The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-11-05
The Preservation OF the Dead.
From the London News


The process patented by NJ. Falcony, a French
chemist, for embalmiCg and preserving dead bodies,
though it has for several years been in use IN
OF ihe principal ci.es on the Continent, has bu.
recently bsen introduced into thia country, and
ye. it 10 little known III at all. beyond the imits
( the medical profession. 1t 10 probable however,
that the highly successful result Of an experiment
which took p!acs yesterday az the Grosvenor
School of Medicine will not only establish its eff
cheney among the medical authorities of IoudJ IN,
but Will lead to its general use throughout the
country. The preparations of NJ. Eaicouy are IF
two kiuds-one, fluid, INTENDED TO preserve the
body f;Cm decay for an IGdelGIte period, and tie
other powder, designed 10 prevent decomposition
for considerable tinc 10 arrest active putritia
cation if it have already commenced. Both pro
subjected to an eZatniaation yesterday,
but it to the latter, being OF greater impuI-
taDCe and utility than the other, that attention
Was chiefly directed.
The subject of the experiment the body Of
a man Who died Of eryspelas on the 2lst of Seyt'r.
1t taken to the school on the 24lh il an J.
vaDced stage of putretacion the head aud feet be-
ing greatly SWOLLEN ahd disColo! sd. The trunk
was also much decayed, and il was pronounced by
Dr. Half0rd, the lecturer Oh anatomy, to be totally
unfit for dissection. On the following day, tue Z5th
NJ Faicony commenced his operations, which
were conducted in the presence CT several gentle
men Of considerable professional eminence. He
covered the bottom of the coffin with his powder
to the depth of about inches this the body
was placed, and then covered over with the powder
u
ures not trace of the offensive smell remained and
whom the body was uncovered yesterday, after the
lapse OF between three anG fcuI weeks, it was
found to be in the same condition as when it was
put into the hands of Nj. Facony. The powder
had arrested the putrefacti0n, and none OF those
present we're sensible Of any unpleasant udor. A
hand. into which small quantity of the fnii In.
tended for the permanent preser va,on uf the dead
had b uj scted some weeks, was also produced
The skin still remained white, aud n smel was
elected, although the haaj had been placed IN
water and subjected to other conditions favorable
to decomposition.
successful result OF his experiments, which proved
that his invention was of tho highest value, aid
NIX ut be made extremely beneficial 10 a sanitary
point of view. NJ. Facony, delivered short hd-
dress in French, in which he referred to the cor-
dial reception ne had met with in England. and
eypatiated upon the advantages which HE decay
cry was calculated to confer on mankind--in the
first place by the prevention OF those innumers-
bie contagious diseases which result from tie mj>
ssmata emitted from dead bodies in certain cases:
secondly. by preserving the remains Of deceased
persons for the inspection OF friends and relatives
residing at distance and, thirdly. by subscribing
the purposes of justice 10 cases of suspect ted poi
soning He did not pretend, he said to have brsught
this interesting department Of chemical science
to perfection; what he had done wouid be surpass-
ed by others, but IL fart frcver is che min, and
IA the meantime We ought to avail ourselves of
the advantages which society might derive from
his services.