The Red Cloud chief., 1899-02-17
BONES FROM ompuRMAN.
rlrss Cons,g nment of Dervish Skeletons
Arrive In London. ,

First Cons,g nmcnt of Dervish shsicssns
Arrive In London.
There has Just arrived in London
the first consignment OF dervish skei-
etons from the battlefield of Omdur-
man, says the London Daily Mail,
There lie no outward and visible sign
In London OF a brisk market In ana
tomical human bones. Indeed, public
sentiment might receive q shock wers
a central depot or building TO be Co.
tablished for the necessary trafio and
barter In skeletons. Nevertheless the
metropolitan skeleton market n steady
and lucrative enough, though no sales
are advertised or auctions announced,
TO secure a constant supply Of shelo-
tons up TO the mark OF trade stand
ards and technical requirements ia not
an easy matter. For no bono. however
tiny. must be missing, since an incom-
plete bony %scaffolding would bs value
less to the medical student. A wido-
spread belief exists that skeletons ara
obtained from the unclaimed bodies of
workhouse and hospital inmates. To
some extent this Ia true, for such
bodies. after use in the dissecting-
room, furnish further useful object
lessons. But tho number OF un-
claimed bodies is small compared with
the demand for skeletons, 30 that deal-
ers must 80 further afeld in their
search for medical school material. A
big battle offers an obviously large
harvest OF skeletons, and already some
Of tho dervishes killed at Omdurman
have found q market In one Of tho
London hospitals. II Is only right to
state that there is not the slightest
possible chance OF n British soldier
having been converted into a market
able skeleton. Due and careful pre-
cautions were taken to prevent such q
contingency, so that any surviving
bones from the Soudan victory are
only those Of the fighting dervish. One
Of the principal dealers in London
states that these fine. athletic dervish-
es make the finest skeletons aver put
on the bone market. II Is not 80 easy
to Insure a supply OF well-developsd
Skeletons he says, FOR many Of these
are obtained from the stunted, half
starved type which ends It's days-un-
claimed and uncared form a casual
ward or hospital. The dervish offers
n rare opportunity in skeletons, end
though the expense Of transport ia
very great, the type OF skeleton hs
makes Is sure to command q price
sufficiently high to cover the extra cost
OF freight. Only a small percentage
have come to London-the rest have
been distributed among the other large
European cities. such as Vienna, Berlin
and Paris. Great care has to be taker
In selecting specimens from q battle
field. for those with shattered or brok'
en- bones will not furnish an entirt
skeleton. or curse there IL Away
a sale for skulls and single bones, but
the aim OF those who supply anatomic
al dealers Is to obtain entire and per
feet skeletons, for these naturally brinl
a higher price. After the Franco
Prussian war the skeleton trade bad
fair to be overstocked, and dealer,
held back their surplus stock. les
prices should be too much cut Their
was not a single German skeleton OF
fered-it Is always the ~vanquished VIII
come to an anatomical end. It's
curious thing" continued the connois
seur in bones, that the skeletons o
Frenchmen should be so much white
than British bones"