** OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRT. 



bring forth the foetus into life *. But here lei 

 us rather examine the Uate of thofe arts which 

 floiiriihed in Egypt upon chemical principles. * 

 Of thefe proofs may be procured fur Icfs fufpi- 

 cious, as they are yet to be found by thofe who 

 travel into that country. 



Their pharmacy fecms entirely to have con- 

 fided of extracts, infulions, decoclions, and mix- 

 tures. From Diofcorides and Pliny we learn, 

 that they uied the cy perns papyrus, burnt to 

 allies, inlicad of cauftics t, Galen J afcribes to 

 the Egyptian priefts the compofition called cy- 

 pbeos, confirtingpf myrrh .cinnamon, turpentine, 

 Jj>ice, cy penis, juniper, and bdellium, the per. , 

 fume of which they ufed as being acceptable to 

 the gods; and we are told by Diofcondes, that 

 this mixture was confideredas an alexipharmic, 

 and lerviceable in aflhmatic compluints. Galen 

 allerts, that the competition of Kcnnon, the fa- 

 cred fcribe, which is called allo //?/, wa; taken put 

 . J rom thelacred depoiiti in the temple of Vulcan ||. 

 liciidcs turpentine, this receipt contained Hakes 

 of copper, mil of brafs, fal ammonaic, burnt 

 uilum, and feveral other things. They had vajrious 

 plaiilers formed of litharge, as uftum, diphrygis, 

 mify, lory, calx of (ilver, and other metallic fub- 

 ilances; and which were known before the timft 



Of 



* Lib. ii. 



^ ii. N. xxv;. 2. 



t l)r Ant. 1. ii. c.2 



6 I. i. c, 24. * 



|; Cump ir.i !. 1. v. c. I. 



