Petrification is traditionally defined as “the process by which organic matter exposed to minerals over a long period is turned into a stony substance,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. Most sources claim this transformation takes millions of years. But does it really take that long?
In 2005, USA Today published an article stating that “researchers at a national science laboratory in south-central Washington have found a way to achieve in days what takes Mother Nature millions of years—converting wood to mineral.” Their method involved soaking wood in an acid bath, then in a silica solution for several days. After air-drying, the wood was heated in an argon-filled furnace at temperatures as high as 1,400 degrees before being cooled back to room temperature.
I recommend reading Petrified Wood: Days or Millions of Years? by John P. Pratt and Ronald P. Millett which questions whether nature truly requires millions of years to petrify wood. Is it possible that this process happens much faster than we’ve been led to believe?
It actually appears that petrification can occur in a much shorter timeframe than the “experts” claim.
Take, for example, a petrified foot found inside a cowboy boot manufactured in the early 1950s. Discovered in 1980 near Iraan, Texas, in a dried-up creek bed, this find raises a crucial question: how could petrification occur in just a few decades if it truly requires millions of years?
Then there’s A Bride Turned to Stone, an article describing an 1870s case in which a young bride allegedly turned to stone almost instantly after drinking silica-rich water from a geode cracked open by her husband.
Consider, for a moment, the implications of petrification occurring not over millennia, but within days—or even hours—before decomposition can even begin.
A few images come to mind.
The Father of Modern Embalming
Dr. Thomas Holmes (1817–1898) is considered the “Father of Modern Embalming”, as his techniques are still used today. He was born in New York City to a wealthy merchant family, the son of Thomas Holmes (1785–1863) and Eunice Demarest (1784–1849). He graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, likely in 1845, though records from that time are unclear. His name appears in NYC directories from 1847 onward as a physician and surgeon.
While at university, Holmes became concerned with the preservation methods used on cadavers for anatomical study. He complained that preservation was either improperly rendered, ineffective, or not attempted at all. The preservatives used at the time—arsenic, mercury, and zinc-based compounds—were also hazardous to the medical students performing dissections.
Later, while studying under a phrenologist, Holmes examined the heads of several Egyptian mummies. He concluded that embalming could be achieved without the use of such harmful compounds.
After much study and experimentation, Holmes developed what he considered a safe arterial embalming solution. His earlier work was said to be based on that of Jean Nicolas Gannal of Paris.
Embalming and Profit
When the Civil War began in 1861, Holmes realized the financial opportunity before him.
He quickly resigned his commission and began offering embalming services to the public for $100 per body. He approached the U.S. government and obtained exclusive rights to embalm Union soldiers, ensuring that they could be shipped home for burial.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Holmes employed salesmen to canvas homes in both the North and South, selling pre-paid embalming coupons to families with sons in the war.
When battles broke out, Holmes and his team would set up camp overlooking the fields. Afterward, his men would search the thousands of dead bodies for those who carried embalming coupons. The bodies would then be taken to nearby embalming tents, prepared, and shipped home.
Although many sources claim Holmes charged $100 per embalming, a receipt from May 12, 1863, shows that he charged a more modest $22.
Holmes embalmed over 4,000 soldiers and officers during the American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865), allowing their families to hold proper funerals.
In 1861, he gained notoriety after embalming Union Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth, a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln. This put him in high demand, and he began selling his embalming concoction for an even higher price.
Surgeons and pharmacists quickly caught on to how lucrative embalming could be. Many followed the soldiers into battle, searching for fallen officers whose families would pay handsomely for preservation.
By the end of the war, Thomas Holmes was a very rich man.
But What About Petrification?
To Petrify Human Bodies. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 9, 1895, page 2.
Now, learning all about Holmes and his embalming business is interesting—but what’s even more intriguing is his petrification discovery.
Holmes claimed to have developed an embalming process that could turn corpses into marble-like statues within a week using an antiseptic gas. He even suggested displaying the petrified corpses under glass cases with lights.
That’s a pretty remarkable feat.
Yet, for some reason, this was not his legacy. In fact, it’s near impossible to find any information on his ability to petrify corpses, aside from two articles from 1895.
In 1896, Holmes was arrested after allegedly attempting to murder his wife, following multiple murder-suicide threats. He was reportedly in and out of mental institutions for the rest of his life.
Hmm. Sounds familiar.
Holmes left his body on January 8, 1900. He was buried in his family plot in the Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn—supposedly after requesting that he not be embalmed.
