http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3157 Feel Smart Again Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:11:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3157/comment-page-1#comment-5621 Lee Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:45:46 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3157#comment-5621 As a firearms nerd: the knife was likely used to break up powder for the 16th century powder charged. Early black powder, under certain conditions, clumps. Also in Germany and France at this time there was some experimentation with charges wrapped in paper (primarily for naval use) a hole had to be punched in the paper coated charge for ignition. Just a guess. As a firearms nerd: the knife was likely used to break up powder for the 16th century powder charged. Early black powder, under certain conditions, clumps. Also in Germany and France at this time there was some experimentation with charges wrapped in paper (primarily for naval use) a hole had to be punched in the paper coated charge for ignition.
Just a guess.

]]> http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3157/comment-page-1#comment-5594 Dr. Nostrum Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:59:37 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3157#comment-5594 In the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, I just saw a huge iron sarcophagus made to cover normal caskets and keep out the graverobbers. There is also a Kingskettle collar that would be slipped around the neck of the dearly departed and bolted to the casket floor to keep the bodysnatchers at bay. Chilling. So of course I had to see the graveyard where the graves are enclosed in iron bars, and the rooming house where 17 people were murdered to sell their bodies for dissection. It was all so creepy and compelling I was forced to post an article, "One Wee Dram of Anatomy", on my blog. Amazing what a little trip to a museum can lead to. In the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, I just saw a huge iron sarcophagus made to cover normal caskets and keep out the graverobbers. There is also a Kingskettle collar that would be slipped around the neck of the dearly departed and bolted to the casket floor to keep the bodysnatchers at bay. Chilling. So of course I had to see the graveyard where the graves are enclosed in iron bars, and the rooming house where 17 people were murdered to sell their bodies for dissection. It was all so creepy and compelling I was forced to post an article, “One Wee Dram of Anatomy”, on my blog. Amazing what a little trip to a museum can lead to.

]]>