Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-11
An important Discovery.

| A correspondent of the London Athe
neum, writing from Naples, gives some
interesting information respecting the
means employed by Professor Abbate, Of
that city, Tor preserving the human body.
He says:
Some secret similar to DR.. Abbate' 8
has existed a long time, as all travellers
who have visited Florence we'll know.
In the cabinet of Physiological Anatomy,
+, in Santa Maria Nevella, there are pre-
parations of portions Of the human body
by DR.. Segato. The Grand Ducal Gov
ern ment refused to purchase the secret,
which died With Segato. His prepara-
tions, / repeat, were only portions OF the
body, whereas that which is now being
exhibited at Naples, in the ex-convent
of Santa Maria della Nuova, is the entire
body of a youth of seventeen years of age,
who died of phthisis about the end of last
January. For Eve months, therefore, it
has resisted the action of very variable
atmosphere. The features, the integrity
of the form, are perfectly preserved as
they were at the moment of death. The
nails have q roseate hue; there is no
odor of any kind, and the flesh has the
hardness almost of marble. To this let
it be added that the hair adheres so tena-
ciously to the head that it is impossible
to remove it, of course without violence.
The operation of embalming or petrifyiug
is eff cited in few hours, without the
necessity of removing the dress; indeed,
another body has been petrifed, accor-
ding to the same system, without taking
off the dress, and even preserving the
gloves on. I" We know" says a medical
gentleman, not an Italian, to whom am
indebted for these details, that some
gentlemen in Naples, after having proved
what we have stated, have made an alter
alton in their wills, imposing it as an
obligation on their heirs that they shall
apply the system of Abbate to their
bodies, in the event of their dying before
the professor.
This discovery has, however, a more
practical and more important phase,
that is, in preserving meat fresh. Alb
bate asserts he has succeeded completely.
There are difficulties in this special ap-
plication of it which would not present
themselves in the petrifsction of human
bodies, such as the danger of intro
ducing substances injurious to health, or
affecting the taste, the appearances, or
the nutrtive qualities of the meat. All
these difficulties Abbate declares he has
overcome, and it is known fact that
first-rate house in Italy, whose CONNER
cial relations with the Americans are
considerable, has already made offers to
Abbate on the subject. If it be proved
by experience to be true that the whole
some food of man, which is now thrown
away in vast districts as utterly unavail-
able, or is only melted down for the sake
Of the fat, can by simple and inexpensive
means be exported to Europe fresh and
good, an inestimabe boon will have been
conferred upon humanity. This eur
professor asserts he can do, and as he
already has done so much, surely his
system deserves the attentive examina-
ton of all scientific men. During his
life Abbate has no intention of making |
known the secret of his discovery, but he
is prepared to visit any part of the world
which be may be requested to visit, and
show the results of his invention.