32 J. V. HULTKEANTZ 



There is therefore no reason whatever to doubt that the above-men- 

 tioned parts of the skeleton really are those of Emanuel Swe- 

 denborg. Neither by the historical examination^ nor by the close 

 anatomical investigation, has any fact been discovered, which can be 

 considered to be opposed to such a conclusion. 



Again, as regards the skull, this, as was said, had its place at 

 the head-end of the coffin, above the rest of the contents and resting 

 on its basal surface with the facial portion turned in the direction of 

 the coffin's head-end. It was relatively well preserved and exhibited 

 neither on the inside or outside any remnants of mouldered substance 

 worthy of mention; on the other hand, in the depressions of the skull 

 were observed evident traces of gypsum. 



These conditions are quite satisfactorily explained by the histo- 

 rical facts which have been discussed above. The less advanced de- 

 composition of the skull may be ascribed to the fact that the cranium, 

 which had not lain in the coffin during the years from 1816 to 1823, had 

 been less subjected to the influence of damp air and surrounding decay- 

 ing matter than the other bones (for instance the lower jaw and cervical 

 vertebrae) which lay in the same part of the coffin. The absence of 

 decaying matter which adhered to other parts of the skeleton, may be ex- 

 plained by the skull's having at some time been cleaned, and the pre- 

 sence of gypsum by the fact that a plaster cast had been made in 1823. 



It appears from what has been said above, that the observations 

 made when the coffin was opened do not in any point dispute, but, on 

 the contrary, may be considered to confirm those conclusions to which 

 the historical investigations have led, but nevertheless the chief point 

 itself, namely, whether an exchange of the cranium could possibly 

 have occurred before 1823, has not thereby been brought into clearer 

 light. It was therefore necessary to undertake a minute anatomical 

 examination of the skull, in order, if possible, to find some positive 

 proofs, or at least some further grounds of probability, for the suppo- 

 sition that it had actually been Swedenborg's, or — if not, to get some 

 proofs to the contrary. 



For this purpose the cranium and the remains of the lower jaw- 

 bone were taken the same day to the Anatomical Institution in Upsala, 

 where measurements were made and photographs and plaster casts 

 taken. After this had been accompfished the objects were taken back 

 to Upsala Cathedral on June 13th and deposited in the coffin, which 

 was then closed and sealed. {Appendix, Nos. 14 and 15). 



