The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1855-05-31
A Strange Secret of Matnre.

The American Medical Gazette for
May, has the following curious account
Of the petrifaction Of human bodies.
! In the old Cathedral Church Of Bre.
men is vault. the atmosphere Of which
possesses the peculiar propriety of pre-.
serving from decay all bodies that may
be placed in them.
Visitors are shown eight human bodies.
besides number Of cats, dogs, monkeys,
birds, &C., all Of which. by mere expo.
sure TO this atmosphere, have become
dried and free from all offensive effluyia;
resembling in appearance coarse parch.
ment.
The body nearest the door is that OF
an English Major. said 10 have lain here
one hundred and eighteen years.
The second is that Of a German stu.
dent, who lost his lie in a duel. The
hard, dry flesh still shows the somber
wounds on his throat and arm. His body
has been here one hundred and seventy
years.
The third, that Of a Swedish Countess,
whose body has remained free from the
lot OF common mortals for one hundred
and forty years.
The fourth, that Of Swedish General,
who was killed in the Thirty Years
War" and whose throat sul exhibits the
mar. Of the wound Of which he died.
The fifth is that of his aid-de.camp,
who lost his life at the same time, by
cannon ball striking him in the side. Ths
destruction Of The parts is plainly visible.
The sixth body is that of a workman.
who fell from the steeple Of the church
when near its completion four hundred
years ago-and broke his neck. Owing
10 this accident, the peculiar properties
Of the vault became known; for the body
Of the deceased workman was laid in this
vault for few days, and, having evinc.
ed no signs of decomposition, the singu.
larity Of the fact induced the authorities
to permit it to remain AID here it has re.
mained during all that time.
! The seventh is the body of an English
lady, who died 1870 years since OF can.
Ger on the lower jaw; the ravsges Of tho
disease are still prcePtible in the ucera.
ted flesh.
The eighth is the body of q working
man, who has lain here for sixty years.
In a martle sarcopagus, standing in
the middle Of the vault, are said to repose
lhe mortal remains OF the Swedish Chan.
cellor, Van Englebrechten; but they are
not permitted to be exposed to public
view, on account of some still surviving
relatives Of the family.
Each Of these bodies retain to great
degree the appearance peculiar 10 itself
in life. Thus the Swedish General was
a short, round faced man inclined TO cor.
pulency; his aid.de.camp was slender,
well-proporlioned man, in the prime or
life. As in general appearance so also In
facial expression do these bodies differ.
the parchment-like skin, though drawn
tightly over the bones, still shows some
; thing of the manner in which the mus.
t cles beneath once worked
e The only reasonable solution Of the
4 peculiarly Of this result (for no other
part Of the church possesses i,) that |
, have heard, is, that here all the plum,
t ber's work OF the building was executed
= in melting end otherwise preparing the
materials for the roof. We can only sup.
;, pose, then, that the entire chamber be-
e came so surcharged with lead, that it has
S continued ever since 10 give forth vapors,
n which, forming an antisptic chernics a
n compound of lead, have operated upon
the cadavera exposed TO its influence.
n -.s8s.---
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