Organic chemistry has made great progress since the commencement of the present century, and the facts upon which it is constituted have been sufficiently known and accurately studied, to elevate it to the rank of an exact science. Numerous applications have been made, with immense advantage to the arts and sciences; but the great light it has shed in such numerous directions, has but feebly enlightened the art of embalming, and we will say, with M. Pelletan, that we cannot but be astonished to observe, that the same processes are continued in our day which were only predicated on the description of Herodotus upon points evidently defective, and that without any kind of discernment or analysis, in a manner entirely routine. No regard has been taken to the enormous difference which the dissimilitude of exterior conditions must establish between our practices and those of the Egyptians. It is, nevertheless, an art thus constituted, which will invoke the aid of three learned professions. It was, indeed, a grave subject of discussion to determine, whether the physician, the surgeon, or the apothecary, ought to take precedence in the honours of this operation. A conciliatory spirit once arose in one of these disputes; after long consideration and mature examination, it was concluded, that the three professions rendered such services in these circumstances, that they should march in a line, and that they ought, in consequence, to render each other aid and support in a common cause. Nevertheless, judging from the great incisions, perforations, the flesh hacked and stuffed with perfumes, the arbiter would have been justified in deciding that the hog-butcher possessed superior claims to any of his competitors for practising embalming. We shall be convinced, in reading the following notice, that the pretensions which we claim in favour of an honest artist, are neither ridiculous nor extravagant.
M. Boudet, charged with the embalming of the senators, gives us a faithful account of the method which he followed to preserve the magnates of the empire.
There was prepared for this operation:—
1. A powder composed of tan, decrepitated salt, quinquina, canella, and other astringent and aromatic substances, Jew’s pitch, benzoin, &c.; the whole mixed and reduced to a fine powder, and sprinkled with essential oils: the tan forms one-half the weight, the salt one-fourth.
2. Alcohol saturated with camphor.
3. Camphorated vinegar, with spirits of camphor.
4. A varnish, composed of the balsam of Peru, and balsam of copaiba, fluid styrax, oil of nutmeg, lavender, and thyme, &c.
5. Alcohol saturated with hyper-oxygenated muriate of mercury.
The whole being prepared, the cavities are opened with large incisions, and the viscera extracted; a crucial incision is made in the integuments of the cranium, the skull sawn circularly, and the brain removed; the intestinal tube is to be opened its whole length, and numerous deep incisions made in it; the whole to be washed repeatedly; after expressing them, wash them again in camphorated vinegar, and again with camphorated alcohol. All the internal parts thus prepared and rolled in the compound powder, are ready to be replaced. Numerous incisions are then to be made on the internal surfaces of the great cavities, following the direction of the muscles; wash all the parts and express them well; to which must succeed lotions of vinegar and camphorated alcohol; afterwards apply with a small brush, the alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate to all the incisions; it produces much heat, the muscles become bleached, and the surface is promptly dried. This done, a layer of varnish must be applied to all the internal incisions, filling them with the powder; the varnish is also applied to all the internal surfaces of the cavities, also a layer of the powder which will adhere to the varnish; each viscera is then to be replaced in its proper position, adding as much of the powder as is necessary to fill the vacant spaces, and sew up the integuments, taking care to varnish and powder the internal surface of those which are contiguous to the bones. All the cavities being closed, varnish the external incisions and fill them with powder; varnish also the whole surface of the skin, and apply a layer of powder which will adhere generally. To the corpse thus embalmed, apply to every part, including the face, methodical bandages, which will produce a general pressure and cover all the surface; varnish the first bandage, and apply a layer of powder; and finally, a second bandage, which must also be varnished; when the body is deposited in a leaden coffin, and all the spaces filled with compound powder, solder on the lid, and the operation is finished.[5]
It will be perceived that, in this method, the access of air is, as much as possible, opposed; but this precaution is illusory, since in place of drying the body, it has been filled with powders which are real hygrometers, and which only absorb humidity to become themselves loaded with it: that indispensable condition to all perfect preservation was here wanting, completely to desiccate the body, still preserving it afterwards from all humidity and access of air; adding further, that many of these substances neutralize each other.