The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-01-25
DEAD MEMS BONES.
Interesting Information About the
Trade In Skeletons.
The Principal supply, Including the Finest
Bpeolmens. Comes From Franos-TheIr
Cost ana Their Uss-DeFormities
Come Higher.


Without rising the doctor pulled a
cord or touched a spring hidden some
where in his close proximity. In
stantly the door Of a tall cabinet,
which stood in-0ne corner Of the room,
swung noiselessly open and disclosed
a skeleton, which hung from ring
fastened 70 the top of its skull. So
unexpected was the sight Of this
ghostly apparition that the reporter
started back with little cry OF sur
prise.
Startled you a little, see" con-
tinued the doctor. ut isn't pleasant |
sight to one unaccustomed to it, but to |
me, anatomically speaking, as fine a |
specimen of Partisan art as that is a |
thing Of beauty and a joy forever. !
But seriously, you as a nCp-prQfeeGSco-
al man can have no adequate idea of
how important TO us doctors Is the
condition of the skeleton market.
There is no branch of the enormous
import trade Of this country which is
so interesting as the trade in skele-
tons. 1t is not the magnitude Of the
trade itself nor its Importance that
makes it so, but Il attracts attention
Just because the article itself Is so
fascinating to the average man. Well
can remember how as a boy I used
20 90 up in the garnet Of my fathers
house, my father was also a physician,
and at a safe distance gaze completely
fascinated at a skull which had been
RELOCATED to that dusty retreat. How
4 II nd
that fragment OF mortality. To
me IL was a thing that thor
oughly aroused all the morbid
imagination of my bOyish nature.
But to come back to the present. That
skeleton which you see there is one of
the finest examples of the French art
and cost 1926. Our great nation is en-
tirely dependent upon foreign countries
for. its skeletons. To be sure here and
there physician may be found who
possesses a specimen of home manu-
facture. but the stock OF skeletons of
the country are all imported. The
man who mounts skeletons must be a
Rkiuful anatomist besides an eNper-
fenced mechanic. He must know the
position OF every bone in the human
anatomy and just where it goes. He
must also know the function OF each
bone and be able to articulate them so
skillfully that when wired they will
move as naturally in their sockets as
they did when acted upon by the mus
Cles of the live being. An anatOmist,
for instance, however poor a one he
might be, would know that to rest the
butt of a heavily loaded gun against
the middle OF the collar bone and fire
Il would be an act Of superlative folly.
Collar bones were not made for such
use. Now, although possessed of Sc
much more knowledge than some
sportsmen. the Partisan anatomist i,
willing and eager to work at about
twenty-five cents day, and his EN-
ployer is thus able to ship skeletons t.
this country at a much lower rate thar
they can be made for even by a newly
hedged doctor"
skeletons must be reasonably cheaI
then interpOlated the reporter while
the doctor was catching his breath fol
a fresh start.
Il should say they we're. Incredible
as it may seem, well-mounted skel
eton neatly packed in a pine case cal
be obtained for the moderate sum o
$50. The ease is made to stand on ent
and when stained admirably serves tn,
same purpose as does the more elab
crate black walnut cabinet OF cours
most physicians prefer a cabinet mad
Of black walnut with glass doors GOV
cred with red curtains, but this is
matter of taste and pocket. woul,
not recommend q person, however, t
invest his money in a $50 skeleton, un
less for temporary or infrequent use
They are not over substantial, the
will not take fine polish and are ap
TO crumble. You see the $50 skeleton
are taken from the cOrpses Of peopl
well advanced in life when the calcar
eous matter predominatesin the bones
Moreover some people have bone
which are more brittle than those Q
others. The Paris workman can Tel
at glance the condition OF the bone
upon which he is to work and know
how far he can carry the bleaching O
whitening process upon the bones
any particular subject. This process
tends to make brittle the bones. III
skeleton of a young person which Is
the right quality win stand good dc;
OF work and great deal OF work at eve
BIZ twenty-five cents a day means a
enhanced price. Afirst-class skeleton
which will stand for years the har
knocking about which it receives in
college lecture room, win cost $l2'
A skeleton OF this quality has silve
plated wire Rrticulations and ever
thing in accordance. Some men wit
en- eye for the artistic will have
skeleton mounted with silver wire
This, however, is fOolishly extra'
agant, nor is a skeleton so articulate
as strong as one the joints OF whic
are Of STEEL
"Are there many importers of slel
tons IA this country"
There are six firms engaged In u
business and between them there Il
practical understanding by whiC
prices are maintained. If you were