EXPERT OSTEOLOGIST

Evening Star, Issue 23093, 20 October 1938, Page 20

EXPERT OSTEOLOGIST

ASSEMBLING PHAR LAP S BONES DUNEDIN SPECIALIST IN WELLINGTON New Zealand’s foremost osteologist, whp came specially from Dunedin to assemble Phar Lap’s skeleton, Mr E. H. Gibson, Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society, was yesterday morning hard at work at the Dominion Museum, assisted by the taxidermist, Mr Charles Lindsay (says Wednesday’s ‘ Dominion ’.) Before him. on wide tables, were set out haphazard the bones of the famous racehorse, looking like u gigantic Chinese puzzle in some 162 pieces—but no puzzle at all to a man who in 30 years has set up hundreds of skeletons, ranging in size from elephants to shrews, aud including the skeletons of men. Although he had been at work only a day, Mr Gibson had already completed the most difficult part of the work—the restoration of Phar Lap’s skull, severely damaged in Australia. As at the time the skin was being prepared for exhibition in Australia it was not known that the skeleton would be wanted, it received rough handling. Tt was roughly assembled in order to make the papier-mache and plaster framework on which the skin was to be stretched, ami in the process several of the bones were drilled and hacked about with saw-cuts. The skull, in particular, was badly cut and broken, and when they first viewed it the museum authorities seriously doubted if it could possibly he used. A WORK OF ART. Mr Gibson, however, with great skill, repaired the skull and restored to it its original appearance and texture. When finally mounted it will he impossible even for an expert to tell by looking at it that it had ever been injured. It will be a real work of art. Another difficult part of the work will bo to restore to their original whitish hue a large number of the bones, which had boon permitted to become badly discoloured and stained. Already Air Gibson has bleached several of the larger ones successfully. Each of the 162 requires individual attention, which gives some indication of tho magnitude of the task of merely preparing the hones. let alone setting them up. Several of the smaller ones are broken, and will have to be repaired. However. Air Gibson said yesterday that ho had no doubt that tho skeleton could be perfectly restored. He expected to finish it within n fortnight Without All - Lindsay’s skilled assistance it would have taken double tho time. THIRTY YEARS OF OSTEOLOGY. He said that he had been engaged in similar work for about 30 years. He was not a New Zealander by birth ; until 1.911 he worked in London as a naturalist. Ho then came to New Zealand and joined the Otago Museum. Alost of his work there was for the Aiodical School, preparing skeletons of many kinds for anatomical study. ATany of these skeletons were human ones. Asked from what source they were obtained, he said that lie was not permitted to disclose their origin, although he was aware of it. “ This 1 can say,” he remarked. “ they are not obtained by robbing graves. The day of that sort of thing has long since passed!” Flo said that tho biggest skeleton he had ever dealt with was of an elephant. It took him six weeks to assemble. The smallest was that of a shrew, a little creature no bigger than a field-mouse. It was perhaps more difficult to set np than the elephant. because every tiny bone had tf bo drilled.