262 Proceedings of the Royal Society, 



tube were discoverable, and there were a few lumps of resin, of a 

 compound of clay and bitumen, and a few pieces of myrrh. The 

 right kidney, the liver, and minor glands were missing ; but the 

 gall-bladder was detected among the loose fragments of mem- 

 branes and other soft parts, together with remains of its own 

 ducts. The soft parts of the pelvis were then particularly ex- 

 amined, and the perfect condition of the muscles, membranes, and 

 ligaments, particularly noted. The cavity of the thorax was next 

 examined, by detaching the diaphragm to which part of the peri- 

 cardium adhered, and the heart in a very contracted state was 

 afterwards found suspended by its vessels and attached to the 

 lungs, which adhered to the ribs. 



Upon the examination of the cranium, it was evident that the 

 brain had been removed through the nostrils, from the lacerated 

 condition of the inner nasal bones ; the eyes appear not to have 

 been disturbed, the tongue was entire, and the teeth white and 

 perfect. 



Dr. Granville next proceeded to draw some conclusions as to the 

 age at which this mummied female died, and respecting the disease 

 which destroyed her. The bones of the ilium exhibit that peculiar 

 thinness of their osseous plates which show the individual to have 

 exceeded her fortieth year and to have borne children ; and as there 

 are no characters of age or of decrepitude about the skeleton, the 

 author considers her to have been about fifty. The ovarium and 

 broad ligament of the right side were enveloped in a mass of 

 diseased structure, while the fallopian tube of the same side 

 was sound ; but the uterus itself was larger than natural, 

 and the remains of a sac was found connected with the left ova- 

 rium, all which, connected with the appearance of the abdominal 

 integuments, leav^ no doubt of ovarial dropsy having been the 

 disease under which the individual suffered. 



The author concluded this communication with some observa- 

 tions respecting the method of embalming generally, and the 

 nature of substances employed in the process, from the details of 

 which he drew the conclusions following : — 



That the abdominal viscera were more or less perfectly ab- 



