>From:  IN%"[log in to unmask]"  "Archives & Archivists"  4-OCT-1996 06:58:57.77
>Subj:  RE: how to clean skeleton
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       Archives & Archivists <[log in to unmask]>
>Poster:       Carole Nowicke <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject:      Re: how to clean skeleton
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I think that I'd probably talk to folks at the Smithsonian rather than
>Mr. McCormick.  Frightening the staff, indeed.
>
>The SI puts those pesky dermestid beetles to work cleaning off the odd
>bits of flesh and hair.  Then they kill the beetles lest they run amok in
>the museum.
>
>Carole E. Nowicke
>Assistant Librarian
>Indiana Prevention Resource Center  <http://www.drugs.indiana.edu>
>[log in to unmask]  <http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu/~cnowicke>
 
Since Halloween approaches, and someone has raised
the lid on the macabre, how about this: our collection
contains _LIDOLATRIE HUGUENOTE_ (Lyon: Pierre Rigaud,
1608) bound in human skin.  That's right, human skin
(it has been assayed by a medical lab).
 
Any of you folks know how common such bindings are?
We imagine that some luckless "heretic" came to a bad
end, but there must be more to the story than that...
 
It's the season of library exercises here, and we have
a stream of freshmen asking "what's the most unusual
item in Special Collections?"   It would be nice to
have something to say about it other than "it
was a period of religious civil wars in France."
 
Thanks in advance, and apologies to the squeamish.
 
Ed Frank
Special Collections
U of Memphis