New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-31
A Startling Novelty.

At what period of the history OF the an
cient Egyptians the unnatural practice of en-
oaiming the bodies of the dead, and so pre-
venting the natural decomposition Of the
body, arose, it is impossible to say. That it
was general in the early days of the Israelites
We know from the fiftieth chapter of Gene
sis, for in the second verse we read: Ard
Joseph commanded his servants, the physi-
clans, to embalm his father; and the physi
clans embalmed Israel" And again, in the
last verse, we read: $50 Joseph died, being
an hundred and ten years old; and they en-
balmed him, and he was put in q cofiin in
Egypt. Other sentences point to the custom
as being one taken from the Egyptians, and
not originating with the Jews. And the word
itself is derived from the Egyptian word balm,
an ingredient largely used in the ancient
process. The Jewish method of embalming,
however, was not so complete as the Egyp-
tian and, whereas, in the one case the
process only occupied forty days, in the
latter it was continued for seventy days.
The Jews confined their process to the use
of external application and amounting the
body with oil of cedar. The Egyptian pro-
cess was much more elaborate, and the en-
balmers were regarded as a sort of sacred
persons. According to Herodotus, there were
grades of embalEling TO meet the resources
VI lllC DcTcdNCu TcldIlNeS. TUT juc pun,
who could afford to pay but little, the body
was stepped in a solution of nitro for seventy
days. A more expensive mode was the in
lection into the body Of some corrosive fluid,
which melted down the interior parts. The
most costly process consisted in removing the
brain through the nostrils by means of
hook, and filling up the vacuum with spices
and mendicaments. The intestines were
also carefully removed, and the body filled
up with myrrh, cassia, and other spices.
Finally, the body was soaked in a solution
of nitre for seventy days, and, after being
wrapped in fine tissue, saturated with aro-
matte gums, which hardened all around, it
was consigned to its mummy-case, perhaps
to appear after the lapse of thousands of
years as a somewhat disasreeable object of
attraction in the British and other Museums.
The charge which the embalmers made for this
last process would have gladdened the hearts
of those who make embalming profession at
the present day. 1t was one talent, a sum
equal to about 81 300. At present the charge
for embalming varies from $50 to 5000. But
the process is not nearly so lasting as that of
the ancient Egyptians, although for long
time body will retain a life-like appearance.
Not long ago young lady died in this city
whose parents were in Europe. They had
important business to attend to, which pre-
vented their immediate return, and they
telegrarhed to have the body embalmed.
On their return, four months afterward, the
lid of the coffin was removed, and the body
was as lifelke as when it was first placed in its
coffin the face, hands, and even the finger
nails, retaining natural color. The process,
however, differs from that of the Egyptians
and Jews. AT the moment of death the last
beat OF the heart pumps the blood from the
arteries into the veins, leaving the arteries
empty; thus, by opening the femOral artery,
or the artery near the ankle, the embalming
fluid can be injected through the whole body.
Solutions of arsenic were formerly used; but
latterly more harmless fluids have been en-
ployed. One doctor has discovered a COM
pound of innOcuOus gases which answers the
purpose still more effectually; though, of
course, the lasting effects of this process have
yet to be tested. The most remarkable in
stance of embalming is the body of San Carlo
BoTOmeO, the great Archbishop Of Milan,
who is said to have been raised several feet
from the ground while kneeling before the
high altar of the Cathedral, and praying that
the terrible plague of 1876 might be stopped.
His body lies in the crypt of the Cathedral, in
q casket of crystal, arrayed in archiepiscopal
robes and adorned with the most costly jew
els. The face is entirely discolored, but re-
tains o remarkable likeness to the contempt
rary portraits. In this country the practice
of embalming is on the wane. To sensible
people its only advantage consisted in giving
people living at distance or far from their
homes an opportunity of looking ON their
dead relatives, or for transporting bodies in
or to hot climates. All this can be done by
means of ice. The body when frozen solid
Immediately after death will take many days
to thaw sufficiently to allow of decomposition
in To do,
when once frozen, it can be transported with
out ice to New Orleans or any other hot city,
and reach its destination as fresh as when it
was dispatched.
But the practice of embalming in this coun-
try, by stimulating doctors to discover the
most effectual process, has led to discovery
which, if it can be utilized, bids fair to confer
a benefit ON the entire human race, and to
revOlutionize the butcher trade of the world.
Allusion has been made above to the use, by
a doctor in this country, Of certain COM
pound of innocuous gases instead of fluids in
embalming human bodies. This gentleman
has lately turned his attention to the possi-
bility of adapting his process to the preserva-
ton of animal food. For some time he has
been engaged in series of experiments, the
results of which have fairly startled those
who were asked to study them. What the
nature OF THO various SiScS Hc compounds may
be, is, of course, secret which he is not
likely to reveal. He has, however, proved
them to be entirely harmless, so far as human
food subjected to their influences is con-
cerncd. His plan consists in slaughterng
bullocks on the plains where they are reared,
bleeding them, infusing his compound of
gases into an artery in the same way as in
embalming human body, and shipping them
in their hides to any part of the world. 1t
seems almost incredible that this can be done
without detriment to the meat. But it can
be done and has been done, and apparently
on a scale, too, to thoroughly test its eff
cheney. A carload of bullocks were slaugh-
tered out in Missouri, last summer, the pro-
cess was carried out, and the carcasses sent
here, arriving in the city just one month from
the time of their being slaughtered. They
were consigned to the care Of Wholesale
market butcher, with orders not to sell till
he received instructions from certain parties
in New York. Nothing in the appearance
of the carcasses awakened the butchers sus-
picions both meat and hide being as sweet
as in the case of an animal fresh killed. One
of the carcasses was cut up and distributed
among persons ignorant of what had been
done, the butcher himself being asked to try
a sirloin joint; all expressed themselves to
the effect that the beef was excellent; the
butcher saying that he had never eaten a
more hearty meal in his life, They were nc