Lincoln embalming

[Linda Anderson]

Blaine, thank you for the information. As always, your information is complete and often over the top and colorful. Great to visualize!

I agree. I was fine with Blaine's post until the last sentence. Blaine, you might think of writing novels when you retire. With your extensive knowledge of history and medicine and your sly sense of humor, you could write a great mystery or horror novel.

[BettyO]

Blaine, thank you for the information. As always, your information is complete and often over the top and colorful. Great to visualize!

Always enjoy your posts and information, Blaine! Thanks a bunch -

[Jim Garrett]

There is only one problem with Blaine. He doesn't post enough!

[Joe Di Cola]

Wow, what an informative and interesting answer. I'm also assuming that because he is in an air-tight coffin (is that true?)-which is encased in cement that decay would be further delayed?

Bill,

I think I read somewhere that the lead lining used in Lincoln's coffin (that had to be cut through and then re-welded by plaumber, Leon Hopkins) gives off a gas that also contributes to the preservation of the body.

Joe

[Laurie Verge]

I believe I'm correct that several graves dating to the 1600s and 1700s in Maryland have been opened and found to contain lead coffins. In the days before embalming, the corpses were still in fair condition.

[Jim Garrett]

I believe I'm correct that several graves dating to the 1600s and 1700s in Maryland have been opened and found to contain lead coffins. In the days before embalming, the corpses were still in fair condition.

The St. Mary's City excavations!

[Laurie Verge]

Yes, and a burial vault here at Darnall's Chance - about eight miles from Surratt House.

[BettyO]

There is only one problem with Blaine. He doesn't post enough!

Agreed! I wish both Blaine and Wild Bill were teachers now - I'd kill to register for their classes!

[LincolnMan]

Id forgotten about the lead-lining. What was the purpose of the lead-lining? Was it for preservation of the corpse?

[BettyO]

It was believed that lead, soldered together well, would very effectively seal the body from outside damp as well as other contaminates and result in keeping the body from deteriorating - at least that is what I have read....you are right, Bill. It was to better preserve the corpse....

[LincolnMan]

Funny, I then thought the contamination to the environment as the coffins began to deteriorate-lead getting into the water-table-something like that.

[BettyO]

That could and probably did happen, Bill. But I don't think that the Victorians were familiar with lead contamination back then.

Lead poisoning is something that was discovered fairly recently in the 20th Century. It was also determined via recent studies which indicate that lead poisoning from canned food stuffs was believed to have led to the disorientation and loss of many of the crew of Sir John Franklin's Expedition in the Arctic in 1845-1848.

Lead Poisoning can lead to strange things....

[L Verge]

Contamination from graves and rotting corpses was a main reason for cemeteries being moved to the outskirts of towns in the last half of the 19th century. The people of that time may not have understood bacteria, etc., but they linked the church graveyards to the contamination of wells and other water sources and hence to cholera.

[LincolnMan]

That makes total sense Laurie. I never gave thought to why the cemeteries were often out of town.

[Eva Elisabeth]

That could and probably did happen, Bill. But I don't think that the Victorians were familiar with lead contamination back then.

Lead poisoning is something that was discovered fairly recently in the 20th Century. It was also determined via recent studies which indicate that lead poisoning from canned food stuffs was believed to have led to the disorientation and loss of many of the crew of Sir John Franklin's Expedition in the Arctic in 1845-1848.

Lead Poisoning can lead to strange things....

In 1983 a Canadien scientist, J. Wilford, even raised a discussion wether lead poisioning due to the use of lead pots had caused the decline of the Roman Empire...