Preface. 



After the mortal remains of Emanuel Swedenborg had been trans- 

 ported from England to Sweden m the spring of lOOS, and the Royal 

 Council had decided, on April 29th. that they should find their resting- 

 place in the Cathedral of Upsala. the Royal Society of Sciences of Up- 

 sala received from the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockholm a com- 

 munication, dated May 13th. 1908, in which the Academy, in view of 

 certain information received by the Swedish Legation in London, which 

 raised doubts as to whether Swedenborg's skull was actually present 

 in the casket which bore his name, broached the question of an exa- 

 mination of the contents of the casket. 



Since it was known that similar rumors had also been in circula- 

 tion in former times, without having been refuted, the Royal Society 

 of Sciences considered that it should not neglect to make a scientific 

 examination of the casket and its contents in order to clear up the 

 matter before the casket was definitely locked up in a ^-ault or sarco- 

 phagus. After permission had been obtained from the Cathedral Chap- 

 ter of Upsala. the Society, at a special meeting held May 27th. ap- 

 pointed the professors of anatomy at Upsala University, Drs. J. A. 

 Hammar. J. V. Hultkraxtz and O. M. RAMSTR():\r to make such an 

 examination. 



For a complete clearing up of the whole question it was found 

 necessary to undertake a careful examination of the historical fortunes 

 which had met Swedenborg's remains during past times. With this 

 end in ^iew the Emeritus Professor of Anatomy, Dr. Edvard Clason, 

 of whose valued ser^•ices the Committee have had the privilege of 

 a^-ailing themselves during the investigation, has not onh- undertaken 

 a thorough examination of the printed documents hitherto kno\\n which 

 touch upon the question, but has also from various quarters collected 



Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Sc. Ups. Ser. 4. Vol. 2. N. 9. Impr. -' lo 1910. 1 



