﻿178 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



continuously, as by the mere weight of the stone and earth over the skele- 

 tons. However, it must be remembered that a cubic inch of human bone 

 will resist the crushing force of five thousand pounds, and that the dirt 

 over a bone in a mound fifteen feet high would not weigh that much. It 

 might be said that these bones had undergone considerable decay of ani- 

 mal matter and material weakening, and that a stone of some square foot 

 or more surface, with the earth above, might press on a small area of 

 bone tissue and thus cause the condition found. Admitting such a possi- 

 bility, the condition itself is better satisfied by suddenly applied force, at 

 first producing the transverse fissured fractures and then impacting in places 

 in time, by constantly acting. Another point in this connected series of 

 events relates to the deposit of carbonate of lime over the anterior and 

 lateral surfaces of the bones. The deposit resulted from the water holding 

 carbonic acid gas in solution dissolving the hydrate and carbonate of lime 

 converting the hydrate into the carbonate, and dripping from the rocks 

 above on the bones below, penetrating or soaking into the bones, the 

 water then escaping leaving the salt of lime behind in the form of deposit 

 on the bones, in a way similar to the formation of stalactites or stalagmites. 

 That this deposit occurred after the fracturing, is shown by the deposit 

 uniting the fractured fragments in some places. The peculiar grooved 

 and ridged condition of the deposit on the bones, at first seemed to be 

 caused by roots favoring the deposit in some places and hindering it in 

 other places, yet I hardly think this is sufficient. This accounts then for 

 the deposit, its nature, its place on the anterior and lateral surfaces, its 

 relative place in the series of events; much could be added on the appar- 

 ent age of these bones, yet I think enough has been said in this hasty 

 review. 



To recapitulate then : we have a dead body in a vault, time and nat- 

 ural causes produce decay, the falling in of the vault fractures the bones, 

 and last, a stony deposit covers and petrifies them. Such seems to be the 

 history of these petrifactions, yet minds see the same things in different 

 lights. The specimens are before you inviting attention and study, and I 

 shall be glad to alter or amend my present views when fact or the wisdom 

 of age and experience can reasonably demand it. 



