ANIMALS. 119 



relic, placed against the wall. Such are the cere- 

 monies used with regard to the rich ; as for those 

 who are contented with a humbler preparation, 

 they treat them as follows : They fill a syringe 

 with an odoriferous liquor extracted from the 

 cedar tree, and, without making an incision, in- 

 ject it up the body of the deceased, and then 

 keep it in nitre, as long as in the former case. 

 When the time is expired, they evacuate the 

 body of the cedar liquor which had been inject- 

 ed ; and such is the effect of this operation, that 

 the liquor dissolves the intestines, and brings 

 them away : the nitre also serves to eat away the 

 flesh, and leaves only the skin and the bones re- 

 maining. This done, the body is returned to the 

 friends, and the embalmer takes no farther trou- 

 ble about it. The third method of embalming 

 those of the meanest condition, is merely by 

 purging and cleansing the intestines by frequent 

 injections, and preserving the body for a similar 

 term in nitre, at the end of which it is restored to 

 the relations. 



Diodorus Siculus also makes mention of the 

 manner in which these embalmings are perform- 

 ed. According to him there were several officers 

 appointed for this purpose ; the first of them, who 

 was called the scribe, marked those parts of the 

 body, on the left side, which were to be opened ; 

 the cutter made the incision ; and one of those 

 that were to salt it, drew out all the bowels, ex- 

 cept the heart and the kidneys ; another washed 

 them in palm-wine, and odoriferous liquors ; after- 

 wards they anointed, for above thirty days, with 



