THE ORIGIN OF SOAP. 281 



Sterry Hunt a copy of his interesting " Chemical and Geo- 

 logical Essays," in one of which he expoundfa theory of the 

 origin of petroleum. He states that it appears to him " that 

 the petroleum, or rather the materials from which it has 

 been formed, existed in the limestone rocks from the time 

 of their first deposition," and "that petroleum and similar 

 bitumens have resulted from a peculiar transformation of 

 vegetable matters, or in some cases of animal tissues 

 analogous to these in composition." 



The objections on page 275 apply to the animal tissues 

 of this theory, and as regards the vegetable matter I think 

 it fails from the want of anything like an adequate supply 

 in these limestone rocks. 



THE ORIGIN OF SOAP. 



A filSTOEY of soap would be very interesting. Who in- 

 vented it? When and where did it first come into common 

 use? How did our remote ancestors wash themselves before 

 soap was invented? These are historical questions that 

 naturally arise at first contemplation of the subject; but, as 

 far as we are aware, historians have failed to answer them. 

 We read a great deal in ancient histories about anointing 

 with oil and the use of various cosmetics for the skin, but 

 nothing about soap. 



These ancients must have been very greasy people, and 

 I suspect that they washed themselves pretty nearly in the 

 same way as modern engine drivers clean their fingers, by 

 wiping off the oil with a bit of cotton-waste. 



We are taught to believe that the ancient Romans 

 wrapped themselves round with togas of ample dimensions, 

 and that these togas were white. Now, such togas, after 

 encasing such anointed oily skins, must have become very 

 greasy. How did the Roman laundresses or launders 

 historians do not indicate their sex remove this grease? 

 Historians are also silent on this subject. 



A great many curious things were found buried under 



