THE RISE AND PEOGRESS OP TAXIDERMY. 7 



perimenting lately) has certainly wonderfully preservative 

 powers, especially in conjunction with, common salt, or saltpetre ; 

 but then it has not the caustic properties of natron. May not 

 natron have been a fixed alkali, or has the native carbonate of 

 soda more caustic and antiseptic properties than the usual car- 

 bonate of soda of commerce, which plainly cannot be intended ? 



"We have here a most interesting subject to solve as to the 

 component parts of the ancient natron; my suspicion is that 

 natron, as used by the Egyptians, was a mixture of biborate of 

 soda, caustic soda, and muriate of soda. 



The next chemical agent v/e have to notice (which should, 

 however, have appeared prior to natron), is palm wine, used in 

 the first process of cleansing the intestines ; this would doubt- 

 less act as an astringent, and would, of course, tend to coagu- 

 late the liquid albumen contained in the body (in a similar 

 manner to our ordinary spirits of wine), which, if followed by a 

 caustic alkali (such as natron may have been), to dissolve the 

 solid albumen, fibrine and gelatine, ought certainly to have 

 exercised a decidedly tanning influence. 



Following this is oil of cedar. The present oil of cedar {ol 

 cedrat of commerce) cannot be intended, as that is made from 

 the citron, and being merely an essential oil can have little of 

 the antiseptic or corrosive qualities imputed to the ancient oil of 

 cedars. May it not have been a product distilled from the 

 actual cedar tree (one of the coniferse) similar to our oil or 

 spirit of turpentine ? I have, however, been unable to discover 

 any writings in certain support of this theory ; " Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica" merely mentions it as a certain oily liquor extracted 

 from the cedar;" while Boitard boldly says, ". . . . Sans doute 

 I'essence de terebenthine."t 



and Tinder this a lower stratum composed of sulphate of soda and tincal mixed together, 

 from one to three feet thick. These minerals are all in crystals, the sulphate of soda and 

 tincal forming a solid mass, almost like stone in its hardness. The borate of soda is of a 

 dirty hue, but the salt, which lies above the level of the entire deposit, in some places to a 

 depth of seven feet, is white as snow. The report of natural deposits thus situated will 

 appear very improbable to scientific men, for there is nothing to account for the separation 

 of the salt from the borates, or for the accumulation of salt above the level of other crystal- 

 line deposits. We have Mr. Robottom for authority, and the country is open for those who 

 wish to examine for themselves. 'I he place can easily be found. It is known as the Borax 

 Fields in the Slate Range, and will be examined carefully by many competent men, since 

 the tincal— a crude borate of soda— is a valuable mineral, and can be separated, at little 

 expense, from the sulphate of soda." 



t The Dttroit Review of Medicine and Phnrmnaj for July, 1876, gives a report of a case of 

 poisoning through an overdose of oil of red cedar [oleum juniper virpiiiianoe), which supports 

 my theory as to there being extracted an oil from the Lebanon (or other) cedars partaking of 

 the natui-e of tui^pentine and totally distinct from ol cediut. 



