The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-05


what. over $1,000. Collins of baked clay
are found in the ruins OF ancient cities
of Mesopotamia. The Ethioplans OF old
used for collins followed blocks of
quartz crystal. which material is very
plentiful in that country. Thus the In
closed body was kept visible. The only
coffin mentioned In the Bible is that of
Joseph. whose remains were "embalm-
ed and coflined.'
PRESERVING THE BODIES.
The bodies of persons buried In the
frozen soil of Northern Siberia have
been found perfectly preserved after a
lapse of nearly century. Corpses in
tered in hot sand do not decay. but Sa-
come mummified. There is no other
way In which a body can be preserved
so long-leaving freezing an mummif-
cation out of the Cuestlon-as by
burial in lead coffin. II the receptacle
be air-tight. lack of oxygen brings pu-
trefaction almost II not quite to a
pause, and the face of a defunct per-
son may be recognizable after a long
period of time. The attempts frequent
ly made to destroy bodies by covering
them with lime are very apt to have
the opposite effect. preserving them by
keep out the air. When inferred
in wet soil, corpses are sometimes
transformed into true ammoniacal
soap, which has been named "adipoc-
ere." Thus very often they retain their
form indefinitely, inasmuch as adipoc-
ere is not perishable under ordinary cir
cumstances.
There Is a man in New York who
makes a business Of photographing
corpses. He takes picture of the face
of every dead person who turns up at
the morgue in that city. The likenesses
are mounted on cards and kept in lit
tie cabinet at the morgue office. In
each case the photograph Is made with
out arranging the hair or in any other
way modifying the appearance OF the
| defunct, inasmuch as to do so might
| interfere with the recognition Of the
latter by friends. Sometimes. after
many years have passed. relatives Of
these unfortunate individuals find out
their fate by seeing their features on
| the cards. Suicides are often neatly
shaved and dressed, as II they had pre-
pared themselves particularly to have
their pictures taken. The likenesses in
| the cabinet ruin all the way back to
| 1868.
TO PRESERVE THE ASHES.
One of the most interesting patents
| In the mortuary line is the invention Of
a citizen of Canandaigua, N. Y. 1t Is
| process for preserving the ashes of
the dead, and Is designed to do away
with some of the prejudices against
cremation. The ashes of the late la
| mented, as they come from the crema-
tory, are to be mixed with silicate of
soda and formed into a paste. This
| paste Is nodded into the shape of {,
bust or statuette Of the defunct. If
preferred, 1t may be made into a paper
weight. However fashioned, 1t serves
to remind the bereaved of the dear de-
parted. To an heir to a large estate
such a memorial would be most inter-
esting. The inventor makes the addi-
tional suggestion that the statuette or
bust might be electroplated with cop
per, silver, or gold, for the sake Of
decorative effect.
| Another inventor has devised
method of preserving the bodies Of the
dead by plating them with silver or
gold. His idea Is to embalm the corpse
in the customary manner. and then
place 1t in chemical beth depositing
the metal upon it by electricity in the
ordinary fashion. Nickel, of course
would be good enough for persons IF
| NJ tpo Ia
would seem to be a scheme for desiccat-
ing bodies by a process that Is guar
anteed to reduce them to absolute dry
ness and about one-third Of their or
iginal weight The bodies thus num-
| mified are to be placed in a mausoleum
| with. compartments like those Of a
safety deposit vault. These compart-
ments could be hired in sets or suits of
sepulchers, each of them having an
| outer door Of iron and an inner doof
Of glass, so that the owner Of COM
partment could at any time obtain a
view of his defunct relatives by the use
Of his private key. A system Of eiec-
trio alarms would give notice in case
any person prematuyely desiccated
should come to life.
| Inc mOTDlu uTedu OF Delng DurleQ
alive that Is entertained by some ner-
vous people is entirely ground!ess. Such
a thing is practically impossible, for
the simple reason that a person sup
posed to be corpse, but not really
such. would inevitably be frozen to
death In the ice box long before the
funeral. There is one readily applied
test which the French Academy Of
Sciences has declared infallible as a
means Of determining whether or not
the vital spark Is present. If between
the fingers of presumed cadaver held
up to the light, no redness is visible.
the individual is dead beyond the per-
adventure of doubt Other evidences
of death are apt to be deceptive. The
stoppage of the hearts beating Is not
satisfactory. In cases on record that
organ has apparently ceased to perform
its functions for as much as fifteen
minutes, yet the person has survived.
SIZE MADE USE OF HIM.
| our,ss Wo, Nnt ToL;uu Anv R;sE g