CHEMISTRY OF THESE BONES. 
91 
Notwithstanding that the bones from this cave I 
so fortunately discovered, betrayed no symptoms of 
altered character so far as external aspect and 
superficial examination go, being to appearance in 
no way different from bones which have been ex¬ 
humed after a few years’ interment, it is natural to 
inquire whether in their intimate composition, 
alterations cannot be detected, whereby some in¬ 
formation may be added to the chemistry of bone, 
and to the inquiry concerning the operation of those 
circumstances under which these bodies were so 
placed, as well as concerning the period during 
which they have lain entombed. So far as respects 
the hard earthy portion of bones, it seems that when 
excluded from the action of air, they will remain for 
ages unaltered ; though w hen I exposed some of my 
specimens for two or three days and nights to the 
action of the weather in a rainy season, they soon 
split and cracked, showing proofs of incipient dis¬ 
integration. Even without this exposure to the 
weather, the whole of my specimens suffered so 
much from contact of the air, as to oblige me to use 
a kind of varnish* for their protection. But, this 
decomposition must be regarded as the effect of 
unusually lengthened age ; for in general we see 
that bones of ancient date do not suffer in this way 
on being brought to light. Besides the durability 
of their external figure, these bones had lost much 
of their moisture, and had imbibed in lieu the drop¬ 
pings from the cavern, which convey much of the 
calcareous matter of the rock, this latter circumstance 
in particular, determining their very absorbient 
quality. If the lips be applied to them they are 
found to adhere tenaciously. With respect to the 
animal part of their composition, I shall have 
* Gum arabic and brown sugar dissolved in water, and diluted 
to the consistence of very thin gruel. 
M 2 
