OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 31 



extremely pungent, and emitted a powerful o- 

 dour. They were ditlinguifhcd alfo by burning 

 them in the fire; the adulterated being always 

 in a clofe vcilcl, that it might not ily out; the 

 genuine not requiring that precaution. From 

 other circumflanccs it appears, that the nitre of 

 the Egyptians was mineral alkali, in fonic de- 

 gree cauflic, combined with nitrated volatile 

 alkali*, 



Pliny commends the Egyptian aluinf. Di- 

 xion in his commentary on Athenreus, thinks, 

 that fal ammoniac was fcnt from Egypt into 

 1'erfiaJ. 



The Egyptians obtained oils from the rlcheft 

 olives, from radifhes, graft, fefamy, nettles, and 

 other vegetable fubflanceb. The mummies 

 which are yet found entire, afibrd fpecimens of 

 the mod perfect fkill in embalming. Ilcroda* 



tus, 



* Boyle received in a prcfent from the En^liih ami>afTaf!or 

 at the Porte, a piece of Nitre from the river Nile, which do 

 llqucfccd in the open aii as readily as fait cf tartar, and cfier- 

 vcfc d violently wiili the acetous and maiinc acids. Sec D<: 

 Produc. Chem. Princ. f 3. Barkhufcn reports, that llic fjlt 

 extracted from the Nile, when mixed with lime, has nn urinoui 

 fmell, Acroam. 1 34. To the fame fait mui\ be attributed 

 *-lut we rend of the Nile in Profpcr Alpinus, in Hift. -cEg. 

 that it pttfTtflci a falinc lade, is purgatire, cmmcna^oguc, and 

 diuretic. 



f L. Ixlcxv c. i^. 



$ Dipnof 1. ii. c. 29. 



f Pliniuj, xv. 7. xix, 5. 



