The ancient Egyptians had three ways of embalming their dead, and artists were particularly trained up for that purpose: the most costly method was practised only upon persons of high rank, of which sort are all the mummies that have remained entire to the present times: it was done by extracting the brains through the nostrils, and injecting a rich balm in their stead, then opening the belly and taking out the intestines, the cavity was washed with palm wine impregnated with spices, and filled with myrrh and other aromatics; this done, the body was laid in nitre seventy days, at the end of which, it was taken out, cleansed, and swathed with fine linen, gummed and ornamented with various hieroglyphics, expressive of the deceased’s birth, character, and rank. This process completed, the embalmer carried home the body, where it was placed in a coffin, cut in human shape, and then enclosed in an outer case, and placed upright against the wall of the burying place belonging to the family.
Another less expensive method of embalming was, by injecting into all the cavities of the body, a certain dissolvent; which being suffered to run off after a proper time, carried with it whatever was contained therein liquified; and then the body, thus purged, being dried by the nitrous process as before, the operation was closed by swathing, &c. By the third and lowest method of embalming, which was only in use among the poor, they drenched the body with injections, and then dried it with nitre.
The Egyptians had a custom among them of pledging the dead bodies of their parents and kindred, as a security for the payment of their debts, and whoever neglected to redeem them was held in the utmost abhorrence, and denied the rights of burial themselves.
They paid extravagant honours to their deceased ancestors: and there are at this day to be seen in Egypt pompous subterranean edifices, called by the Greeks Hypogees, representing towns or habitations under ground, in which there are streets or passages of communication from one to another, that the dead might have as free intercourse as when alive.
FINIS.
INDEX
Page.
- A.
- Athens, Law there to prevent premature interment, [3]
- Asia, Dead bodies kept there several days before burial, [10]
- Abbé Provost, remarkable circumstance attending, [24]
- Ackland, Sir Hugh, and his Brandy footman, Story of, [28]
- Acilius Aviola, burnt to death, for want of being first examined, [60]
- Armenius Erus, returns to life, after being apparently dead, [69]
- Alexander, Dr. Story related by, [69]
- Aberdeen, remarkable affair happened there, [115]
- Ancients, remarkable Tombs and Lamps of, [121]
- Atestes, a Town in Italy, Lamp found there that had been burning 1500 years, [130]
- Austin, St., Lamp mentioned by him that continued burning 1050 years, [133]
- Addison, Mr., his story of the Rosicrucian Lamp, [134]
- Alice Hackney, her body found perfect after 175 years interment, [136]
- Arthur, King and his wife, their bodies found after 600 years burial, [138]
- B.
- Boy, remarkable recovery of after being laid out for dead, [20]
- Benedictus, Alexander, his story of a Lady buried alive, [31]
- Baldock, Master, resuscitated, after apparent death, [65]
- Burying in churches and confined church-yards, danger of, [96]
- Buchan, Dr., his observations on burying in the midst of Cities, [116]
- Baptistæ Portæ, account by, of a burning Lamp, secreted before the advent of Christ, [129]
- Braybrook, Robert, his body found after 262 years interment, [137]
- Brydone, Mr., his account of a remarkable burying-place near Palermo, [140]
- Body found in a Vault, curious particulars of, [ib.]
- Bononiæ, Church of, a perfect body found there, [150] years after burial, [149]
- Body buried sixty two Olympiads, described by Pausanius, [150]
- C.
- Cicero, his observations concerning the Dead, [1]
- Coach office Director, restored to life after being supposed dead, [19]
- Civile, Francis. Remarkable story of, [25]
- Cardinal Espinolæ, ditto, [23]
- Cornwall, Lady there, ditto, [70]
- Colchester, a child there, nearly buried alive, [74]
- Churches, observations on the pernicious custom of burying there, [96]
- Ditto, ditto, ditto, [98]
- Ditto, ditto, ditto, [104]
- Contagion from opening new Graves, how to prevent, [107]
- Cleopatra’s Tomb, account of, [126]
- Cedrenus, his description of a wonderful Lamp, [128]
- Constantine Chlorus, burning Lamp found in his tomb, [ib.]
- Constantine and Irene, remarkable sepulchre found in their time, [147]
- Cœciliæ, church of, body found there, buried upwards of 300 years, [ib.]
- D.
- Dead bodies improperly treated, [10] to 18
- Death, difficulty of distinguishing when persons are really so, [78]
- Dead, various methods of burying by different Nations, [83]
- Dead bodies, how to preserve safe in their graves, [120]
- Dr. Parsons extraordinary story, [121]
- Dunfermline Church, body of a young Man found there, [144]
- Dominick, St. Church of, remarkable body found there, [149]
- E.
- Egyptians particularly careful of their dead, [2]
- England, people there keep their dead several days before burial, [9]
- Espinola, Cardinal, not dead when about to be dissected, [23]
- Elizabeth a Servant, not dead after long hanging, and ill treatment, [64]
- Egyptians embalm their dead, [87]
- Eastern Countries, practice of burying their dead, [117]
- Edessa, remarkable Lamp found there, [128]
- F.
- Fever patients ought to be particularly looked after before laid out as dead, [80]
- France, King of, prohibits burying in churches, [98]
- Female, extraordinary resolve of, [119]
- G.
- Greeks, great veneration of, for their dead, [2]
- Geneva, people appointed there to inspect the dead, [9]
- Genoa, dead people there, dressed according to their rank, [ib.]
- Godfrey, the Honourable Mrs. remarkable trance of, [43]
- Green, Anne, remarkable story of, [62]
- Glover, Mr. story related by, of a person restored to life after hanging, [73]
- Greeks, old, singular method of burial, [85]
- Graves, danger of opening too soon, [107]
- Grave, opened too soon in Aberdeen, fatal consequence attending, [115]
- Grey, Thomas, Marquis of Dorset, corpse found after seventy years burial, [136]
- Guavnerius, Alexander, curious account of a subterranean cavern by, [146]
- H.
- Hawe’s, Dr., extract from his addresses to the public, [80]
- Hale, Sir Matthew, his observations on burying in churches, [98]
- Hall, Bishop, extract from his Sermon on church burials, [99]
- Hackney, Alice, her body found after 175 years interment, [136]
- I.
- Interment, premature, great danger of, [1]
- Interesting account from an Italian paper, [145]
- J.
- Jews, their manner of burying their dead, [9]
- Janin, Monsieur, story of a child apparently dead, recovered by, [71]
- Joseph the Second, prohibits burials in churches, [118]
- K.
- Kiovia, City of, subterranean burying places near, [146]
- L.
- Lady buried alive in Russia, [40]
- Lamps, ever-burning ones of the Ancients, [121] to [135]
- M.
- Mercier, Monsieur, very remarkable story related by, [31]
- Mold Church, in Flintshire, singular epitaph there, [98]
- Montpelier, remarkable circumstance that happened there, [104]
- Maximus, Olybius, curious Lamp made by, [131]
- Mary-at-Hill, St., body found there after 175 years burial, [136]
- Magnus, Albertus, his body found after 200 years interment, [139]
- Methods of embalming, [151]
- N.
- Navier, Monsieur, observations by, on the danger of burying in churches, [107]
- Nevis, Island of, wonderful burning Lamp found there, [129]
- O.
- Olybius, Maximus, curious Lamp made by, [131]
- P.
- Plato, attention by him, recommended to the dead, [1]
- Primitive church, washed and anointed their dead, [8]
- Pallas, remarkable burning Lamp of, [129]
- Philosophical transactions, body found in a vault, described therein, [142]
- Pausanius, body mentioned by him, found after 248 years interment, [150]
- R.
- Romans, great attention paid by them to their dead, [3], [4] and 5
- Rouen, siege of, remarkable circumstance happened there, [25]
- Resuscitation, very extraordinary one, in Sweden, [35]
- Russia, young lady buried alive there, [40]
- Retchmuth Adoleh, buried alive, at Cologne, [51]
- Reanimation of a female in Paris, supposed to be dead, [68]
- Romans, method of burying their dead, [88]
- Remarkable fact of Sumovin Feodose, [94]
- Rosicrucian Lamp, story of, [134]
- Rome, remarkable coffin and curiosities found there, [137]
- S.
- Syrians, their method of embalming, [2]
- Spain, method of dressing the dead there, [9]
- Syncope, sometimes mistaken for death, [21]
- Schmid, Dr. John, story related by, [ib.]
- Syncope, remarkable story of a person having fallen into one, [22]
- Scroop, Sir Gervase, story of, related by Dr. Fuller, [29]
- Sweden, remarkable occurrence there, [35]
- Spain, lady there, returns to life under the hands of the anatomist, [59]
- Sumovin Feodose, remarkable story of, [94]
- Scripture, quotations from, against burying in churches, [99]
- Story, remarkable, related by Dr. Parsons, [121]
- Solomon, King, his servant’s tomb, [126]
- Sicilian convent, remarkable burial place there, [140]
- Staverton church, curious particulars of a body found in a vault there, [142]
- T.
- Turks, scrupulously particular in examining the dead, [7]
- Trance, remarkable one, of the Honourable Mrs. Godfrey, [43]
- Tatoreidie, after being laid in a coffin for dead, returns to life, [61]
- Tissot, Dr. story related by him of a girl returning to life, after being long in the water, [68]
- Tossach, Mr. case related by, of a Man recovering, after apparent death, [69]
- Tomb of King Edward the First, interesting particulars of opening, [91]
- Turks, their burying places, rendered handsome and agreeable, [97]
- Tombs, fatal consequences frequently happen by opening them too soon, [107]
- Tombs, remarkable ones of the Ancients, [121]
- Temple dedicated to Venus, burning Lamp found therein, [133]
- Tripe, Mr. story related by, of a body found in a vault, [142]
- V.
- Vesabe, physician, to Philip II. of Spain, opens a body before dead, [57]
- Vapour, dreadful effects arising from one at Montpelier, [104]
- Valentia in Spain, remarkable body found there, [126]
- W.
- Walker, Dr. melancholy account of his being buried alive, [45]
- Wynne, Dr. William, his epitaph, forbidding church burial, [98]
- Z.
- Zacchias, Peter, remarkable story, related by, [39]