# what melts flesh but not bone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719 "2001-02-09T01:17:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/1 "2001-02-09T01:17:32Z")
2 years ago, for artistic purposes, I acquired 2 pigs heads from a slaughterhouse. To clean them down to the skull I first boiled them and then cut the flesh off.To remove their brains I used a high power hose and a knife. Having to do this unpleasant experience again soon I wonder, Is there a readily available and fairly cheap acid or chemical that dissolves skin, flesh and internal organs but not bone? Alternative solutions would also be appreciated. Cheers, Paulberserk ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/2 "2001-02-09T01:23:46Z")
Unless you need the skull in a hurry, I would rely on the fact that the soft tissues are highly biodegradable. Let nature do the work for you. I say again: Yech. ---
**Author:** ![Zarathustra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/898d66/32.png) [@Zarathustra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zarathustra)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/3 "2001-02-09T01:26:53Z")
A few years ago I read a magazine article about a woman who specializes in roadkill art. After picking up the possum or whatever it was from the middle of the highway, she’d cart it over to a local cave and let the cave beetles pick it clean overnight. It just took one day for them to do their work, according to this article. ---
**Author:** ![dave316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dave316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dave316)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/4 "2001-02-09T01:50:21Z")
you could try maggots ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/5 "2001-02-09T01:56:31Z")
I used to prepare skeletons as a hobby when I was a kid. The standard way according to the texts, and also the most effective, is to remove as much of the flesh as possible with a knife while fresh, then simmer the skull in a solution of washing soda for some hours. This should remove 99% of the flesh. Yes the brains are a bit of a problem and may require removal with a garden hose after the boiing has loosened them up. The skull is then smeared all over with a paste made of bleach powder and water and left to sit for about a day before thorough rinsing. Comes out snow white, odourless and quite clean. Or you could try bugs [http://www.carolina.com/manuals/manuals2/DERCUL%20(1).pdf](http://www.carolina.com/manuals/manuals2/DERCUL%20(1).pdf) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/6 "2001-02-09T06:56:41Z")
Washing soda (BTW) is made by Arm & Hammer and is found in the detergent aisle next to the other forgotten laundry products such as Fels-Naptha and bluing. After you’re done boiling pig heads, you can use the rest to make homemade laundry detergent that is cheap as hell. (I’m cheap, so sue me.) BTW – > [@](#): > > Yes the brains are a bit of a problem and may require removal with a garden hose after the boiling has loosened them up. would make a hilarious sig line, lol. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/7 "2001-02-09T08:51:25Z")
Simmer your skulls in Borax and water. ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/8 "2001-02-09T09:04:36Z")
Didn’t they use lye in the olden days to clean cow skins of all flesh and fat before manufacturing it into leather? Thought I read that somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/9 "2001-02-09T14:38:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaspode \* > \*\*I used to prepare skeletons as a hobby when I was a kid. \*\* My, what an interesting childhood you must of had. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-melts-flesh-but-not-bone/53719/10 "2001-02-09T14:59:44Z")
I remember watching an episode of Autopsy on HBO (love that show). A medical examiner used a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide to remove tissue from a partial skeleton. When I performed a search on [google.com](http://google.com), I found [this](http://users.newscientist.net/hedbone/preparation.htm) site. I hope it helps. If not, maybe you can call your local Medical Examiner’s office and ask what the ratio of water to peroxide should be.