Preface, p.5.

Introduction, p.9—Embalming among the Egyptians—Cause and origin of this custom—Opinion of authors: Cassien, Herodotus, Diodorus Sicculus, Maillet, Bory de Saint Vincent, Volney, Pariset, etc.—First idea of embalming offered to the Egyptians by the mummy of the sands—Opinion of Count de Caylus de Rouelle—Plan of this work—Natural mummies—Mummies of the Guanches—Of the Egyptians—Of the Jews—Of the Greeks and Romans—Of modern nations—Mummies the object of superstitious dread—History of the Pole, Razevil—Mummy employed as a remedy in disease—Its marvellous properties—Officinal mummy of Crollius—In what embalming consisted among the Egyptians and Guanches—What it has been among the moderns—What my discoveries have made of it—Motives which have induced me to publish this work.

CHAPTER I.

Of embalming in general, p.21—Tendency of bodies to decomposition—Variable, according to countries, species, and individuals—Fact reported by Ammien Marcellin—Consequences deducible from it, for the natives of hot countries—for temperate and cold countries—Facts observed by Maillet—Astonishing analogy observed in the caverns of Saint Michel, at Bordeaux—Various processes of embalming—With gum—With honey—With wax—The embalming of Alexander—Of Agesilas—Brine unknown—Fact of Tulliola, reported by Coelius Rodiginus—Another by Valateron—Embalming with aromatic and astringent substances—With resinous and bituminous substances—Empyricism of the moderns—Process of Ruysch, of Swammerdam—Note of Strader—Appreciation of these methods—Useful deductions to be drawn from them—Penicher thinks it impossible to embalm without emptying the large cavities—Fact in support of his opinion—My experiments to this effect on infants.

CHAPTER II.

Natural Mummies, p.35.—Power of nature—Importance of seeking her ways in the study of her phenomena; to follow her lessons—Division of natural mummies—Mummies due to the particular qualities of the soil—Note communicated by Drs. Boucherie, Bermont, and Gaubert, concerning the mummies of Saint Michel, at Bordeaux; thermometrical and hygrometrical observations; chemical analysis; results—Similar facts observed at Palermo—At Toulouse—History of M. de la VisÉe—Mummies due to the general qualities of the air and soil—Mummy of the avalanches—Time of its duration—Mummification by a cold and dry wind—Morgue of the Great Saint Bernard—Note communicated by Dr. Lenoir—Mummy of the Sands—Testimony of Herodotus—Description of Father Kircher—In Egypt—In Mexico—These facts establish a simple connexion between the productions of nature and those of human industry.

CHAPTER III.

Embalming of the Guanches, p.48.—Resemblance between the embalmings of the Guanches, and those of the Egyptians—Consequences deducible from this resemblance—Description of the processes drawn from the Essay of M. Bory de Saint Vincent—Duration of embalming—State in which are found these mummies at the present day—Probable duration of their preservation—Catacombs at Fer, the Canaries, &c.—Construction of mausoleums—Fact observed by M. Jouannet of two Guanch mummies.

CHAPTER IV.

Embalming among the ancient Egyptians, p.54.—What comprises the labour of embalming—Disposition—Thermometrical and hygrometrical state of the caverns in which the bodies were deposited; what advantages for preservation resulted from these—Recital of Herodotus—Of Diodorus Sicculus—Orpheus transposes these usages into Grecian mythology—Judgment of the dead—The place where they are deposited—Models of embalmings presented to relatives—Three kinds of embalmings; description of each by Herodotus—Horror existing for those charged with making the incisions—Invocation to the sun, previous to casting away the intestines—Precautions taken for the preservation of the bodies of young females, or those of high rank—Commentaries on the narratives of the ancients—Succession of means discussed—Opinion of Rouelle concerning natrum—Examination of the linen bandages in which the mummies are enveloped—Analysis of the embalming material by Rouelle; explanation of several passages—Exhibition of models—Price—New details furnished by Diodorus—Quantity of bandages found around a single mummy—Embalming of bodies without sepulture—drowned persons for example—Mummy of a prince of Memphis—Examination of this mummy by Rouelle, and the Count de Caylus—Extracts from the work of M. Rouyer, (great work upon Egypt;) the details which he furnishes complete our knowledge of Egyptian embalming; how many kinds of mummies he acknowledges—Mummies having an incision on the left side—Mummies without any incision—Exploration and description of the plain of SaggÂrah, by De Maillet—Visit to the subterranean chambers—Mummy, near which was found a symbolical statue—Description of an antique found in a tomb—Mummies preserved upon beds of carbon—Conclusion drawn from facts contained in this chapter.

CHAPTER V.

Of embalming, from the time of the Egyptians down to our days, p. 89.—Honours of embalming, conferred by other nations on distinguished men only—Doubts on the efficacy of this operation—Example of Alexander, and of Ptolemy—Embalming among the Jews—Embalming of Jesus Christ—Employment of wax among the Persians—Methods of De Bils, of Ruysch, of Swammerdam, of Clauderus—Description of the cabinet of Sieur Desenclosses—Silence regarding the processes of preservation employed by these authors—Composition of the balsam given by Penicher—Salt of Clauderus—Brine of Charles de MaÉtz—Preservation of the body of Saint Thomas—FormulÆ: balsamic wines, compound brandy, vinegar, cere-cloth—Mixtures for soaking the linens: liniment, balsamic powders—Various methods of embalming, to the number of four—Embalming of the heart—Preservation of the heart of an Abbe—Embalming of Madame the Dauphine—Reflections.

CHAPTER VI.

Art of embalming in our day, previous to my discoveries, p.118.—Opinion of M. Pelletan upon the imperfect state of this art—Dispute among the physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries, upon the question of precedence—Embalming the senators of the empire—Improvements proposed by M. Pelletan—Application of the discoveries of Chaussier upon the preservative properties of the deuto-chloride of mercury to the art of embalming—Embalming, as practised by BÉclard—Preservation of the body of Colonel Morland, by M. Larrey—Remarks—Preservation of the body of a young girl of ten years, by M. Boudet—Reflections on these facts—Embalming of Louis XVIII., King of France—Fifteenth observation—Criticism—Empyricism in this art—Exact appreciation of the preservative properties of the deuto-chloride of mercury—Superiority of the means which I propose.

CHAPTER VII.

Means for the preparation and preservation of parts of normal anatomy, of pathological anatomy, and of natural history, anterior to the Gannal process, p.141.—Importance of such preparations to the physician and naturalist—Plan of a museum—Engravings: pieces in wax, artificial pieces in carton, in white wood—The methods of preparing recent organs and tissues—Process of Swan, of Chaussier—1. Generalities concerning the operations which precede preservation—Choice of subjects—Dissection—Maceration and corrosion—Injections; evacuants; repletives; conservatives; washings; ligature of vessels—Separation and distention of parts—2. Methods of preservation of naturalists—Preservation by desiccation—Methods divided into four series; rectified spirits of wine; deuto-chloride of mercury, and other metallic substances—Earthy salts—Process of tanning—Desiccation—Preservation in liquids, acids, alkalies, salts, alum, volatile oils, alcoholic liquors—Means of preservation practised by naturalists: soap of BÉcoeur, soapy pomatum—tanning liquor—antiseptic powder—gummy paste—preservative powder—German powder—powder of Naumann, and of Hoffman—Preservatives in liquors: bath, naturalist preparors in Paris, tanning liquor, bath of the Abbe Manesse—Liquors as washes; essence of serpolet, of turpentine—Liquor of Sir S. Smith—Bitter spirituous liquors—Varnish—Liquors employed as injections—Liquors in which objects are preserved which do not admit of drying—Spirit of wine—Liquor of Nicholas—Of George Graves—Of the Abbe Manesse—Critical reflections—Appreciation of each of the proposed means—(1.) For desiccation—New methods which I propose for the preparation of dry parts—Example of an injection by my method—The subject submitted to the examination of a scientific commission—Application of my process to the preservation of mammiferous animals—Of birds—State of the tissues—(2.) For preservation in liquids—Nitric Acid—Alcohol—Weakened alcohol—Alum: chemical demonstration of its insufficiency for preservation—(3.) Means of preservation applied to each tissue—Fibrous tissue—Articulations—Aponeuroses, tendons and ligaments—Process of M.J. Cloquet—Osseous tissue—Maceration—Ebullition—Bleaching—Cutaneous tissue—Cellular tissue—Synovial and serous tissues—Brain—Spinal marrow—Nerves—Blood-vessels—Muscular tissue—Heart—Lungs—Eye—Foetus—Envelopes.

CHAPTER VIII.

Gannal’s process for the preservation of normal anatomy, pathological anatomy, and natural history, p.197.—Difference between the processes of preservation offered to anatomists, and those practised for embalming: 1. Preservation of bodies for dissection—Table of my experiments in 1828—In 1831—Kindness of M. Professor Orfila—What formerly existed upon this matter—My point of departure proceeding from the practice of artists—Action of Acids—Salts—Aluminous salts—These possess in the highest degree the preservative property—Selection to be made among these salts—My first experiments—Satisfying results—Proved by commissions appointed by the Academy of Sciences, and the Academy of Medicine—Series of researches—Misreckoning—New experiments—Superiority of the acetate of alum—Facts—Chloride of alumine, its defects—Arsenic, and bad results—First report of the Academy of Sciences—First report of the Academy of Medicine—Definitive report of the Academy of Medicine—Reflections—Some good results obtained at first from a mixture of alum, nitrate of potash, and chloride of sodium—Not sustained above the 10° of centigrade—Bath—Light furnished by it—Data for new researches—Acetate of alumine excellent—Reason for renouncing its use for amphitheatres—Simple sulphate, its analysis—Demonstration of its superiority over acid sulphate—Various liquors of which it is the base—Black colour of the skin—Its cause—Report of the commission of the Institute—Experiments of MM. Serres, Dubreuil, Bourgery, Azoux, Velpeau, Amussat—My process applied to the dissecting rooms of Clamart: 2. Anatomical preparations—Those of pathology, and Natural history—Facts, proving a perfect preservation during many years—Composition of various preservative liquids—Usage—Example of the preservation of dry pieces by the simple sulphate—All my experiments first attempted on the foetus—Circumstances the most unfavourable: 3. Embalming—There remains for me a series of experiments to perform, to enable me to practise embalming—Data to which I must confine myself—Have I attained my end?—Answer to this question by facts—Exhumation—First observation—Second observation.

Appendix, p.253.