A This paragraph, evidently empyrical in its bearing, is derogatory to Gannal as a man of science. We further believe that the pretended secret of his manipulations is of little consequence to the success of the operation: it is generally understood that to the fluid acetate of alumine (produced by the chemical action induced by the mixture of the solutions of acetate of lead and alum,) to be injected, a little arsenic is added, to prevent the formation of the byssus, and attacks of insects, also some carmine, to give to the subject a healthy colour.—Tr.

1 Momie or mumie: the etymology of this word is not well known: the Jesuit Kircher supposes that mum is a Persian word, and PÉre Martini, an Arab name, signifying a dried corpse: other writers derive mummy from ammomum, the name of an aromatic plant. These conjectures I leave to the etymologists.

2 They burned the incense of Arabia, balms and perfumes of every kind filled a thousand vases, and the body is for ever preserved from corruption by essences possessing wonderful properties.

3 A benevolent woman washed the body of Tarquin, and rubbed it with perfumes.

B The colour of the tissues is changed, however, being bleached by the acetate of alumine—but this is far preferable to the black putridity, which renders the anatomical subject so disgusting and unhealthy, when subjects are scarce.—Tr.

C The above observations on the natural mummies of caverns, &c., apply equally to the numerous specimens of Indian mummies found in Peru, Brazil, the Western States of North America, &c.—Tr.

D In the autumn of 1839, in my journey down the Rhine, I visited Popplesdorf, near Bonn, where there is an ancient church, formerly a monastery, called “the Kreuzberg.” It is situate on a high and dry hill. I descended its vault in order to examine some two dozen of mummified monks, some of them four centuries old. They were all habited in the costume of the period, and appeared to have died at an advanced age. These are natural mummies, or the result of simple desiccation, the skin resembling leather. It is probable that we may refer to similar causes, those interesting subjects discovered three or four years ago, in a cave of the church of St. Thomas, at Strasburg, viz., the mummified bodies of the Count de Naussau (Sarsbruck) and his daughter. These relics, six hundred years old, are both habited in the costume of that epoch; the coat, small-clothes, &c., of the father, have been replaced by exact imitations, but the habits of the daughter are actually those in which she was buried, consisting of a blue silk gown, richly ornamented with lace, with diamond rings on her fingers, and jewels on her breast. The body is well preserved, with the exception of the face: bunches of silvered flowers still adorn the top of the head, arms and shoulders. The features of the Count are almost perfect. I could not observe any external signs of artificial embalming having been resorted to. The skin was of a yellowish colour. The famous mummy of St. Carlo Boromeo, in the vault of the splendid Duomo di Milano, is another remarkable instance—the body is as black and solid as an Egyptian mummy; it was removed from a cemetery in the vicinity, after having remained there many years; no artificial means had been resorted to for its preservation.

The climate and soil of Egypt have been equally efficient in preserving vegetable life. The French naturalists who accompanied the army to Egypt, sent home fruits, living seeds, and other portions of twenty different plants, including the common wheat and onion of the present day—as was proved by the germination of the seeds and roots in Europe.—Tr.

E This atmosphere, we have reason to believe, consists of the vapour of oil of turpentine. We examined some of these specimens, which, after a simple injection with the solution of the acetate of alumine, were exposed to a current of air, and found them as hard as horn and somewhat distorted.—Tr.

4 The reverend Father Kircher in his chapter on mummies, thinks that these bodies do not merit the name; here is what he says in his chapter iii, §. 2. “But these bodies, dried and preserved in the sands of Lybia, should not receive the name of mummy, because a mummy is, properly speaking, a body prepared after a special process.” Such ideas have caused much empyricism, and have been most powerful obstacles to the progress of the art of embalming.

F A sort of tinder made of agaric.—Tr.

G Early in September, 1833, I had an opportunity of inspecting the contents of the morgue of Saint Bernard. Among the group of bodies of every age and sex, we were particularly struck with two figures, one, that of a man, whose countenance was horridly contorted by the act of desiccation; each limb, and every muscle of the body, had assumed the expression of a wretch in purgatory. The other was that of a mother holding her infant to her bosom, the latter, with an imploring expression, looking up to the face of the mother, whom it appeared to have survived some time, as is generally the case when mother and child are frozen together—a greater power of forming animal heat existing in children.—Tr.

H The following is the passage of P. Kircher, of which we gave only a few passages in our citation.

“Est in Transpilana AfricÆ regione, desertum ingens sabuli, arenarumque cumulis in immensum exporrectum, unde et sabulosi maris non immerito nomen obtinuit; hÆ siquidem arenÆ ventis concitatÆ tam sÆvas subinde tempestates movent, ut arenis in clivos aggestis, turbinum violentia, et jumenta et viatores una cum mercibus suis, nulla evadendi spe relicta, vivos sepiliant. Refert Pomponius Mela de rupe qua dam in hoc deserto existente, austro consecrata, quÆ simul atque vel manu tacta fuerit, austro mox provocato, SÆvissimas procellas moveat, sabulo in tantum intumescente, ut pelagus undarum vorticibus, fluctuumque Æstibus concitatum videraqueat. Hanc rupem dum olim sylli inconsultius adeunt sive occultiori naturÆ impetu, sive magicis incantationum prÆstigiis, vento mox exoriente, et sabulosos cogente montes, ad unum omnes extincti ferunter. Est et in hoc deserto, ammonium oraculum et serapium, sphyngesque ingentes quarum aleÆ usque ad caput, aleÆ ex dimidio arena obrutÆ, strabone teste, spectantur. Hoc itaque celeberrimum oraculum consulturus olim Alexander Magnus, dum pleno aleÆ itineri se accingit, ad illud quidem incolumis pervenit, sed quos milites ex suo exercita non sabulosi pelagi turbines, hos Æstus, sitisque confecisse traditur. Sed ut unde digressus revertar, in hoc sabuloso deserto dicunt non nulli mumias solius naturÆ industria confici; dum aiunt, viatorum deserti tempestatibus extinctorum corpora tum solis tunc ferventissimÆ hugus arenÆ pinguioris virtute, longo tempore siccata, tostaque, in hunc statum degenerare. Sed tametsi subinde, in hoc LybiÆ deserto hugusmodi a sole exsiccata corpora reperiantur, illa tamen minime mumiÆ discendÆ sunt.”

I It is not improbable that the use of these gummy bandages gave origin to the new and improved method of bandaging fractured limbs—the bandages being first soaked in a solution of gum Arabic, or in a preparation of starch, called dextrine.—Tr.

J Colophane, a species of resin, used by violinists to rub their cat-gut strings.—Tr.

5 It is astonishing that M. Boudet, charged with the embalming of the senators of the empire, did not think of profiting by the discoveries of the illustrious Chaussier, in order to simplify a method so ridiculously empirical; for, between his processes and the thousand formulÆ of Penicher, the difference is not very great; it is the same accumulation of powders, resins, balms, essences, &c. He had, notwithstanding, a good example to follow in anticipation of a better, which was the embalming of Colonel Morland.

6 We ought to render homage to the zeal and noble devotion which enabled the celebrated Larrey to surmount all the difficulties of his position to preserve the body of a companion in arms.

7 The deuto-chloride of mercury, like the salts of copper, arsenic, iron, &c., are decomposed by gelatine, forming a new imputrescible compound. The preservation is much more sure if a large quantity of alcohol is used in drying the corpse.

K When we visited and gave an accurate examination of the numerous embalmed objects in M. Gannal’s museum, we did not observe any specimens that had been finished long enough to dry, displaying such perfection as that here stated.—Tr.

L A composition of papier machÉ, with which Dr. Azoux has so beautifully represented anatomical subjects.—Tr.

8 The subjects prepared by M. Azoux, are however, more proper to facilitate and extend the study of anatomy; they are far superior to dried objects. It is desirable that every amphitheatre should possess one of these subjects.

9 These details on maceration and corrosion, are extracted from a work full of interest of Professor DumÈril: Essay on the means of perfecting and extending the anatomical art.—(Paris, 1803.)

M Paintings where colours are employed diluted with water or gum.—Tr.

10 There are some specimens in the museum of Natural History prepared by this process.

11 M. DumÈril, work cited.

12 See Bulletin des Sciences, by the Philomatic Society, Vol.3, 6th year, No.3.

N In this country, powdered arsenic is almost exclusively used by preparors—and is alone sufficient for this purpose—the arsenical soap is not sufficiently strong; no fatal effects have been known to follow its use; care should be taken to wash frequently.—Tr.

13 Out of ten medical students lodging together, and frequently of the same amphitheatre, nine were attacked by this grave malady in the course of last year, and three of them died.

14 Up to the present, certain animal substances have been considered chemically identical, which are not so: 1, the proper matter of gelatinous tissues not decomposed; 2, the product which results from their decomposition by the action of heat and water; 3, this same secondary product dried. These three compounds were designated by the denomination of gelatine. As I have proved that there is not between them any identity of character, I have named gelatine the animal matter contained in the gelatinous tissues; I have reserved the name jelly to the product of the decomposition of geline, and I have left the name gelatine to glue, whatever may be its purity.

O Entire bodies of both men and horses have been found not unfrequently, preserved for centuries in the English bogs—which preservation has always been referred to the tannin in its fluid portion. These instances probably occurred at a low temperature. I have tried the experiment by immersing small quadrupeds in a saturated solution of powdered nut-galls, during warm weather, but always found it insufficient for preservation from putrefaction.—Tr.

15 Arsenic is so little soluble, even in warm water, and, above all, in alcohol, that I introduced the liquid saturated, holding in suspension more than one-half of the powder which could not be dissolved.

P In the autumn of 1837 I tried this experiment of Tranchini, on the body of a patient who had died the day before with consumption, in the wards of the Philadelphia Hospital. A saturated solution of spirits of wine and arsenic, coloured with carmine, was injected into the carotid artery—the countenance regained its natural fulness and complexion, which state continued for about three weeks, with the exception of some shrinking of the eyes. In about six weeks the corpse began to mould, and the skin of the legs could be scraped off,—the body was then buried.—Tr.

Q Nitre possesses no preservative properties.—Tr.

R To have given the creosote a fair trial it should have been injected undiluted with water; no one who has tried this curious product will deny that it possesses the most powerful antiseptic properties. I have used it formerly very successfully in my dissecting rooms for purifying subjects dead of mortification, foul ulcerations, or tainted by decomposition, especially the viscera. A small quantity of the creosote passed over the surface of these with a feather, immediately removes the fetid odours.—Tr.

S These liquids, which may be employed for the limited preservation of fish destined to dissection, will not answer for their indefinite preservation, but I shall have occasion, in my work on the preservation of pathological anatomy, to indicate another process.

16 These productions on the surface of dried preparations, not covered with varnish, do not produce, it is true, putrid decomposition, but they change, and tend to destroy them. I have experienced all the inconvenience of this fact in embalming; after numerous trials I have discovered a method of preventing it.

T The eyes have been replaced by artificial ones.—Tr.

U Dr. Spalding was a native of Massachusetts, and a student of the late Professor Rush, some thirty or forty years ago.