The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-02-03
SKELETONS TO ORDER.
How Human Bones Are Cleaned, Screwed,
and Riveted for Use.

SKELETONS TO ORDER.
How Human Bones Are Cleaned, Screwed,
and Riveted for Use.
In Blocker street, says the New York
World, not far from its junction with Crosby
street, stands the house OF Maitre Sazzur,
the only man outside OF Paris who under
stands how to extract the oil from human
bones SO perfectly that skeleton CT instruct
ed OF the same may hang in doc or's par
lor without giving offense. Maiue Massur
does not appear to the casuai - eryer ma
terially different from nuI.uers oi his coun-
trymen sojourning in this city: nothing in
his manner or his conversation Detrays the
possession OF that deep osteological knowl-
edge in which he is admitted to have no
peer in the world, save ore or two in The
tabled Rue de l'Ecloc Medicine Of the
French capital. Indeed-and this is a
matter much deprecated by Others in his
profession-Mai.re Mazzdr Eeeps his mouth
Systematically shut where bones are con-
cerned. The manner Of perfectly extract
ing the oil from and OF perfectly articula-
ting the human anatomy is preserved by
him q profound secret. True, the skeletons
which pass from under the hands OF Maitre
Mazzur sufficiently testify to his ability
without the need of Maitre Mazzur himself
opening his mouth once. Tenderly screwed
and delicately riveted, admitting of every
motion, perpendicular, horizontal, oblique,
and rotary, and riIhal so clean that a
lady might dandle them in her lap with
out prejudice or fear of evil, the skeletons
of Maitre Mazzur issue forth from his
workshop graceful and iaodorous compa-
ny which may well fill the heart of the
master with pride. But many would give
4 good deal to look into the little room of
Maitre Mazzur, and see how the artisan
does it all. The extraction of the grease
is the peculiar wonder; other osteologers
can lay nib accurately, put together y
metatarsus or metacarpus, or arrange tte
vertebre with discrimination, even distfn-
guish the right knee-pan from the lett; but
the little maitre Of Bleecker street alone
can send his perfectly -articulated skeletons
forth without grease-spot. Nobody, how
ever, may look into the work-shop of Mai
tire Mazzur. There stands the old-fashion-
ed house in Bleecker street, into which a
visitor may freely go; a little plain board
IN the upper story will be locked against
him; he may contemplate a human skull
screwed thereupon; and Maitre Mazzur, in
his shirt-sleeves, will tell him that a secret
IL 4 secret, and that he intends to keep his
while yet. What that secret IL, before
the puissance of which human grease spots
grow faint and die, nobody other than the
maitre knows it came down to him from
his predecessor, and he preserves if, and
utilities 1t, and doubtless profits BY it addi
tionally to profting by the pursuit of his
other business Of manufacturing musical
instruments.
At the house of Messrs. Otto & Revnders,
in Chatham street, the writer was referred
TO gentleman who had charge Of the
skeleton department" A thin little man,
with bald head and deep-set, nervous
eyes, bowed, and rubbing his hands slowly
together, said that lac should be happy 10
give any information possible. The writer
replied that he would like TO be made &C
quainted with any interesting facts concern
ing the trade, and, if allowable, would like
10 look over the stock.
III you'll have the goodness to step down
stairs, said the skeleton salesman, "I'll
show YOU"
Lighting a candle as he spoke, he led
the way fehind showcase filled with sur
gical instruments TO a door, and through
this door down a flight of awkward stairs
10 the cellar, which, although the dusk
was just beginning To shut in, was quite
dark. The salesman paused a. the foot OF
the stairs to close a second door, elevating
the candle as he did SO in order the better
to see.
"My young men," he said, "do not like
10 come here after dark. They have
sentimental idea that things OF this sort
grow uncomfortable when the lights gone,
but bless your heart, sir, bones is honest
they never stir unless stir en-" and, set
ting his candle on a convenient box, the
skeleton salesman waved his hand as i. 10
Indicate and recommend general view of
the place. As the eve gradually accustom-
ed itself 10 the moderate light il became
filled with vision Of boxes innumerable
These were strangely labeled win such
specifications as, Bones femur humerus
No. 405;" Fetal heads, feet, hands :"
skull, seven cuts - skull after Bouchene,"
and many similar. Some OF the boxes
Were opened, and revealed bones of all
sorts and conditions, physiological speci-
mems OF the heart, lungs, anG liver, AMI
numerous other interesting rea - which |
looked rather ghastly in the ...u.e-light. |
The skeleton salesman, after a moments
pause, turned 10 a curtain OF some dark |
material which screened com tletely large |
cabine, on one side of the apartment; this |
cI.tain he drew, discovering the interior |
of the cabinet, which was lined with black |
velvet, and which contained half a dozeE |
ull-grown anatomies dangling at the end |
Of snort copper wires.
Now" said The skeleton salesman, 81 I'D |
ing the candle with his followed hand in |
order TO throw stronger light upon the |
pleasant spectacle in the cabinet, that's |
much better quarters for 'em than those |
silver-handled horrors as they commonly
pack 'em in-don't you think ?"
"What do you mean by silver-handled
horrors ?"
"Coffins, of course. People have a notion
that they must pack 'em away in boxes
and brick graves at ruinous expense,
when they might make profit on 'em and
keep 'em Of some use - the world by Just
EN- TO soIae respectable house
rs did a good business in that line"
Turning the subject the writer proposed
/ number Of questions, in answer to which
ie obtained variety OF information. The
best workmanship in skeletons-always ex-
,epting the work of Maitre Mazzur-is
lone in France. There the joints are ar
with screws, and the bones are
,apable OF being taken apart and replaced
without trouble. In Germany the joints
are articulated with wires simply. This
process not only renders it impossible TO
axe the different bones apart, but allows
If no rotary motion OF bone in its socket.
The German skeletons are articulated by a
number OF small ana comparatively IN
Known business houses scattered about the
country, and oftentimes by the poie!ton OF
he universities, out all the French skele
ons emanate from the one great house of
asseur, in the Rue de FEcole Medecin.
Wherever a skeleton is seen with screws in
Is elbows, that skeleton came-always |
xcepting the work OF Maitre Mazzur-
rom the Pays Latin of Paris. 1t was put I
a an oblong box, in company with two {
thers, with its knees against its chin and {
5 feet securely tucked into the hollow of
8 pelvis and so, unknown to the supersti-
ous mariners who sailed the ship, was
ent across the water like tea or sugar or
ny other amiabie and inoffensive thing. s
here duty Slalasnps-If there |