The morning call., 1891-01-18
THE BABY'S CORPSE
Was GALVANIZED
What a Student Of Dr.. Br0Wn-SGQuard Has
Presented the Academy.
Recollections of Eugene Lami, the Famou.
Painter in Water-Colors His Visit to
Horace Vernets Studio.


PARIS, Dec. rs, 1S90.-Every day physi-
| clans make new discoveries, and now one a
disciple of DR.. Brown-Sequard, has the idea
| of restoring mummies to favor. In the
| name Of his disciple, DR.. Brown-Sequard
| presented to the Academy of Medicine the
| corpse of a child 3 years old literally COW
cred with copper. For long time scientists
have searched for something that would
galvanize the human body, as vegetables
and animals have been galvanized Dr.
Varlot-for that is the name of the gal
Vanlzer-has overcome many obstacles, and
To-day he believes in the future OF his
| process.
But although DIR. Variot believes that gal
VanlZed corpSes will rival statues, thus far
they have nothing Of the statue, except its
rlgldlty. The corpse can never be aught
than the image of DEATH and the sculptor's
| ambition Is to produce an image of life
Years ago, in 1910, | think, DR.. Soier.
trenchman also, obtained remarkable re-
suits. Dr. Gannal has now in his POSSESSION
Sleeps head, galvanized by Soier and the
wool is replaced by a copper fleece that pre-
sents all its asperities as well as its delicacy
| of texture.
DIR. Gannal owns also br0nzed child that
came into his possession under peculiar cir
cumstances. A widower lost his only child,
had it embalmed by DR.. Gannals father,
and as he could not be separated from his
| adOred offspring when the time came for
closing the coffin, he sent away the under
taker and stick Of wood took the boys
place.
Not long after the broken-hearted father
married, and, fearing that his new wife
might some day find this Skeleton in the
closet" lie carried the embalmcd child
to DIR. GannaPs office. II was then that
Soier was making his experiments, and
DR.. Gannal Sr. asked Soier to galvanize the
corpse. But this is the only human body on
which Soier operated the clothing is won
| derfully preserved, but wherever the metal
was applied to the skin 1t is shriYeled and
shrunken, and as the metallic covering has
no support, it scales and falls off.
If thicker layer of copper be given all
the features are modified aud the galvan-
led CORPSE becomes badly chlSeed statue.
DArtigueS, early in this century, discov-
cred that with a solution of potash one
could manufacture from human bones pc
| cuilar quality of glass, and decided to reYo-
lutionize the embalming process, but from
that day to this nothing has been heard of
the application of this discovery.
Perhaps the preservation of corpses should
not be encouraged. So we ever think of the
thousands of people whose embamed
cOtpSes lie in our cemeteries. During til
last twenty years the corpses of many cele-
brated men have been embalmed but do we
even ask which ones?
While tine near relatives live, galvanized
| corpSes may have their place in ancestors
hall, but when only distant cousins are left
the copper statues will be sent to the gar
ret converted into supporters for gas-lights,
or perhaps be sold to be melted as ''old cop
per. 10 galvaniZe the corpse Of an adult
| person would cost about S6000 and in the
days of financial difficulty 1t would not be
vol Ia
turned to profit There are savants who be-
| lieve we shall return to mummy worship,
| but these savants have not we'll studied the
| sign of the times.
We cannot, like the ancient Egyptians,
| live only for our dead their literature,
| music and architectural art we're tho apoth-
| costs Of death. The dreamy sphinx, auda-
] cious pyramid and fabulous obelisk were
| only pretexts for burying the dead and re-
| lating their brilliant deeds and shining
| virtues. Progress teaches US to destroy the
| dead and that quickly as possible; the
| epoch Of mummies is certainly over.
The friend who for fifty years kneels and
| weeps over the same tomb, when told that
the grave is empty, does lie weep with less
fervOr?
There certainly is nothing in the tomb of
Abelard and Heloise, but would there be
more pilgrims to their shrine in the GENE
terry OF Pere la Chase were it known that
these lovers were immortalized in copper?
The death of Eugene Lami at the age of
81 years recalls an incident relating 10 the
artistic debut OF this celebrated painter. In
the early years of this century Lady called
on Horace Nernet. She was accompanied
by rosy-cheeked, curly-hared little boy,
aud to Nernet she explained that her boy
had great taste for drawing. She had
brought several sketches for the inspection
OF the master, and watched his face with
breathleSs interest Suddenly Horace Yer
net seized the bushing boy by the Shout
derS and said, Stay here. my child, and
shall give you something to d."
The little boy was Eugene Lami. one of
the greatest Of watercolOr painters. II
1929 LAM was celebrated. Then the Ouch
ess de Berry gave in the Pavilion MarSan,
| Tuileries Palace, splendid fancy ball and
| all the costumes were OF the same epoch
that when Marie de Lorraine, widow of
| James V, came to France to visit Mary
| Stuart, wife of Francis IL 1t was decided
| that Mary Stuart would be represented by
| the DucheSse de Berry, and Francis III by
| the eldest son of the Due d'Orleans, the Due
! de Charities, then Is years old The en-
| trance of four Queens-Mary Stuart Marie
| de Lorraine, Catherine de Medicis and
| Jeanne GAlbret-was announced by music.
| The cortege was superb ana the costumes
magnificent. The DucheSse de Berry. as
| Mary Stuart, wore a blue velvet robe, with
pulled sleeves, high ruff, ermne trimmings,
| and sparkled with diamonds.
The Duke de NemOurS. who still remem-
| bers the tete. was royal page, and gave
| HIS udHu W dlu IIb DuCHeSSe ue Berry IN
mounting the throne She lDotloned him to
| sit beside her. but placing himself behind
| the throne and removing his plumed hat he
bowed profoundly and said: " Madame,
know my place"
Eugene Lami was the painter chosen to
immortaliZe this fete. He made twenty-six
water-colors that have been autographed.
There are the portraits of the principal per-
sOnages and at the left are the arms of the
historical perSonageS. while at the right are
seen those of the DerSOaatOrS
Lamrs water-colors are very numerous
and eagerly sought after. The "Abdication
OF Marie Stuart is one of the finest, and
many of his pictures, some in oil, are found
in the Versailles galleries.
Eugene Lami lived under many regimes
He was a subject of Napoleon |, Louis
XVIII, Charles y. Louis Philippe Napo-
leon Ill and President Carnot, but he re-
manned faithful to his early traditions.
Political changes affect me little" said he
to an old friend who pointed out the similar
lty of his works under all regimes, because
L perceive tharif men change governments
women have the same Shuulners