. , 230 Extracts from Older Journals. [Nov., 



cies can be perfectly ascertained. The lime, in this case, is pene- 

 trated by animal matter, which seems to have imparted to it the 

 quality of emitting a foetid and unpleasant smell when scraped or 

 struck. No analysis that I know of has been made of the rock; 

 but among the matters with which it is charged are evidently 

 these; whatever of fixed air has been formed by the union of oxy- 

 gen with carbon, during the putrifaction of the fishes, has been 

 attracted by the calcareous matter, and consolidated with it; the 

 whole of the water produced by the junction of their oxygen with 

 hydrogen, has been absorbed by the porous earth; all the oil 

 formed by the union of their hydrogen with carbon, has been drunk 

 up in the same way, and the septic acid, formed by the combination 

 of their azote with oxygen has likewise become embodied with the 

 surrounding lime. Thus, as fast as any thing fluid was formed, it 

 was immediately imbibed; and as the fluids formed by putrifac- 

 tion are thus combined with the calcareous stone, the residuary 

 matter of the animals is left in a dry and somewhat firm condi- 

 tion, resembling mummies; the lime having had, as it were, an 

 embalming effect, or, at most, having literally acted the part of a 

 sarcophagus. In particular, it may be considered, that the total 

 decay of the bodies of the fishes was prevented by the absorption 

 of the water and septic acid produced during the first stages of 

 corruption. 



Yet this preserving power of lime is not peculiar to it, for it 

 belongs to alkalies too. Dean Hamilton's experiments on the 

 power of ihe fixed caustic, alkaline salts, to preserve the flesh of 

 animals from purtrifaction (Ibid. p. 319) are sufficient of them- 

 selves to correct many of the mistakes we labor under in respect 

 to alkaline salts and putrifying bodies. They shew that caustic 

 pot-ash possesses a power of preserving animal flesh from corrup- 

 tion, fully as remarkable as the anti-septic power of caustic lime. 

 It preserves flesh incorruptible, though it has been generally be- 

 lieved caustic alkalies would consume it. Flesh preserved in this 

 way is so durable, that after twenty-two years keeping, it remained 

 unaltered; when broken, the parts hung together by fibres, and 

 looked like a piece of plaster taken from a wall; the fibrous or 

 stringy parts of the flesh not seeming to have been corroded or 

 dissolved by the salt. 



The strong antiseptic powers possessed in so high a degree, 

 both by quick-lime and caustic alkalies, must induce a change of 

 opinion relative to their effects upon the dead parts of animals. 

 They are antiseptics, and particularly so, for this reason, among 

 others, that they attach and neutralize that great destroyer of or- 

 ganized bodies, the se{)tic acid. 



Such a change of opinion would probably have happened long 

 ago, if the leading medical characters in Great Britain had at- 



