AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF EMBALMING AND. PRESERVING ANIMAL 'SUBSTANCES FROM DECAY FOR ANATOMICAL PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ludovico Brunetti at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th June
1867.
I, LUDOVICO BRUNETTI, of Rovigno (Italy), Professor, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF EMBALMING
AND. PRESERVING ANIMAL 'SUBSTANCES FROM DECAY FOR ANATOMICAL PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention bas reference to an improved process for preserving the
human body and animals for embalming and for anatomical purposes whereby
I effect the preservation, firstly, of the elements of the primitive tissues with
all their internal and external anatomical characteristics; secondly, of the
capillary vessels in their natural state, but empty and accessible for microscopical
examination; lastly, I effect the preservation of a certain degree of flexibility
and elasticity in the anatomical preparations, which preserves them from
injury when subject to pressure, to blows, or to falls.
This process, which though based on the principle of injection nevertheless
leaves no trace of injection, includes three essential operations, namely, the
preparations of the tissues, the tanning thereof, and their dessication.
The preparation consists of washing, the removal of fat, and the expulsion
of the fluids employed for that purpose. The human or animal body is first

page_text: washed internally and externally with water, and the blood is removed by
means of injections of water in the excretory vessels and ducts, providing a
suitable aperture for the escape of the water, according as the injection is
made in the arteries, the veins, or ducts; the fat is then removed by the
injection first of alcohol and then of sulphuric ether, or of either of these
alone; the ether is then expelled by injections first of alcohol and then by
continued injections of water.
For tanning the tissues tannic acid is dissolved in boiling distilled water,
and is then injected into the arteries, veins, or ducts.
The dessication is afterwards effected by heat applied internally and
externally. For applying external beat the anatomical subject is placed in
an iron oven with double sides, in which is contained water maintained at
boiling point, so as to raise the temperature of the air in the oven to
about ninety-two degrees centigrade (about 198° Fahrenheit). For applying
internal heat hot air is compressed by an air pump in a strong receiver made
to communicate with the arteries, veins, and ducts by means of india-rubber
tubing, whereby the air is allowed to penetrate to the primitive tissues. The
air is heated and dried for this purpose.by.being made to pass through a heated
vessel containing any suitable dessicating substance, such as dry chloride of
calcium, before entering the air. pump. By this introduction of air the
anatomical subject regains its natural volume and shape, and the natural
internal microscopic structure of all parts is thus preserved suitable for
.examination.
Owing to the removal of all blood the anatomical subjects prepared by my
process are deprived of colour; but they may be artificially coloured by the
introduction of suitable colouring matter after the tanning.