OCR Text |
Show SKELETON MARKET. lfNCl SAM IS THE CHAMPION BONS COLLECTOR OF THE WORLD. f$ctmens From the Ioeit Fishes to th Df mao Specie Found la the Xatlonal tluseum Bones Used as FertiUiFSr'aii fcet Value of Skeleton Funk island that is, a part of it las been reproduced far exhibition at the National museum at Washington. It -was on that lonely rock, 83 miles off ihe coast of Newfoundland, that the aow extinct great auk had its principal roost. Fifty years ago the last individual of the species perished It is represented aow by a skeleton, worth $600, standing stand-ing by a heap of bird remains such as thiefly compose the surface soil of Funk island, while alongside is au egg of the fowl, valuod at $1,500, together witi the inner skin of another egg. The Na-tional Na-tional museum possesses nearly all cx the great auk bones in existence. They ire the most costly bones in the world. The finest collection of skeletons in xhe world is also stored at the National museum. They run upward from the lowest fishes, through the reptiles and birds, to man. Human bonea are much cheaper than those of many other animals. ani-mals. One can buy a nicely articulated keleton of a man for $40 or cf a woman for $50 sex makes some difference ip the price whereas the skeleton of gorilla costs $300, of a whale $150, of an elephant $400, of a lion $75, of a horse $70, of a cat $12 and of a python f75. The bones of a human being are nearly near-ly one-quarter water during the life of the individual. They are chiefly composed com-posed of phosphate of lime, but contain a good deal of animal matter and other elements. In the skeleton of a man are nearly four pounds si the metal caV dum, which is many times more valuable valu-able than gold, being worth $300 an ennoe. Titis in tb osseous framework o the average tramp may be found material ma-terial with a market value of abou 18,000, if it could be separated. It is.only in bones that phosphate ol lime is found in anything tike a pure state. Everybody knows the value of that material as a fertilizer, but lb it only recently that human skeletons have been imported into this country to grow crops with. Not long ago a shipment ship-ment was made from Mexico to the United States of 10 carloads of human bones, said to have been obtained from ancient mounds in southern Mexico, but more probably gathered from various vari-ous old and abandoned cemeteries. As these remains were fragments of unas-sorted unas-sorted skeletons, it was estimated that 50,000 individuals were represented in toe lot This woutd not be oonsidered a novelty novel-ty in Europe. Years ago English farmers farm-ers used human bones to some extent td fertilize their land. The battlefield of Waterloo was for a time the base of supplies, sup-plies, and this was supplemented by nargoes of mummies from Egypt ground to a fine powder. In ancient Egyptian tombs are found great numbers of copper boxes, opening t one end by a elide, which contain mummies cf cats, hawks, ibises and now and then snakes and email crocodiles. croco-diles. Mummies are a recognized commercial com-mercial article in that country today. For a long time locomotives were run between Cairo and Suez with no other fuel. Corpses of royal personages 2,000 years old and upward fetch high prices. A year ago the Austrian bark Vila vas deserted by her crew. Later she was picked up as a derelict off Cape Hatteras. Her cargo was found to consist con-sist in large part of bones, and of these ane-fourth were human The rest was somposed mainly cf the bones of horse? nd cattle. In ono corner of her hold vas a great heap of human skulls. Nobody No-body know3 to this day why the crew ieserted tho vessel in midocean. She w&s worth $40,000, including fr.er freight The bones had been collected J,a deserts tad cemeteries of Egypt The preparation of human skeletons tor market mar-ket is quite an industry. The chief center cen-ter for this branch of commercial activity activ-ity is Paris, where thre concerns are engaged in the business on a considerable scale. They obtain the requisite supplies 3 raw material in the shape of bodies from publio institutions, most of them being those of paupers and criminals. In the United States the existing lawi would not permit the establishment of a factory for bleaching and preparing human skeletons. The only sort of keleton produced here is of the family type, which is kept in the closet To supply the demand in this country about 1,50& skeletons are imported annually. an-nually. Th.s reckoning does not include minor parts, such as skulls and thigh fcones. These are in great request by secret se-cret societies, being absolutely indispensable indis-pensable for initiatory ceremonies. One may purchase a cranium and crossbones for only $10, But if you want some thing real ancy in the way of a skull fou must pay $40. It la worth tht inoney, however, being beautifully dia articulated, so that each particular bone may be studied separately, including even the little bones of the ear. You can buy a very good skeleton complete for $40. A plain skull costs only $6. By students of obstetric there is a special demand for the pelvis, which coEics at $7. Clubs organized ta defy superstitions beliefs affect the use ; of skulls for drinking cups, and young ij men who are studying for the medical i profession indulge a ghastly humor by employing similar receptacles to hold tobacco. The demand for human bonea always exceeds the supply. New York World. |