03-08-2009, 12:31 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-08-2009, 12:33 AM by Dr Channard.)
UPDATE: Cornelius is still dead! This is what they guy I bought him off of wrote up for me about Cornelius' history.> OK,> So I got Cornelius from Dr. Weinstein in Toledo. He bought him from the widow of another doctor in Maine who apparently had a rather extensive medical antique collection until he died & his wife sold it off.> All the information I have on Cornelius was passed on to me from Dr. Weinstein from that widow.> Cornelius, the name given to him by my ex-girlfriend, was believed to have been a resident of the state of Maine. I don't know why that is believed so, but it's what I was told. He apparently passed away sometime in the mid-eighteen eighties from Spinal Meningitis. Spinal Meningitis, which at the time there was no known treatment for, could claim a life in as little as 3 days, which to the scientific community was a good fortune, as it left behind good, healthy, recently vibrantly alive skeletons. One of the leading causes of early death in the Victorian age was syphilis, which on the contrary degenerated the body from the inside out, leaving behind a less then stellar medical teaching aide, or useless piece of mystery-furniture, in Cornelius' case. Just kidding.> Anyway, I was told he was in his mid-twenties when he died, he's short (5'1"), he apparently was caucasian, as there's a way to tell by bone development, male, and judging by the evidence of dental work, from a well-to-do family. A family that possibly loved him so much they couldn't bear to let him go & therefore had him preserved in this way? Who knows.> I believe he's been in the coffin since soon after his untimely death, as the size & age of the coffin make perfect sense...> He is the ONLY skeleton (or skull, actually) of that age that I've EVER seen with EVERY tooth intact, which is very rare indeed, as most folks lost quite a few teeth during their lives in those days, and not too many have an opportunity to shake some out after.> The coffin is make of Tiger Oak, which is a very rare (& beautiful) wood, and it is lined in Black silk & allegedly padded with horse-hair, which I don't know a lot about, so I'm just passing on the words told to me from Dr. Weinstein. I know horse hair has been used to make mattresses, and the padding in Cornelius' coffin seems too rough & scratchy for that use, but who knows. Again, I have little knowledge in that area to be sure!>> -uh, I think that's all I know!> I'll think about it more in the next few days & send you out an addendum if I find it necessary.> I hope this helps. I'm glad you're excited to have him, as I sure do miss having him around. Being known as the guy around town who 'used to' have a dead body in his apartment just isn't the same...>