I know that talc was used by gentlemen and flour by soldiers, and the point wouldn't be to make money by actually cleaning and grinding bones to sell to wig owners for a profit. It would've been about having the last laugh, knowing that they had gotten over on "the Man" . I don't doubt that it's just a humorous song of the time, a 'what if' kind of song. This humor just happens to be rather dark.

Wes