228 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
PARTICULANS of a METHOD: that has 
‘ been used in EUROPE for EMBALMING 
sonies; by BARON LARREY. 
i F the subject, whose body is to be 
embalmed, died of a chronical 
disorder, with marasma; if the .vis- 
cera are found to be clear of purulent 
matters; if no symptoms of pnutri-— 
faction have appeared, and the body 
be intact, or whole and sound, as to 
the exterior, the entrails may be re- 
tained in their respective cavities, 
with an exception ofthe brain, which 
must always be extracted ;—in a case 
of this description, the first part of the 
process is to wash the whole body 
with clean fresh water, then to inject 
jnto the Jarger intestines clysters of 
he same liquid; the diluted matters 
whicii cannot be extracted by reason 
of their weight, and the pressure 
exercised on the lower belly, may be 
absorbed by the syringe. Matters 
contained in the stomach may _be 
absoried by the same means. An 
cesophagian probe might be adapted 
to the siphon of the syringe, and in- 
troduced into the last mentioned 
viseera by the mouth, or by an aper- 
ture made in the oesophagus, on the 
left side of the neck; the stomach 
and the intestines are afterwards filled 
with a bituminous matter infusion, 
the apertures are closed up, and the 
mext part of the process is the in- 
jection of the vascular system. To 
effect this, a-lamboidal part is de- 
tached from the interior on the left 
side of the breast, opposite the crosse 
of the aorta; one or two of the car- 
tilages that cover it is cut; in the 
interior of this artery, a siphon: with 
a cock or spout is placed, by the aid 
of which, a fine infusioa, coloured red, 
is infused to Gill the capillary vessels 
of the whole membranous system. 
Immediately after this, and by the 
same means, a second infusion of a 
more common sort is injected, to fill 
the arteries and their ramifications, 
and athird for the veins, which must 
be by one of the crurals. The corpse 
is then left to get cool, and to let the 
matter of the injections get fixed. 
To emoty the skull, a large trepan 
(couronne de trepan) is applied to the 
angle of union of the sagittal suture 
with the occipital suture, after making 
a longitudinal incision in the skia 
without touching the hair, which must 
be preserved, as also the hair of the 
other parts of the body. When this 
Baron Larrey's Method of Embalming Bodies. 
apertare is made, the adherent parts 
and foldings of the dura mater are 
broken, with a long and narrow scalpel 
of twoedges; the lamboidal parts of 
this membrane are plucked off vith a 
blunt hook, and the whole mass of 
the brains and their hinder part Is 
extruded by the same instrument. 
Aiter this, injections are made of cold 
water, to dissolve speedily the cerebral 
substance; the edges or borders of 
the division of the teguments are then 
closed up with a few seams of suturc. 
If the subject be fat and corpuient, 
more or less, and if his death was 
occasioned by some putrid or malig- 
nant disorder, and in a hot climate 
or season, it will be impossible to 
preserve the entrai!s from putrefac- 
tion; in this case, they must be ex- 
tracted by a semilunar incision in the 
right flank, about the region of the 
loins. Wirst the intestines, then the 
stomach, liver, mili, then the reins 
and kidney, are to brought away; the 
diaphragm must be cut circularly, 
then the mediastinum, also the tra- 
chean artery and the oesophagus, 
where they enter the breast; the 
lungs also, and heart, shonld be re- 
moved,’ but without impairing this 
last organ, which must be prepared 
separate, and carefully preserved. 
These two cavities must be washed 
with a sponge; and a certain quantity 
of superoxygenated muriate of mer- 
cury, reduced to powder, must he 
applied to the fleshy parts of their 
sides and interior, ‘They should 
afterwards be stuffed with horse-hair, 
washed, and dried; the forms of the 
lower belly to be reinstated or re- 
placed, and the two edges of the 
incision to be fixed by a strcng suture. 
Lastly, the body, thus prepared is to 
be plunged ina sufficient quantity of 
a solution of superoxygenated muriate 
of mercury,’ as strong as it can be 
procured. In this liquor it must 
remain imbued about ninety or a 
hondred days. When it is well satu- 
rated with this solution, it must be 
placed on a hurdle, and exposed 
gradually to the action of culinary 
heat, in a dry and airy place. On 
getting dry, the natural forms and 
features ef the face to be reinstated 
and adjusted, as also the limbs; two 
eyes of enamel may be placed for 
the extruded globes of the eye, and, 
if necessary, a colour resembling the, 
natural may be added to the hair. 
A lightly-coloured varnish may Pe 
e 
