The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-02-13
DEAD MEMS BONES.
The Making of Skeletons 10 Really .
Work Of Art.


Work Of Art.
The skeleton of man or beast il
a much more useful and salable OBJ
ject than one would be inclined te
suppose. Proof of this Is the fire..
quency with which we find these Oh
jects mounted in museums, schools
of medicine, anatomical cabinets
and even in the classrooms for child
physiology and in the studios Of
painters and sculptors. Much labor
is employed in separating the skele-
tons from the tissues and bones
that cover them, whitening them
and mounting them. Some Of them,
it is true, are prepared and sold by
the medical profession, persons oc-
casionally Tin the interests Of SCI
ence) leaving their bodies to the
care of this or that medical fra
ternity for whatever use they may
tend to serve. This, however, ex-
plains very inadequately the supply
available in response to the ever
growing demand.
As a matter Of fact, the greater
part Of the skeleton trade is car
ried on in France, nearly all Of it
originating there. Paris has a very
well equipped factory for the fur
nishing Of skeletons Of men and
animals for whatever purpose re-
CURED, and this factory has branch
es in London and Berlin. Most Of
the human bones employed in the
French manufacture belonged in
life to criminals or to unknown per-
SONS whose bodies were unclaimed
after death in hospitals or aims,
houses. After being utilized in the
dissecting room the remains were
removed to this factory. The pro-
prietor of this factory is or should
be a very rich man, for he practical
ly monopolizes this industry. The
factory has many departments.
First comes the preliminary prep
aration of the skeleton in the car
holic acid tank and finally the fit
ting Of the bones and joints togeth-
er with wires.
The preparation of the skeleton
takes many months from first to
last and is a very expensive process
in the bulk. There must be a thor
ough chemical treatment of the
bones, in the first place, to insure
their hanging together and remain
ing in an unaltered state. 1t is
hardly ever the case that a skeleton
seen on exhibition is made up en-
tirely of its own original parts. The
formula employed in bringing the
process of the skeletons compile
ton to a state of relative perfection
is still an industrial secret. 1t must
be when sold as white as marble"
In the warehouse of this factory
are rows Of shelves where skeletons
of all forms and representative of
all races may be seen. Some by ac-
cident or in virtue Of dissection
processes have been broken or dis
mounted and very carefully reftted
with fine wire. Underneath are mul-
titudes Of boxes Of assorted bones,
with big bones, such as ribs, marked
of with letters and numbers. In
showcases may be seen for sale--or
ito let" for whatever purposes de-
sired-skeletons Of giants, dwarfs,
negroes or of strange races dis
covered by explorers in faroff
countries. Criminals heads with
their names and the dates of their
execution (some of them very re-
mote) are seer here, and pamphlets
descriptive of their crimes are held
for sale, with cards in small type
containing the same matter, TO be
attached, if desired, to the skull or
skeleton.-Harper's Weekly.