalmed.
The French Academy of Sciences,
at its annual public sitting held on the
2sd OF March, 1859, among others,
awarded the following prize
"A prize Of two thousands francs
was awarded to M. Sucquct, for his
improved method Of preserving bodies,
by the injection of All antisccptic liquid
through the carotid arteries. This pre-
servatvc liquid is prepared as follows:
n current Of sulplurous acid gas is
passed through Il solution of carbonate
OF soda, Of tic strength of from twcn-
ty to twenty-five degrees Baumc Tsp.
gr l.lG0 to I.lSO), until the whole of
the carbonic acid is displaced, and the
solution contains slight excess of sui
phurous acid. The fluid should then
have Il specific gravity OF 300 1t is
next placed III Il vessel containing clip
pings of zinc, and allowed to remain
III contact with the metal until it has
become scnsibly ncmtral-thc blade of
Il knife dipped into it not turning
brown on exposure to the air. From
four to six litrcs, (about Il gallon or Il
gallon anda halt') of this preparation
are employed to inject subject. AT:
ter twcnty-tour hours dissection may
bcprocecdcd with, aud continued, with
out amy Inconvenience, for twenty.
thirty, Or even forty days. One of
the great advantages arising from the
employment Of tho suIphitc of sod;.
consists i'll the beneficial influence it
cXerts i'll eases of accidents to which
the operator is subject i'll the dissccting
room"
Another preparation, which will sue
coed equally well with the above, is
the following Throw clipping of
zinc into muriatic acid until tic liquid
ceases to ctlcrvcScc, and will no longer
stain Il knife blade, and then inject as
before.
Animal matter subjected to the ac-
ton of either OF these preparations
will no longer dccomposc when
exposed to the air. ltmay be that the
process Of DIR. Plate differs from eth
CT Of the above, but, as he claims to
have been associated with Nj. Sucuuct,
it seems probable that the process Of
the two are one and the same.
The above information will, doubt
less, prove interesting to many of your
readers, and us the ruattcr has already
been brought before the public, Cat
present this process costs SlO0), it is
only fair that the public should be
made aware of what the French Aca-
denny OF Sciences have so literally
purchased for tho use OF the entire
world.
] remain, yours, truly,