The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-02
NEW USE FOR FoRMALDEHYDE.
DIR. LeHardy Discovered 1t Through
Taxidermist's Mistake.


Health officer LeHardy has discovered
a new virtue in formaldehye, the disin-
fectant which appears to be supplanting
all others in the favor of medical experts
and saniterians.
DR.. LeHardy has a small formaldehyde
plant in his Office, which is occasionally
used for disinfecting a sick room and ar
ticles of clothing where the patient has
suffered with some infectious or contag-
ious disease About two weeks ago a
friend of DR.. LeHardy a taxidermist,
came to see him. The taxidermjst said he
had received three wild turkeys from
gentleman, with instructions to take off
the skins and prepare the birds for ship
ment to London. The fact was that the
gentleman wanted the skins taken off and
stuffed in order that ne might show his
friends in England what a noble game
bird exists in this part Of the world. The
taxidermist being a Frenchman, however,
ana not understand the English language
very well,understood just the opposite and
started out in good faith to prepare the
carcasses for shipment to the other side.
This being new departure for the tax
idermist, he was at loss how to proceed,
and called upon the health officer for ad-
vice. The doctor is never without an
idea, and new plan for the preservation
OF meats during shipment suggested its&f
to him. He had the taxdermist dress the
birds and bring them to him. With his
disinfecting plant he subjected the birds
for few minutes each to the formalde-
hyde vapor. Each bird was then wrapped
in a thin white cloth, and around this
was securely wrapped a'heavier cloth, the
latter being saturated with 40 per cent.
solution of formaldehyde diluted with
glycerine
When the taXidermist took the birds
to his customer he discovered his error. 1t
was the skins and not the carcasses which
the customer had wished prepared. He
did not want the birds in their new con-
dition, and the taxidermist brought them
back to Dr. LeHardy a day or two later.
lie thought the birds were worthless. DR..
LeHardy assured him they We're all right
As evidence of his belief he took one of
them home with him
when the package was unwrapped,"
said. DR.. LeHardy. "there was an awful
odor.' The odor was from formaldehyde,
however, and not from decaying turkey
flesh.
Il told them to hang the bird up in the
Kitchen for the night" continued DR.. Le-
HARDY, and that it would be all right
next day, and so it was We had it for
dinner and 1t was delicious. This was just
six days after the turkey had been pack
ed in formaldehyde and it had doubtless
DIR. LeHardy told the taxidermist of the
result and he decided to try one of the
birds himself. Only for the sake of ex-
pertinent he waited a week later In
spite of the fact that the turkey had been
kept week longer the experience was
the same as in the first case. The tur-
key had kept perfectly and the taxider-
mist and his family declared it to be as
nice as they ever tasted. The third bird
is being held for another week in order
to test the experiment still further If
it is found 10 be In good condition at the
end of that time, it will have been con-
clusively demonstrated that formaldehyde
is a valuable preservative of fresh meats
1t was suggested to Dr. LeHardy that he
had made a valuable discovery and one
that might prove of great importance to
the trade in fresh meats by allowing these
meats TO be shipped long distances in their
natural state without the expense of re-
frigeration.