History of Embalming: and of Preparations in Anatomy, Pathology, and Natural History; Including an Account of a New Process for EmbalmingGannal, J.-N. (Jean-Nicolas)
History
History of Embalming: and of Preparations in Anatomy, Pathology, and Natural History; Including an Account of a New Process for Embalming
Gannal, J.-N. (Jean-Nicolas)
Anatomical specimens -- Collection and preservation; Embalming -- History; Mummies
_The right arm and forearm_, the only parts remaining untouched,
after the experiments of MM. the commissioners, were _amputated by
myself_. I preserve this piece, as well as the hairy scalp; I can show
them to anatomists to be compared with all the preparations obtained
by other processes; none of them, I am convinced will be pronounced
comparable to mine. The hairs remain so firmly attached to the scalp,
that a strong pull will not detach them; I am quite sure that the
injection has penetrated even to the capillary tubes of these organs;
my experiments upon cats, dogs, and birds, have demonstrated the
penetration of my liquid into the horny organs, hairs, or feathers,
which clothe the skin of these animals. These facts will demonstrate
all the services which it is capable of rendering naturalists. Finally,
no process of tanning could give to the internal surface of the skin
an aspect more satisfactory than that which offer other preparations
deposited in my cabinet.
2. _Preservation in liquids._--The different preservative liquids
produce effects very different from the process of desiccation;
however, all those employed up to the present day, possess serious
inconveniences, as any one may be convinced by reading the very
commendable passages which we have extracted from the pamphlet of M.
Dumèril. We shall point out some others which he has omitted.
(_a._) _Nitric Acid_, the only one of all the acids, that can be of any
use to the anatomists, preserves well, it is true, the preparation of
the nerves, hardening their structure, and increasing their nacreous
white colour; but it deteriorates all the other structures, it
dissolves the gelatine, softens the muscles, and deprives the bones of
their calcareous salts; it cannot be other than deleterious to objects
of pathological anatomy, and natural history.
(_b._) _Alcohol_, is more serviceable than any other liquor in use, but
its high price renders its employment almost impossible for objects of
normal anatomy; it hardens and sensibly alters objects of pathological
anatomy; and these alterations, however trifling they may be, and
unimportant to regular anatomy, are serious for the physician, who
cannot have too exact an idea of the progress of disorganization in the
living tissues. If alcohol is eminently useful for natural history, its
costliness renders it impossible to extend the use of it as far as the
interest of science demands.
(_c._) _Diluted Alcohol_, to which is added the deuto-chloride of
mercury, is a less expensive liquor; it preserves accurately enough the
labours of the naturalist and anatomist, but it is not sufficiently
faithful for a pathological anatomy. The same may be said of the
hydro-chlorate of soda, the hydro-chlorate of ammonia, the muriate and
nitrate of alumine added to alcohol.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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