Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-26
CORPSES UF MARBLE.
The Alleged Discovery Of Rus
sian Scientist.
Instead of Burning Burying the Dead,
He Proposes to Turn Them Into Stone
by q Process Which He Asks the
State to Recognize.
IPhilad elphia NeWs.l


Application will be made for charter
establishing on legal basis society
which has just been formed by section Of
the German residents of this city for the
introduction of a new method Of disposing
of the dead. The promoters of the scheme
oppose cemeteriai intumation On sanitary
grounds and denounce cremation as bar
barous. Several months have been de-
voted to experiments with various systems
of disposing of the dead, generally pro-
ducing naturalization of the corpse, and
has resulted in the adoption of method OF
petrifaction the alleged discovery of a
Russian savaIt
DR.. Isaac Segall, who is President of the
society, discussed the project with news
gathersr yesterday. The first plans pro-
posed had for their object the bringing
of the body to state Of imputresci-
bility. The experimentalists could not sue
coed by this means in preserving a ifelike
appearance of the body. One process was
the injection of bi-chloral, followed by an
arsenical preparation, then treatment with
camphor dissolved in coal-oil and final APP
plication of diluted carbolic acid. This
temporarily preserved the body, but it
changed it very much. After being SO
treated body was treated with prepare
ton of chloride of lime, which completely
mummified it and left it as dark as one Of
the Pharaohs three thousand years old. 1t
was considered that no one would like to
have the color of his ancestry disputed, and
this plan was abandoned Hermetically
sealing the corpse in a casket Immediately
after death was abandoned as impractical
bic. The frequency of cases of catalepsy
would render such a course dangerous.
Various antiseptic preparations such as
wood, vinegar, sulphates of alumina and
zinc and chloride of mercury were en-
ployea, but the effects were not sufficient
to warrant their adoption. DIR. Segall
proposed that a body should be subjected
to the action of a strong electric battery
while exposed in a chamber filed with
chloride of lime. This was done, and the
result was blackened and unrecognizabie
mummy.
Some four months ago Prof. Aldee
Perowski arrived in this city from Chicago.
A year ago he came to the United States
from Moscow, bringing along with him
process for the petrifaction of bodies
The principle by which mineral liz.
stead of animal action is brought abou,
after death was discovered by him acct
dentally, he claims, and perfected by him,
as he believes, after many years of re-
search and experiment. He endeavored to
Introduce his discovery in his native coun-
Try. Ssvants and physicians smiled skep-
ticalls and asked for experiments. When
told that not less than year would be re-
quired for the complete conversion of a
body to an indestructible stone statue he
was laughed at and denounced as an i'm
poster who would make his alleged expert
ynents the opportunity for obtaining ad
vances of money Prof Perowski is
poor man, but ne offered to conduct the
experiment under any conditions that the
Russian College of Physicians i'll ST.
Petersburg would propose but the savan5s
refused to accept even this offer.
Feeling that he could not hope for rec
ignition in mis- own country, he tried
France. In Paris, at least-claiming to he
the headquarters of scientific research,
and especially that relating to surgery and
medicine-he hoped he would have near
ing, but was discouraged to find himself re,
garded as an intelligent crank He heo
France, at first intending to go to England
but he thought his luck would be no bette,
there, and, being reminded of relative
who is well established as a surgeon il
Chicago, he resolved to go TO the Garden
City, believing that his kinsD,an might Sc
cure him a hearing. He knew nothing Of
the Far West, and finding that after several
months trial he could do nothing there, he
came East, with the intention of trying
New York and London.
AS luck would have il he stopped in Phil.
adelphia- DR.. Segsr, though a German,
was reared and educated in Russia. and
holds a high position among the former
subjects of the Car living in this city
Accidentally he met Prof. Perowski, and
every known method of preserving dead
bodies had then been tried by ~ society
of which DR.. Segan is President Their
principal defect was that the corpses treated
could not be made to retain an appearance
nearly natural.
The Russians discovery struck him &.
the one in which they were in search, and
it was resolved &c give him the long-sought
opportunity of s test, the society undertake /
ing to bear the expense
a small building in West Philadelphia
had been secured for the previous expert
ments, and there Perowski began the pro
cess of petrifaction nearly three months
ago. A subject was procured at small ex
pense. Where this or other subjects were |
obtained Dr. Sega1 refused TO state. He /
said, however, that this was only the third
corpse used in the experiments, and that /
the dead bodies of various ami mails had 1
been used in most of the others. Professor 1
ferowsH refused 10 allow the presence of /
any assistant while 81 work. as he keeps /
the process profound secret. be admitted /
however, that silieic acid. s well-known /
salt, possessing recognized petrescent quail 1
tiles, entered largely into the process. !
There are other minerals used however. to j
which the Professor clains the siucic /.