19th-century pathology : The examination of 83 vault-interred bodies.

Eighty-three bodies that had been inhumed in airtight lead coffins for more than 150 years were subjected to postmortem examinations that included histological, dental, and microbiological studies. Preservation of internal structures was excellent in 29 cases, and moderate to good in 10. Skin and external features were well preserved in 10 other cases. The remaining bodies were reduced to skeletons. There was identifiable pathology in the majority of the well-preserved cases. In several bodies, more than one disease was present. It was possible to correlate the pathological findings with contemporary diagnoses in 10 cases.