— 18 — 
contain saline material and the skin shows unmistakable signs o£ 
having been macerated uiitil the cuticle (together with ail the 
hair, except that o£ the head) had peeled off. Much spéculation 
has been made as to the nature o£ the bath, which many writers 
assume to havebeen "natron" or soda. Professor W. A. Schmidt 
has examined the tissues taken from varions mummies, not only o£ 
the 21 st dynastie period but o£ varions other epochs, and has 
£ound that both the skin and the other parts o£ the body give an 
acid reaction, which he has shown to be due to the présence o£ 
£atty acids derived £rom the disorganisation o£ the body-tissues. 
I£ any natron (carbonate o£ soda) whatever had been added to the 
animal tissues it would have more than neutralised this small 
quantity o£ organic acid. But i£ the preservative action had been 
exercised by means o£ common sait (chloride o£ sodium), whicli 
Dr. Schmidt finds in ail the tissues, such neutralisation would not 
have occurred. In mummies o£ the early Christian Period £rom 
Akhmîm that are now in the Anatomical Muséum o£ the School 
o£ Medicine, Dr. Schmidt has £ound large quantities o£ chloride 
o£ sodium and in the case o£ other spécimens o£ the 5th century 
A.D. obtained at Naga ed dêr by the Hearst Egyptological Ex- 
pédition Mr. Lucas has found that the preservative material is 
chloride o£ sodium. On the other hand Mr. Lucas has found 
that the separated epidermis obtained £rom some o£ the royal 
mummies o£ the 19th dynasty was packed with crude natron. 
There can, however, be no doubt that the body and the viscera 
were primarily treated (in ail periods when mummification was 
practised) by being immersed £or some weeks — whether 40 or 
70 days it is not possible to say — in a bath of chloride o£ sodium. 
The Rhind Papyrus mentions 36 days £or the "soda" bath and 70 
days £or the w^hole process o£ embalming {vide infra). 
Be£ore the body w^as put into this solution each nail o£ both 
the hands and £eet w^as care£ully secured by a pièce o£ string 
