Telegram-herald., 1889-06-10
HUMAN SKIN TANNED.
A New Fad That sOEss of tho Physician
OF New York Ansct.


II was only u few nights ago that
party OF New York men were chatting Ia
the cafe Of Al uptown hotel. Ths ordinary
topics OF conversation had seemingly be
come exhausted, when one OF tie men cf
business took from his vest pocket what
looked like a square piece Of soft leather.
Carried that good many years" he
said sentent!ously.
You must have had very little 10 prt IN
your pockets" remarked one young man.
Goat skin ! guess, suggested another.
NO gentlemen" was the response. you
are botn wrong. i didn't carry Ii because
my pockets were empty, and it Isn't goat
skin. That piecs Of skin came from hu
man body, and the man who once wore it
WAS hanged in the Tombs not 50 many years
ago."
Several OF the group examined the piece
osskin curiously while one turnee pale and
rushing 10 the bar swallowed drink o.
brandy straight. and was seen no more.
II got that" continued the owner OF
this queer pocket piecs-''but 10 matter
how got it. At any rate carry it with
ne at all times What's more thSre are
number OF companion pieces 10 it drifting
around New York. Oae OF them Is car
ried by society lady who takes up good
deal OF space in the ne wspapers."
''Well all I've got 70 say" remarked ops
ot the group, ''is that you we deucod queer
taste. don't envy you your pocket piece.
IL suggests caanibalisn 10 mel"
Bat the eccentric man only laughed, and
lighting fresh cigar drifted out.
A little investigation in that par. o.
New York City that is locally known u ?
-. sxht 10
vouched FOR by reliable persons that the
young man referred to is but one of quite IA
large class.
la the swamp" on the lower east side
of New York, il centered the hide and
leather business of the city, and soms
very solid citizens do business there and
are TO be met any afternoon at the Hide
aud Leather Club where their decidedly
odorous calling is forgotten over sparkling
wine and other good things.
IL was one these solid citizens VITO
is responsible for the statement that the
tanning OF portions OF the human skin Is
by no means uncommon. The solid citi-
zen averred, of course, that mis- firm did
not run 10 this sort of business, but that
everyone in the hide and leather industry
knew that 1t was done, and quite exten-
sively. too. What this solid citizen said
was corroborated by other solid citizens in
the same business. One of them said shat
this particular line of business would
never become very extensive owing 10 the
fact that the human skin, unlike that o.
an animal, is rot susceptible of successful
treatment by the tanners. Many expe-
riments In this line have been made but
with little success.
Il don't know what affinity there is be
tween a human being and n walrus."
said the dresser Of skins, but ii is a pecu.
liar fact that the only animal whose skin
when dressed is like the skin OF a man is
a walrus. Between the skin OF this animal
and that OF a man There is little OF no differ
ence. Both have the same characteristics.
The human skin when tanned and
dressed" said the expert, continuing
upon his somewhat remarkable subj Z,
in a matter OF fact way, "can be put 70
but a small number OF uses 1t cannot be
used as the skin OF an animal can be. YoU
see the human skin is porous. Ii canDo:
be used where it Will come into contac.
with water. But you can make pocket
! books, spectacle cases, and things OF that
Kind cut OF it."
Those affecting this queer fad are chielS
surgeons and physicians. With them,
however, it IS not altogether fad, but a
matter Of business. Many physicians use
ba - made OF human skin to hold their
more delicate instruments, and say IL is
the best material from which such sn
article can be made. At least two OF New
York's cOroneTs. according TO one OK the
workers in hides, have these cases, end
many surgeons also use them. In one case
the wife OK a wellknown surgeon has
affected the custom. too. She has par
| ticularly handsome purse which she never
tires OF showing 10 her friends. She does
not tell al OF them, however. that it was
n sde from the skin Of human being
| who came under her husbands scaipel
| But il was, just the same. and this par
| ticular fair dame Is not the only one
who carries q purse Of this remarkable
material.
| Most u the yolng surgeons IN our hos.
I uitais Affect Il. S7m- vsrv romantic cases
I come under their notice from time 20 time
/ eases the characters of which the pablo
/ has LITTLE slsa. Some II these young rser
| tell queer stories that ere suggested 10y
T these xhastly keepsskss. stories that ro
call sorne Of those told BY Goboria8, snd
shat are repists With romancs or more
T often with tragedy.
!. WTIs0y Jo7SsoS
STREET-CAR SPOTTERS.