Proceedings of the Royal Society. 261 



Art. XIII. — Proceedings of the Royal Society. 



April 28. — The reading of Dr. Granville's " Description of 

 Egyptian Mummies, with some Remarks on the Art of Embalm- 

 ing," was resumed and concluded. 



The mummy described in this paper was purchased at Gournou, 

 It was in a single case, of the usual form, and covered with cere- 

 cloth and bandages very neatly and dexterously applied, and 

 among which both cotton and linen were recognised — these, to 

 the amount of 28lbs. avoirdupois in weight, having been re- 

 moved, the body was discovered to be that of a female. The ab- 

 dominal integuments were remarkably wrinkled, and the whole 

 surface of a dark brown colour and dry, but in many places soft to 

 the touch, and with the exception of a few parts, entirely deprived 

 of cuticle. The height of the mummy from the vertex of the head 

 to the inferior surface of the calcaneum was 5 feet -^-q inch, and 

 the principal dimensions of several parts correspond with those 

 which are usually considered as giving rise to the utmost perfect- 

 tion of female form in the European race ; neither was any trait 

 of Ethiopian character discernible in the form of the cranium ; all 

 which, observed Dr. Granville, supports Cuvier's opinion respect- 

 ing the Caucasian origin of the Egyptians. 



The author then proceeded to a brief summary of the present 

 state of our information respecting Egyptian mummies, attributing 

 its scantiness and imperfection to the rarity of perfect specimens, 

 nearly all tlie mummies hitherto described presenting little else 

 than imperfect skeletons enveloped in bandages, sometimes 

 covered by the dry skin. 



In proceeding to examine the present specimen, the integuments 

 and muscles of the abdomen were first removed, and the contents 

 of that cavity carefully inspected ; they consisted of a portion of 

 the stomach adhering to the diaphragm, the spleen attached to the 

 superrenal capsule of the left kidney, and the left kidney itself 

 with the ureter descending into the bladder, which, with the 

 uterus and its appendages were observed in situ^ the latter ex- 

 hibiting marks of disease. — Fragments only of the intestinal 



