The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-24

IHE PRESERVATION OF THE DEAD
A number of physicians, surgeons and med
ical students gathered yesterday afternoon
IN the lecture room OF the Bellevue Hospit-
al Medical College, to witness the results of
a new and what bids fair to prove wonder
full discovery, in the way of process for pre-
serving the human body after death. Two
subjects were on exhibition embalmed by
this process, in which death had occurred
respectively on the 18th of February, and
the 30th of April last, both of which mani
tested to the casual spectator no sign, by
either sight, touch or SMELL of the long pc
Rod which had elapsed since death.
Professor Doremus, under whose super
vision an experimental autopsy of one of
the bodies was made, in order to show that
the preservation was not confined to the sur
face, but extended to the viscera, the mus
Giles and every portion of the internal sys-
TEN. opened the exhibition with few pref
atory remarks, reciting the imperfect and
unsatisfactory processes which had been in
vogue for preserving the dead ever since the
days of the Egyptians.
DR.. Janeway then dissected the body,
which had been lying thirty days since death
kept in the labratory under lock and key
To the scalpe it presented the flaccid con-
dition usual Immediately after dissolution,
and the sight and touch were perfectly nor
NAL. As the knife proceeded with the dis
Enforcement of the subject and the viscera
were brought to sight and removed, no odor
was perceptible save the strong, feshy smell
which is inseparabe from the freshest corpse
when the internal portion is opened to the
air. Pieces of the liver and kidneys were
cut out and passed around among the spec
tators, that more minute test might begiv-
en- of the process. Dr. Doremus explained
that the fluid with which the preservation
had been effected, had not been introduced
through the veins or by cutting the flesh,
which was so greatly objected to by the
friends of the dead, but by simply forcing
it into the mouth and other natural aper
lures of the body, whence it subsequently
pcrmeated all the tissues, preserving them in
the wonderful manner just revealed by the
autopsy. Professor Hamilton succeeded Dr.
Doremus and testified that he had examin-
ed the subject under examination, and could
not distinguish it from one recently dead
Professor Flint, in some more extended re-
marks regarding an analysis which he had
made of the muscles, liver. kidneys, and
lungs of subject treated by the process,
gave the result of his observations The
functions referred to were all in normal
state. so far as the eye was concerned, but
had undergone some slight structural chan
ges as to their atomic formation. which,
however, were favorable to the preservation
of the tissue.
The spectators seemed perfectly satisfied
with the result of the experiment and au-
topsy. The body, which had been preserv-
ed one hundred and seven days and retain
ed its naturalness, was the object of partic
ular interest.
Curiously enough the progress of the age
was exhibited in the presence of several la
dies, who, from the deep interest which they
manifested in the proceedings, were evident
ly prospective female "sawbones" (as Sam
Weller would have called them) of the
strong minded persuasion."-M ?. Herald,
May 81.