From the rapid progress of putrescence in a climate so hot as that of Egypt, it appears, that these operations were immediately subsequent to decease, but with one exception, the origin of which must be sought in the depraved manners of the East. Beautiful women were not committed to the embalmers before the lapse of four or five days after death ; and the like interval was pre served with respect to those of rank., IVhen returned to the survivors, the body had ac quired a fragrant odour, every member remained entire, no part had undergone any change; the beauty and ap pearance of the face were exactly as they had originally been ; even the hairs of the eyelids and eyebrows remain ed in their place. " Thus," says Diodorus, " many of the Egyptians who keep the dead bodies of their ances tors in magnificent houses, see the real features of those who died many ages before they themselves were born, and take as much pleasure in gazing on the countenance of each as if they still lived among them." Probably this is not an exaggerated description, for examples of the same, accomplished both by nature and art, illustrate, that in other cases this has really happened.
It has been remarked, that, contrary to the received opinion, embalment was rarely performed among the Egyptians, and being an expensive preparation, was con fined to a few of the more wealthy inhabitants; nor is this disproved by the numerous bodies which for many centuries have been withdrawn from the suhterraneous recesses appropriated for their reception, as Egypt was a rich and populous country, and long held a distinguish ed rank amidst surrounding nations. But notwithstand ing the succinct descriptions of Herodotus and Diodorus, the real method of embalment Is not easily comprehend ed by the moderns, for some have doubted the possibility of removing the brain as the former specifies, and others have supposed that the intestines were totally destroyed. Reasoning ancient history, and from an analysis of different subjects on the Continent, and particularly in these islands, they conclude, that two principal processes were adopted by the Egyptians. In one, the whole mem bers, features, and appearance, were preserved entire; in the other, and more general operation, the flesh was consumed, and nothing except the skin and bones retain ed. Examples of the former, so far as we know, are not now extant, but there are two kinds of embalmed bodies or mummies still obtained in Egypt; those in a dry indurated state completely impregnated with a re sinous matter, and which, from the hardness, may be broken in pieces; and those which, with the envelope, are soft and fielding from external pressure, prepared with very little resinous matter, and with nothing but vegetable mould, discoverable in the cavities. It has
generally been supposed, that asphaltum or mineral pitch was employed ; but more recent experiments prove, that the impregnation of the body was accomplished rather by a resinous substance, and that nitre was the salt em ployed. Although the flesh unquestionably was, in cer tain cases, preserved, it seems probable that the body was more usually reduced to a skeleton, and boiled in the resinous or antiseptic matter which was used.
The brain was also, in some cases, effectually remo ved for a substitute of this nature. Mr Greaves having laid open the scull of a body, apparently that of one of the more wealthy Egyptians, found two pounds of a me dicament within it, of the colour, smell, and consistence of pitch or bitumen, which softened in the heat of the sun. But the contents of the abdomen, being commonly reduced to dust, arc less easily ascertained. A mummy being dissected by Dr Hadley in 1763, he found the bones in actual contact with the pitchy matter of the en velope; the tibia and fibula being wrapped up separate ly. The scull was quite bare in some places, and also in contact with the envelope. There were no remains of flesh or integuments about the head, and the flesh and skin of the extremities were gone. But in the dissec tion of another mummy, the appearances were very dif ferent ; for the bandages of the face being laid open, it was evidently coveted with a varnish or glazing sub stance ; traces of the eye-lids and eye-lashes were per ceptible, and the eyes prominent. The ears were not in the least decayed, nor had the cheeks fallen. The whole face was kept firm by a resinous or bituminous compo sition. The teeth, thirty-two in number, were complete, white, and perfectly beautiful, but the lips had been re moved, and the cavity of the month filled with an odo riferous dust. The nostrils were stopped with cotton and a kind of ointment, which had also been used in the tho rax and abdomen. The hair was short, black, and curl ed, and could with difficulty be eradicated.
In general, however, nothing but naked bones are found on laying open the mummies brought from Egypt, along with a quantity of vegetable mould occupying what had constituted the thoracic and abdominal cavities, though sometimes the tendons, skin, and fleshy parts re main, and gilding is exhibited on the nails.