The Louisiana Democrat., 1868-06-17
The Preservation of the Dead.
From the New York Herald.l

3lf L rOUl tuB slNEW = YIN lICiuiu
A namber Of physicians surgeons and
medical students gathered, yesterday after
noon in the lecture-foom of the Bellevue
Hospital College TO witness the result of Q
new, and what bids fair to be a wonderful
discovery in the way cfa process for pre-
serving the human body after death. Two
subjects were on eT iibition, embalmed BY
this process, in wkicf death had occurred
respectively on the Eth Of February and
the 3Dth Of April last, both Of which
manifested to the casual spectator no sign.
by either sight, touch OF smell, Of the long
period which had elapsed since death.
Professor Doremns, under whose SUPER
vision an experimental autopsy ofone Of
the bodies was made, in order to show
that the preservation was not confined to
the surface, but extended to the viscera,
the muscles and every portion Of the inter-
nal system, opened the exhibition with q
few predatory remarks, reciting the imper.
feet and unsatisfactoryprocess which had
been in vogue for preserving the dead ever
since the days Of the Eeyrtians.
DR.. Janeway then dissected the boayy'
which had been lying thirty days since
death, kept in the laboratory under lock
and key. To the scalpet it presented the
flaccid condition usual Immediately after
dissolution, and the sight and touch were
perfectly normal. As the knife proceeded
with the disembowelment Of the subject
and the viscera were brought to sight and
removed. no oder was perceptible save the
strong. f1eshly smell which is inseparablf
from the freshest corpse when the interna
portion is opened to the air. Pieces Q
the liver and kidneys were cnt out and pass
ed around among the spectators that
more minute test might be given OF IN
|thorouehness Of TIE process.
DR.. Doremus explained that the hui,
with which the preservation had been el
|fected had not been introduced throug
the veins or by cutting the flesh, whic
was SO greatly objected to BY the friend
Of the dead, but BY simply forcing it int
the mouth and other natural apettures 9
the body. whence it subsequently perhiea'
ed all the tissues, preserving them in tn
wonderful manner just revealed BY the a,
topsy. Professor Hamilton succeeded D
, Doremus and testified that he had exam
|ined the subject under examination an
could not distinguish It from one recent
dead Professor Flint, in some more e
: tended remarks regarding an analysis wh't
, he had made Of the muscles, liver, kidne..
and lungs Of subject treated by the pr
!; cess. gave the result Of his observation
4 The functions referred to were all in q nc
q nal state, so far as the eye Was concerne
but had undergone some slight structu'
changes as to their atomic formatio
which, however, were favorable to the pre-
Il erva.ion OF the tissue.
i The spectators seemed perfectly sat,sn
;. with the result Of the experiment and 8
topsy. The body, which had been prese1
a ed one hundred and seven days end reta
: ed its naturalness, was the object OF P
: ticular interest.
Curiously enougg thesprogress Of the 9
!. was exhibited in the presence OF seve
:. = ladies', who, from the deep interest VIII
n they manifested in the proceedings, w
20 evidently prospective female !" saw.bone
er o. las Sam Weller would have called the
ID Of the strong minded persuasion"