Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-08-21

visit to Place IN Parl. where sksfs-
tons Are srads-Ghastly DebriA

fintf 10 Place IN Paris where hkeIe~
tons Are srads-Ghastly Debris.
The other day being In Paris IL oc-
CURED to me that 1t would Be M ezcsl-
lent opportunity OF obtaining some really
good astrological preparations which !
had heard were to be had at a more
reasonable figure than the fancy prices
asked for them in England. One day
while assisting at the clinique Of we'll
known physician. one Of the patients on
being asked her profession said she
"depiotait les squelettes, which on In
quiry ascertained to mean -bone
peeler." at once interested myself In
her condition, which was one of chloro-
sis, and ingratiated myself with. her SO
that week or two later she acceded,
though reluctantly, to my request, TO
take me to the fabrique where the speci-
mems were prepared. It was a long
journey, right away into one OF the des-
ert plains bristling with chimney stacks
which bound Paris on the north side.
The building to which she conducted me
was an immense wooden construction,
subdivided into main atelier and out
houses. The larger room was occupied
by series Of large cauldrons, the EN-
anations from which were, even 10 one
accustomed TO the suave odor Of the dis
secting-room, nauseating in the extreme,
and the blend formed with that Of vari-
GUS crude antiseptics was more peculiar
than fascinating.
The disarticulation Of skulls Is carried
on separately, as 1t is branch requiring
greater skill and nicely In its manipula-
ton. It Is effected on the skulls of
young adults or children by the ingeni-
Gus plan Of filling the emptied cranial
cavity with dried peas, which are then
stepped In water, and In swelling compel
the distinction more delicately than
could be done in any other way. Some
Of the cauldrons contained the bodies Of
animals whose skeletons, if not as valua-
BILE as those Of human beings, are still in
dispensable for the study of natural his
tory, and are forwarded in large num-
bers to the various collegiate establish
ments in France and abroad. After a
prolonged boiling the limbs are placed
ON table and the adhering tissues care
fully removed, each workman or work
woman having his or her own speciality.
saw some men at work on frogs, liz
ards, etc., to obtain a satisfactory prep
aration of which requires special and
highly remunerated dexterity. The
grease which collected at the top of the
watts was scooped off and consigned to a
receptacle in the corner of the room, but
its ultimate destination was unable to
ascertain.
The bones are then bleached, the
cheaper varieties simply by means OF
chloride Of lime, the better ones in the
sun, and they ultimately pass into the
finishing room, where they are titivated,
assorted and converted, as far as may
be, into "srtieulated skeletons" 1t re.
quires no small amount of ingenuity and
knowledge Of tkis particular department.
to be able to choose cut of the miscel
laneous collection of bones wherewitf
| to construct q skeleton which shall pas:
muster for that Of single individual
and only the bese bones are 30 adapted
the remainder going 10 make up the dis
axticuls*ed and half skeletons which
have to answer the purpose OF study fol
the more economically disposed students
Curiously enough, the sex appeared K
have distinct influence on the valhe o
the skeleton, female skeleton possess
ing a vslae many francs higher thar
that Of ths corresponding male.
In another tank, awaiting treatment
were number Of infant bodies, varying
from minus four months 10 plus severa
days. In tins show rooms they were ar
ranged in q graduated scale (echell'
montante), from the diminutive little ex
mortal, whose height did not exceet
four inches, to the adult baby, measur
ing from eighteen to twenty, all bein,
in the attitude known in the militar,
world as that of attention" Thes
hive a special value of their own, ia
greater in proportion to their size thai
thai of their bigger brethren. natu
rally wondered where all the bodie
came from. was told that the dissect
ing rooms and hospitals furnished
large proportion, and that the proprie
tor of the establishment took care t
monopolize the supply, which was a
ways short of the demand.--Londo
Medical Press.
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