Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-05

embalming was regarded as Impossible in
Manila So rapidly does the work of de-
composition proceed in a tropical climate
that the Spanish law required burial with
In twenty-four hours after death
Il availed myself of the services of about
twelve men who had experience as EN-
baimers In the states, but except In the
case OF member of the burial corps who
was temporarily In the city, the work done
py all OF them was failure, fnasmuch
as 1t would not check decay during the
long ocean voyage to the states. The fall
ure was probably not due to lack of pro-
IessionaI skill on the rart of any Of these
men, Dut as afterward developed to the
weakness of the ordinary embalmiue fluids
Tor tropical climates
Real1zlng the necessity for effective work
IN TINS direction, l instituted series OF
experiments with fluids. Fortune favored
me with the assistance of Mr. Otis H Bow
ers, who was at that time a private of the
hospital corps and had then been assigned
10 duty under my direction. Private Bowers
nad had some training as embaImer I'M
derstood the mechanical part of his work
ana was ambitious to master the art in
surmountabie as the difficulties seemed in
the tropics.
Our experiments continued for several
weeks, the formulate for fluids being modi-
fled each time the results wers unsatisfac-
tory. until a fortunate combination solved
the difficulty and gave an unfaiIing formula
for tropical work
Since that time the government has
authorized the embalming of all bodies
whenever such is possible, and Of the hun
oTeds OF cases so treated and afterWard
shipped to the states, some of them having
been held in the morgue for months, await
ing instructions from friends, not a case of
failure has occurred.
Private Bowers was afterward given en-
pfoymem by the quartermaster's depart
ment as civilian emhalmer Too much
credit cannot be given to him for his mar
ffH1 fI~0,
which We're trying in the extreme. 1 COM
mend Mr.. Bowers to the department for his
tireless devotion to duty and his absolutely
faultless work.
New Morgue Built.
The increase of work of this character
led to the erection of a new United States
morgue, with modern equipment, and the
same Is now in operation on the Calzada
de Aguadas, in the city Of Manila, and Is
fitted out. with an embalming room, store
room, mortuary chapel, apartments for the
operators and large office, well equipped
for the work of completing and preserving
the records in the now perfected system
of Identification
1.-The present methods Of Identification
have been gradually evolved by experience
with every variety of cases. The difficulty
In securing distinctive marks is often very
great. especially when a body has been in
the water for few days or has been beaten
upon by the tropical sun, and the data OF
the identifying officer must be gathered
quickly and thoroughly. AS no system Of
cold storage is provided it may be neces-
sary for burial to be made at once, in a
carefully numbered grave but if the ap-
proved blank form is filled with the data
data of which no part will be overlooked,
specifically indicated-it Is but the work of
time and correspondence to make sure Of
the name.
Separate regimental registers. alphabet
a ND q dc fyt
ton with the index system, have placed a
supply OF Information at the disposition Of
the department and the pension office,
which will become more and more valuable
with the lapse of time, and by means of
which there can scarcely be failures in
Identification.
Each Should Wear a Tag.
I'm order to facilitate identification, l
recommend the issue to all officers and
men of a small tag Of aluminium bearing
the name, rank and regiment, to be worn
constantly around the neck. This method
was followed largely by the organizations
comprising the earlier Philippine expedi-
tons, and it is better that all men shall
wear these marks as military duty than
that one man should fail to be identified.
As before indicated, the ravages of a tropi-
cal climate preclude the possibility OF de-
lay in securing distinguishing marks, and
in those frequent cases where bodies are
guarding the interests Of the government
and of sorrowing families to order the
wearing Of tag which would be a souvenir
of service, ordinarily, but. in the unhappy
event of DEATH would insure against error
in the shipment of remains.
There should always, in my judgment,
be central Office to which reports ought
to be sent Immediately by surgeons, chap
lains, company commanders, quartermas-
ters and others who have any office to
perform for the dead, in order that &C
counts should be compared, discrepancies
corrected and all data duly recorded, SO
that any person afterward charged with
the duty might be able to secure the body
and give all information desired by the
pension Office, by insurance companies, or
by relatives, in the settlement of their
affairs. So wide is the variance in the
spelling of names and the location Of
graves, that the work of this central Office
in checking, tracing and correcting. is
shown by experience to be Of vital con-
sequence to the government and other in
terested parties
1T has been my aim to carry out this
practice as far as possible. but it should
be placed upon such basis that the priv
ilege of inquiry might in all cases be
recognized as the duty and the right Of
the officer in charge"