The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . THE CATACOMBS. 143. The chemical examination of the contents ofthese vases, as conducted by Leibnitz, and publishedby Fabretti, proved favourable to the presence ofblood, or at least of organic matter. Yet theexperiments instituted are far from being satisfac-tory to the modern practical chemist, though theyserve to refute the assertion, that the red mattercontained in the vessels was merely a mineral im-pregnation from the surrounding soil. One or twopagan vessels mentioned by
The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . THE CATACOMBS. 143. The chemical examination of the contents ofthese vases, as conducted by Leibnitz, and publishedby Fabretti, proved favourable to the presence ofblood, or at least of organic matter. Yet theexperiments instituted are far from being satisfac-tory to the modern practical chemist, though theyserve to refute the assertion, that the red mattercontained in the vessels was merely a mineral im-pregnation from the surrounding soil. One or twopagan vessels mentioned by R. Rochette are said tohave exhibited marks of blood. The arguments adduced from history, to es-tablish the use of cups of blood to mark the graveof a martyr, are not more conclusive. The Christianswere certainly in the habit of collecting carefullythe blood shed in martyrdom, in order to preserveit as a memorial of the constancy of their deceasedfriend; but no mention is made of their burying itseparately. Prudentius describes the Christians ofSaguntum as anxious to obtain the blood of Vincent,who, being released from his torture
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectchristianartandsymbolism
