The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-01-01
FLESH CHANGED TO STONE.
STRANGE THINGS DONE By ITAL.
IAN SCIENTISTS,
Grace Greenwood Describes Some of
the Specimens-H How Superstition
Prevented Further Discoveries.

NFtttt 0ftthWoou OtScftbtS DohtO VI
the Specimens-H How Superstition
Prevented Further Discoveries.
Italians have of late years had lively
discussions on the question of preserva-
ton or destruction of the body. 1t is
more of theological than sentimental
question with them. Professors Marini
and Gorini, eminent scientists, have for
several years been experimenting in the
line of petrifactions. 1t was one of them,
says Grace Greenwood in the New York
Herald, who treated the body Of Joseph
Mazzini, turning it into almost transpar-
ent marble, having the pear shaped head
and the dark, intense, worn, but still
handsome face, so wonderfully life-hke
in color, contour and expression that
they who loved him could scarce be rec
onciled to the sealing up of the coffin.
On the fifth anniversary of his death
that coffin was opened in the presence OF
some of his faithful followers, and one of
them told me that they found the face
of their beloved chief quite unchanged.
lie seemed to have fallen asleep but yes
terday. DIR. Mariri has received several
liOul tADOSlblOuo III liio NalSSCN-
cry, which, after all, is only a partial
rediscovery of the secret process Segato,
the Florentine, and which he in turn
keeps to himself At the fairs in Turin
and Milan, of few years ago, he exhib-
tied IN a special cabinet many specimens
of what seemed an occult art. Some
were solid, permanent petrifactions; some
provisional, capable of returning to
fresh condition, all preserving the full
ness and transparency of life, while most
were in a pliable condition. All the
varied members of the body are, it is
said, hard at first, but become after
time supple, and even capable of furnish
ing studies in anatomy of muscles, veins
and nerves.
The most impressive of DR.. Marini's
preparations is a beautiful little girl,
dressed as in life and lying on a sofa,
apparently asleep, her long curls spread
over the pillow. The face is pale, but
round and dimpled, and the limbs are
soft and flexible. The Professor affirms
that thus the gentle form of little Maria
Courier remains fixed forever for those
who loved her to gaze on when they will
IA painful privilege, l should say.
But the pioner in this field and the
master of all the workers was Girolamo
early part of this century, taking with
him his secret. Before his time there
were only embalming and mummification
the means arsenical and balsamic-the
results more or less CHASTITY.
In the anatomical museum of the hos
pital of Santa Maria Nuova at Flaence
are treasured the matchless preparations
of Segato. He was most enthusiastic
experimenter, believing that his discov-
cry would be of immense benefit to sci
ence, especially to anatomy. Hfe first
experimental on small animals and rep
tiles-which still remain, perfect exam
Piles of petrifaction-but when NE would
apply his method to the marbleRation of
the human body he raised a storm of SUI
perstitious opposition. Priests accused
him of sacrilege, of seeking to throw OBJ
stacles in the way of Omnipotence in the
final work of the resurrection of the dead,
and his brother anatomists refused to
stand by him. 1t is sad story-the eX-
perience of Galileo was repeated in the
persecution he had to endure-and yet
he asked no great thing, only the dead
body of criminal or pauper to petrify
entire. He had been allowed portions
of bodies, fragments fallen from the ta-
bles of the hospital anatomists, among
them the head of a girl and the bust of a
peasant woman-the first an astonishing
piece of preservation, all.of the features
remaining as in life, the hair eXquisitely
soft and lustrous, the teeth dazzling the
second is a marvel of beautiful color and
contour, and ivory like in smoothness
and firmness.
At last he obtained from the Grand
Duke Leopold permission to use for his
purpose an entire human body, probably
that of criminal but just as he was
going to work the gracious hand was
withdrawn through the influence of the
archbishop. Segato was in despair. 1t
was known that he had carefully written
out his process, intending after more fully
| demonstrating it and testing it by time to
make it public; but one day his private
study or laboratory was broken into and
llin hiahNio anu NliNoA1 ihnNdihNh lOI
papers. Those containing his secret were
not discovered, but in his indignation
and desperation he burned them. Soon
after this he died On his deathbed he
tried to described his process to his most
intimate friend, to whom he had promised
the revelation, but voice and sight failed
him, and murmuriRg: at is too late, 4"
he closed his weary eyes on a life of vain
struggle and disappointment.
Among the Preparations left by Segato
is the slab for a small table of various
rich colors and highly polished surface,
apparently marble, but really mosaic
formed of fragments of human members,
visceri, etc, nothing very extraordinary
to behold until you know it is so 'fear-
fully and wonderfully made 1t occurred
10 me that this would be capital piece
of furniture for the King of the Cannibal
Islands or a spirit medium.
His Lofty Ambition.