The Holbrook news., 1914-10-03
DEAD NEWS BONES.
The Making of Skeletons Is Really a
 Work of Art.

The Making of Skeletons Is Really
 Work of Art.
 The skeleton of man or beast is a much more useful and salable ob- ject than one would be inclined to suppose. Proof of this is the ire quency with which we find these ob- jccts 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 Gin 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 matter of fact, the greater part of the skeleton trade is car ried on in France, nearly all of it originating there. Paris has very well equipped factory for the fur nishing of skeletons of men and animals for whatever purpose re- quired, and this factory has branch es in London and Berlin. Most of tine 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 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 bolic acid tank and finally the fit- ting of the bones and joints togeth- CT with wires.
 The preparation of the skeleton takes many months from first to last and is very expensive process in the bulk. There must be thor ough chemical treatment of the bones, in the first place, to insure their hanging together and remain ing in an unaltered state. It Is hardly ever the case that skeleton seen on exhibition is made up en- tirely of it's own original parts. The formula employed in bringing the process of the skeletons compile tion to state of relative perfection is still an industrial secret. It 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- cidcnt or in virtue of dissection processes have been broken or dis mounted and very carefully reftted with fine wire. Underneath are mui Ut tdueS Ol DOAeS LII dSSoIteu DOueS, with big bones, such as ribs, marked off with letters and numbers. In showcases may be seen for sale-or ''to 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- motel are seen 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. Weekly.