I02  Preservation  of  Animal  and  Vegetable  Tissues,  {^"^-^e^^Jz^"^' 
THE  PRESERVATION  OF  ANIMAL  AND  VEGETABLE 
TISSUES. 
Mr.  Wickersheimer,  anatomical  preparator  at  the  University  of  Ber- 
lin, has  discovered  a  preserving  fluid,  by  means  of  which  dead  animals 
may  be  preserved  in  contact  with  air  without  losing  their  natural  appear- 
ance, softness  and  flexibility.  Human  corpses  have  by  its  means  been 
kept  for  months,  retaining  during  this  time  the  flexibility  of  the  joints 
and  an  almost  lifelike  color.  The  lungs  of  different  animals  which 
have  been  immersed  in  the  liquid  may  be  dried,  resembling  then  a 
shrunken  dark-brown  body,  which,  by  means  of  bellows,  may  be  inflated 
as  during  life-time,  and  acquire  then  a  fresh  red  color,  closely  resem- 
bling a  fresh  lung  in  appearance.  Even  old  skeletons  of  various  fishes 
which  had  been  prepared  with  the  cartilages  belonging  to  them,  had 
their  natural  flexibility  restored  after  being  immersed  in  the  liquid  for 
some  time. 
The  liquid  is  also  adapted  to  the  preservation  of  small  animals,  and 
of  fungi,  algae,  flowers,  fruits  and  other  parts  of  vegetables. 
The  formula  for  preparing  this  liquid  has  been  purchased  by  the 
Prussian  government  and  published  by  order  of  the  minister  of  educa- 
tion.   The  directions  are  as  follows  : 
100  grams  of  alum,  25  grams  of  sodium  chloride,  12  grams  potas- 
sium nitrate,  60  grams  potassium  carbonate  (Potasche)  and  10  grams 
arsenious  acid  are  dissolved  in  3000  grams  (3  liters)  of  boiling  water 
the  solution  is  allowed  to  cool,  filtered  and  to  every  10  liters  of  the 
neutral  colorless  and  inodorous  liquid  are  added  4  liters  of  glycerin  and 
I  liter  of  methylic  alcohol. 
Anatomical  preparations  and  animals  which  are  to  be  kept  in  the  dry 
state  are  immersed  in  the  liquid,  according  to  their  size,  for  from  6  to  12 
days,  and  afterwards  dried  simply  by  exposure  to  the  air.  The  tendons^ 
muscles,  etc.,  remain  soft  and  flexible,  so  that  all  natural  movements 
may  be  readily  made.  Hollow  organs  like  lungs,  entrails,  etc.,  are 
filled  with  the  liquid  before  immersion,  and  subsequently  inflated  and 
dried.  Smaller  animals,  like  crabs,  beetles,  lizards,  frogs,  etc.,  also 
vegetables  of  which  the  natural  colors  are  to  be  preserved,  are  kept  in 
the  liquid.  Corpses  and  animal  carcasses  may  be  preserved  by  injec- 
tion, for  which  purpose  from  i  J  to  5  liters  are  required  ;  on  cutting  the 
flesh  then,  even  after  years,  it  has  the  same  appearance  as  that  of  recent 
corpses.    The  epidermis  of  injected  bodies  gradually  becomes  some- 
