R. F. McCampbell, a Chicago undertaker, claims he has invented a process
of embalming a dead body so that it will last forever. For twelve years
Mr. McCampbell has been working on his process, and he now exhibits a
modern mummy, lying in grandeur in an elaborate coffin, as proof that
he has succeeded. By dehydrating a body with electricity, he says, its
natural expression, even its complexion, may be preserved for ages.
“In the dehydration process performed by the Egyptians,” said Mr.
McCampbell, “the body was buried in the sand for seventy days. Then linen
was wrapped about the corpse to prevent reabsorption of water and the
body was placed away in a tomb. Through the electrical process the body
will retain its lifelike appearance. It will be particularly valuable for
preserving the bodies of great men so that future generations may see
them as lifelike as the day they died.”