The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-14

ton. All those psrtS-muselts, yiscera,
etc, have been exposed 70 open air ever
since dissection commenced December,
1870, but no Change occurred, except
that a the tegument was removed they
were dtsposed TO dry up"
,Allekton, Il Il asserted, not only pre-
vents decomposition, bnt Immediately ar
rests Il a. almost any stage, and also part
y or wholly restores the natural psllor
which succeeds death. Furthermore, DR..
Rodgers declares, Il destroys all germs OF
contagious diAeGse with which II comes in
contact, thus rendering the bodies Of per-
sons who have died from smsllpor, diph-
iberia, or any form Of infection, entirely
innocuous. No. -. .....-L
In converting on the subject yesterday
DR.. Rodgers said that animal matter, in
the conrse OF decomposition, always
evolved suiphure.ted hydrogen gas, car.
buretted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, car:
bon dioxide and ammonia. The sulphuret-
ted hydrogen and the carbon mOnnxide
we're extremely poisonous In their effects,
The former being one OF the principal
causes Of putrid fever, and the latter be-
Ing The most deadly gas known. The
decomposition Of human bodies, both be-.
fore burial and 10 grayey ards, was there.
fore fruitful source Of disease. lnl1s58
eleven grayeyards in London were closed
for this reason BY q Royal Commtssion,
He believed that In this respect alone his
invention would be Of CRATE benefit 10. the
living, a. body treated with allekton
would never decompose, but would only
become oxidited and slowly waste away
Mouths would pass, however, before even
this change Fonld be perceptible, and be
believed that Il the process we're renewed
from time 10 time . body could be pres
served for many yeafs. ,z,.r....,.,.lsf
The other benefits 70 be derived from
allektou, II the statements concerning il
are even approximately correct, must be
obvious 10 any one. 10 the most IN.
favorable weather, without the use Of ice
Or removal TO IN undertaker's body can
30 preserved 10 perfect condition until
Any date desired for the funeral, The
bodies OF persons who die at . distance
from theft itiends, even Ia & far country,
can be transported unchanged without
the coat and the mutilatioH which are 10.
solSed Id The old method Of embalming.
Ii hospitals and medical colleges the
subject intended for dissection can be pre-.
served for months until required BY the
emonstratofs Of anatomy. .,.
DR.. Rodgers came 70 this city about
nine months ago, and has since been using
the allekton in quiet way. Most Of his
trials have been made IL the city MoTgue,
where be has found much difficulty how.
over, Ii obtaining, good subjects, as the
best OF the unclaimed bodies are all
taken by the different medical colleges.
TIE keeper of'the Morgue, Albert n.
White, speakes Of the new process In
terms Of unqualified praise. From bis
experience Gifts use, he testifes that It
preserves the dead body for. an indefinite
period, free from the slightest offensive
smell attendant on putrid decomposition,
and free from any perceptible change in
the tissuea.S Among the subjects expert
mented on at the Morgue were the body
Of one Michael Mcclure preserved from
the 7th oilast May till June .25-forty-
nine dsys-and the body Of women,
Ipreseryed from May 8. until June IL
thif,y.nine days. Thea bodies were ex.
anined BY Professor James Wood, oil
Bellevue Medical College, Or. W. N.
Carpenter, Curator Of Anatomy in Belle.
,yue Hospital, and many other prominent
iphysicians; also by a number. Of we'll.
Known updertakers, among whom were
Stephen Merritt, Mr.. Cantrell and Senior
i Warner. SAIlot these II 10 said, were
greatly surprised and interested by the
results OF their investigation.
The discovery Of Dr.. Rodgers having
been brought to the attention Of two
business men in this city, Mr.. G. N. Mid.
,dle,on and Mr.. Earl Warner, Jr., they
made a thorough investigation Of the
N atter, and then secured contract con-
shutting them asthe agents for the in
troduction Of the allekton into general
use. In company with these gentlemen
the writer yesterday afternoon visited the
iMorgue, where they were joined BY DR..
Rodgers. In small room in the dead.
house lay three bodies to which the alex.
ton has been applied. One body, that OF
q woman, had been dead, the keepers
said, for fourteen days. Although de.
com position had Get in before the body
was obtained for treatment, there was no
perceptible indications OF II, and no trace
Of the odor which resnlts from II. The
flesh vas nearly white, and was firm and
elastic, without particle Of the rigidity
Of death. All the limbs could be bent
freely, the joints being perfectly flexible.
Another body was that OF q man who
died on Monday morning Of consumption,
and was much emaciated from the
disease. It was 10 the came excellent
condition as the other. The third body,
also well preserved, was that OF u woman
who had been dead twelve days. Although
this was much decomposed and discolor
ed, II was said, at the time il was
obtained, the natural death pallor had
been restored, DR.. Rodgers made
slight incisi6n 10 the sole Of one Of the
feet, and the tissues exposed were red and
.fresh looking. Il was alleged that blood
had followed the dissecting knife Thirty
days after death 10 subjects thus treated.
Id was also said that TO prove the
permeation OF dead tissues by the alex
ion, which physicians had declared i'm
possible, DR.. Rodgers recently colored
SOME OF The fluid, aud practically demon.
sttated that it penetrated clear TO the
bone. ...lr .,a. .L
TIE writer then accom- panied Mr.. Mid.
dleton 10 the undertaker's shop oil Stephen
Merritt, where be was shown, in glass
covered coffin, the body Of woman,
which wa 10 the same good condition as
he other Bodies exAmined. Thi! woman,
he was assured, had been dead exactly
.thirty.one days. She had been dead
two days and the body had begun to de-
compose when he allektou was spilled,
and II had ever since then lain 10 Mr..
Merritt's establishment. ,' -...
Mr.. Middleton said that he and bis a.
sociIles were now ready TO give all the
In their power 10 any peraon
interested in the subject, aud tina. they
desired the most careful investigation Of
the process aud liz results. o..
o Ths most interesting case Of the use OF
tthe allektoniin this city was 10 thefamily
OF wealthy gentleman living 10 West
FortG. seventh street, who Q name was
given TO the writer. The wife Of this
Gentleman, Who is = retired merchant,
died ON the 18th OF last May. He was
i IIsIaJiy atfSchAd IN har and "A both