The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-27
PETR1FAcT1oN OF HUMAN. BODIES.

In the old Cathedral church of Bremen is
vault, the atmosphere of which possesses the
peculiar property preserving from decay all
bodies that may be placed therein: t Sea
| Visitors, are shown eight human bodies be-
sides number ofcats, dogs monkeys, birds,
&C., all of which by mere exposure to this
atmosphere, have become dried and free from
all offensive effluvia, resembling, in appearance
coarse parchments. ss, eFse-,-
The body nearest the door is that Of an Eng
lish Major, said to have lain here one hundred
and eighteen years 9ss Ee9J 9at - os
The second, that of German student, who
lost his life in duel. The hard, dry flesh still
shows the sabre wound on his throat and arm.
His body has been here one hundred and seven
| ty years. Ha9Rs = l5oi 3t ~
The third, that iofa Swedish countess, whose
body has remained free from the lot of common
mortals for one hundred and forty years. ,
The fourth, that of a Swedish General who
was killed in the Thirty Years" War, and
whose throat still exhibits the mark of the
wound of which he died. re'T Er ieae4 fr
The fifth that of his aid-de-camp, wis lost
his life at the same time by cannon ballstrik-
ing him in the side The destruction of the
parts is plainly visible. ai1af AeR
The sixth body. is ola workman, who fell
from the steeple of the church when near its
lcompletion-four hundred years ago - and
broke his neck. Owing to this accident the
peculiar properties of this vault became known;
for the body ofthe deceased workman was laid
in this vault for a few days; and having evinced
no signs of decomposition, the singularity of the
fact induced the authorities to permit it to
remain, and here it has remained during all
that time. bls Taisoqls9 1efeshF sa7al
The seventh is the body, of an English lady
lxrho Aiodo -,
of cancer on the lower Jaw; the rayages of
the disease are still perceptible in the ulcerated
flesh. .-oma iis a ns2s - 100
The eight is the body of working man,'
which has lain here for sixty years.
| In marble sarcophagus standing in the
middle of the vault, are said to repose the re-,
mains ofthe Swedish Chancellor, Van Engle-
brechten; but they are not permitted to be ex-
posed to public view, on account of some still
surviving relatives of the family. aols9 Z
| Each ofthese bodies retains, to a great de-
gree, the appearance peculiar to itselfin life.
Thus the Swedish General was short, round
faced man inclined to corpdlency; his aid4de-
camp was a slender, well proportioned man,
in the prime of life. As in general appearance,
so also, facial expression, do these bodies differ:
the parchment like skin, though drawn lightly
over the bones, still shows something of the
manner in which the muscles beneath once
worked. ls-l.4i sd hes slfaeef aAl 49et ie
The only reasonable solution fthe pecu-
liarity of this result-for no other part of the
church possesses it that l have heard-is that
here all the plumer's work of the building was
executed in melting and otherwise preparing
the materials for the roof. We can only sup
pose, then, that the entire chamber became so
surcharged with lead, that it has continued
ever since to give forth vapors, which forming
an antiseptic chemical compound of lead have
operated upon the cadavera exposed to its
influence. n. l.. CAMPBELL, NJ. D.,
Surgeon Of the steamship Washington.
New York, April 20, 1855.-Met. Gdz.