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ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BURIAL RITES.

IK a leading article in THE LANCET some years ago uponthe Ethnological Significance of Ancient Egyptian BurialRites a somewhat full description was furnished of the

early prehistoric interments of Egypt, from which we findthat the skeleton was completely broken up and the boneswere arranged in a symmetrical order in a cavity in thesand, which in those primitive times served as a sepulchre.It was considered that these kind of burials were thoseof a race different from that of the so-called "ancientEgyptians" and that all historical traces of the burial

practices of what may be termed these proto-Egyptianshad been lost, though some very obscure texts in theoldest magic funerary literature of the Egyptians werethought to refer to the matter. M. Moret, however,in a recent work upon the "Daily Divine Worship in theEgyptian Temples" in referring to several chapters, someof them accompanied by illustrative vignettes, inscribedupon tombs, edifices, or papyri, proves that a whole series ofritualistic incantations allude to, and indeed derive theirorigin from, these ancient funerary practices. The proof ofthe first fact occurs very convincingly in Chapters 20 and 21of the " Ritual of Ammon," preserved upon a papyrus nowat Berlin, and also upon the walls of some temples, a workthat has only recently been translated. It speaks of thepresentation, as an act of worship to the god, of perfumeand oil on purpose to produce the orderly rearrangement ofhis bones and members, actually asserting that his skeletonwill be put in order. At the same time other passages ofthe ritual speak of the deity as a mummy, thus indicatingthat in the diurnal temple worship, for this papyrus is therubric for this official cult, not only was the god assimi-lated to a mummified hero, but that he also had to be adoredby acts or incantations necessitated by recollections of thearchaic methods of Egyptian burials previously to mummifi-cation being invented or introduced by some other people.These ancient rituals therefore afford a mingling of the prac-tices of the alien races or of the earlier and the later ones ofthe same people.The skeletons discovered by Professor Petrie and M.

Amelineau and M. de Morgan upon sites of the earliestEgyptian places of sepulture had been effectually dis-articulated and carefully rearranged; and the fact thatthe ritual for the worship of the gods, in many cases deifiedancestors and chiefs, contains texts speaking of the

replacing, or rather the readjustment, of the bones of theskeleton to their original serial order distinctly declaresa recollection of an epoch in which the skeleton was brokenup and arranged quite otherwise than in life. The idea that Ithe reconstruction of the dismembered body was a

necessity in order that the spirit might again have a

fit tenement to occupy runs through the rubrics required tobe recited at religious fetes through almost all Egyptianhistory ; though to what extent the many generations ofpriests who recited, and of people who read and heard them,comprehended their origin and significance we do not know,because, so far as we are aware, for thousands of years mum-mif9ing had been considered the only proper method for dis-posal of the cadaver. The early dynasty " Pyramid Texts "

say: " Maut gives thee thy head, she makes thee present ofthy bones, she assembles thy flesh, and brings to you yourheart, placing it in thy breast." It was Osiris who first hadbeen broken up according to the myths. Inscriptions statethat two goddesses took cale of his head and nape. However,mot Osirian myths, such as "The Book of the Rites ofOiris," published by M. Paul Pierret, refer more to theregathering and uniting in their natural order of his limbsclothed with the flesh. But some depict first the re-

msembJage of his bones like so many phrases in the"Rituals of Ammon and l4Iaut" and the " Pyramid Texts,"such as these : " For one to offer to the God his skull and hist>one," one establishes his head upon his bones before Seb,

"

or " We offer to thee thy bones, thou hast taken thy headbefore Seb."Enough has been said to show convincingly, as suggested

in the previous account of the subject, that many sacredrites are allusions to the archaic practice of removing theflesh, disarticulating the bones, and packing them together as

1 THE LANCET, April 6th, 1901, p. 1025.

found in the very primitive burials. This enables anthropo-logists to say with some certainty which ritual formulae arethe most ancient. M. Lefébure in "Le Mythe Osirien" "and M. Pierret in his " Hymn to Ammon" show us thatboth the Horus and the Ammon stories contained referencesto disarticulation of the skeleton of these heroes, althoughwhen they translated these texts no one had the re-

motest idea that such practices ever prevailed in the Nilevalley. Mingled with these writings, however, are alwaysothers which dwell much more impressively upon thenecessity of the body ever being preserved intact, even theflesh (or certain constituents thereof) being rendered in-destructible by mummification ; of course, the removal ofthe viscera, to prevent putrefaction, as part of the mummify-ing process is invariably taken for granted ; and so the in-cantations profesing to revivify the corpse of the person ordeity in the next world contain recitations and acts

replacing them in the cadaver.That originally the history of Osiris stated that his

skeleton was disarticulated, though later this was forgottenand the faded memory diminished into the myth thatonly his body was cut up and its members scattered, isevident by the text of the pyramid of Pharaoh Pepi II. andChapter 44 of the "Ritual of Ammon" and 3 of the "Ritualof Maut" : "Horus is come full of his humeurs ’ to embracehis father Osiris, he has found his place in the countryof the Gazelles " [the sandy defert], "he arranges hisbones, he reunites his members, he assembles [again] hisflesh." The ritual references first occur in connexion withthe offerings of ointments but are repeated in those oflibations of pure water. " Thy head is offered to thee,thy bones also and thy head [skull] established on them.’’These are intermingled with later rites in more recent

religious works, such as the " Book of Funerals " translatedby Signor Schiarparelli or the "Ritual of Embalmment" "

edited by Professor Maspero. The chief concept underlyingthem seems to be that of the original sacrifice by death ofthe deity, changed later into a sacrifice of victims to thegod symbolical of his own suffering. Nowhere, however, isthere any trace of burning of the body, for in these mythsincineration is not alluded to, though partial traces of thispractice are visible in some of the most primitive interments.

It would seem as if Osiris was a deified chief of a race whomummified their dead and in war with more savage, and

probably earlier, tribes who disarticulated the skeletons oftheir dead, was slain, captured, and his body subjected to thepractices of his foes, only to be regathered together by hisfollowers after some subsequent victory over their enemies.Later the story of the dispersal of his bones becameattenuated into one of the scattering in the various provincesof portions of hi, body. The earliest funerary rituals con-temporary with the dismemberment practices were incor-

porated with the later ones composed by the race whoinvented mummification, and as this later practice enduredfor thousands of years and the literature was frequentlyaugmented during that period the passages agreeing with,or referring to, the later process are much the more numerousand, indeed, the meaning of those relating to the primitivepractice was forgotten.

INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE.

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES AT NETLEY.THE following list shows the aggregate marks obtained by

the lieutenants recently admitted into the Indian MedicalService at the Royal Army Medical College, London, and atNetley, and the prizes gained :-

* Marshall Webb medal and prize in hospital administration; secondMontetiore prize in military surgery.

t Ranald Martin gold medal in military medicine.1 First Montefiore prize in military surgery.

II Maclean prize in clinical medicine.

A presentation of prizes took place on May 31st in thelecture theatre of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley.Surgeon-General A. M. Branfoot, C.LE., I.M.S., President

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of the Medical Board at the India Office, presided and wassupported by Surgeon-General R. H. Quill, R.A.M.C., prin-cipal medical officer, and the staff of the hospital. Theoccasion derived a special interest from the circumstancethat it marked the final closure of the Army Medical Schoolat Netley.Colonel K. MACLEOD, I.M.S. (retired), read a report

of the work done during the session and referred tothe extinction of the school in these words : "It isunderstood that this is the last occasion on which officersentering the Indian Medical Service will be sent to Netleyfor instruction. In these circumstances, and as the final

closing of the Army Medical School at Netley coincideswith the termination of my tenure of the office of professorof military medicine, I venture to offer a few remarks arisingfrom the situation. On July 29th, 1902, His ExcellencyField-Marshal Earl Roberts presided at the ditribution of

prizes at the end of the summer session which preceded thetransfer of the school to London. On that occasion, whichsignalised the closure of the Army Medical School as

originally constituted, I read a short report setting forth thehistory, objects, and work of the school. As that report waspublished at the time I need not now repeat what I thenwrote. The school had been in existence for 42 years andhad completed 84 sessions. 1687 officers of the BritishMedical Service, 1191 of the Indian Medical Service, and213 of the Naval Medical Service had passed through Netley,giving a total of 3097. In addition over 300 senior officershad come to Netley for instruction. Since the year 1902127 officers entering- the Indian Medical Service have beensent to this hospital, after studying the subjects of hygiene,pathology, military surgery, and hospital administration inthe Royal Army Medical College, London, for the purpose ofundergoing instruction in tropical diseases, lunacy, andambulance drill and obtaining a practical knowledge ofthe administration and management of military hospitals andan initiation into the ways of military life and service.This has raised the total of Indian medical officers trainedat Netley to 1318. Since the Indian Medical Service wasreopened in 1865 all officers joining have passed through thearmy medical school in close association with officers of thesister service. The name Netley, with all that it representsin the way of instruction, initiation, and social enjoyment,must abide lovingly in the minds and memories of officers ofboth services, just as the name Haileybury claimed the fondremembrance of Indian civilians and the name Addiscombeof Indian gunners and sappers in the old time, and as it isto be hoped the name Millbank, despite its ancient associa-tion with a penitentiary, will dwell kindly in the recollectionsof officers of the medical services in the future. During thesix sessions that have elapsed since the transfer of theschool to London and its reconstitution as the Royal ArmyMedical College the position of what remains of theold Army Medical School at Netley has been somewhatanomalous, but with the willing and generous cooperation ofthe principal medical officer and the staff of the hospital nofriction or difficulty has been encountered, a circumstance ofwhich I desire now to make thankful acknowledgment." ,

Surgeon-General BRANFOOT presented the prizes to thesuccessful competitors and remarked that it gave him greatpleasure to preside on so interesting an occasion and to besupported by Surgeon-General Quill who had been at Netleywith him 33 years ago and whom he had not had the pleasureof meeting since then. He associated himself heartily withwhat Colonel MacLeod had said regarding the valuableassistance which the principal medical officer and the hospitalstaff so efficiently rendered in carrying on the work ofinstruction and training at Netley. The Army MedicalSchool had served a great purpose in the past for the pre-vention of disease and the preservation of health in the navyand the army as well as in civil life, both in this and othercountries ; and the final closure of the institution could notfail to excite feelings of interest and regret among thosewho had passed through it. The removal of the school tothe centre of life and progress and its reconstitution on abroader basis and with higher aims would no doubt conduceto the benefit of the services, of medical science, and ofhumanity. What precise arrangements were to be madein the future for perpetuating and developing thework commenced and carried on for nearly half a

century at Netley he was unable to announce, buthe was in a position to say that the Indian MedicalService would share fully in the advantages to be gainedfrom the college, the erection of which had been com-

.nenced at Millbank. Surgeon-General Branfoot referred

to the early retirement of two of the professors of the ArmyMedical School, Surgeon-General W. F. Stevenson, C.B.,and Colonel McLeod. The former had been asked to

preside on this occasion but unfortunately had foundhimself unable to come. He alluded to the good work donein the service and school by these officers. He congratu-lated those who had entered the Indian Medical Serviceand especially the prize-takers. He counselled them tomaintain the habit of work in spite of climatic hindrances,for once lost it was very difficult to regain it. They mustuphold a high standard of professional ethics in a countrywhere the medical profession was in a stage of adolescenceand development and the force of example and guidancewas peculiarly needful and effective. Notwithstanding therecent brilliant advances which had been made in their know-ledge of the etiology of tropical diseases they would findabundance of work awaiting them in India, more especiallyas regards the adaptation of increased knowledge to thecircumstances and peculiarities of its inhabitants. Theclimate was no doubt trying to health, but more blame wasperhaps laid on it than was justly due. They must, as

prudent and sensible men, hold a proper balance betweenwork and recreation and practise moderation and a wiseadaptation to their new environment. He finally wishedthem God-speed in full confidence that one and all would dotheir utmost to maintain the fine traditions and honour ofthe service to which they were now admitted, "traditionswhich we who have retired from it very jealously cherish."

MEDICINE AND THE LAW.

Aged One ]ýIin1Ite.OccAsioxALLY this entry is seen on a certificate of death.

It indicates the speedy exit of a newly born child. Such acase came before Dr. W. Wynn Westcott last week. He heldan inquest upon a male child who was born living althoughthe face was covered with caul." Owing to the incredibleinattention of a woman assisting at the confinement thechild, whose heart was visibly pulsating and whose limbsmoved after birth, was allowed to "expire" without everhaving had an opportunity to breathe. When tardily sum-moned medical aid arrived the child was too asphyxiatedto be revived. This ca’-e enforces the fact thatbefore a child can be positively asserted to have beenlive-born the direct evidence of eye-witnesses is oftenessential if doubt arises ; and further, to be able to denylive birth it is not enough to prove by anatomical examina-tion that the child’s lungs have never been inflated bybreathing. The child in question was undoubtedly alivewhen expelled from the mother and the coroner was

correct in directing the parents to choose forthwith a namefor their deceased son and to proceed to the registrar’s officeand register his birth. The coroner’s certificate of deathallowed them to have the body duly buried but of course notas inexpensively as if it had been stillborn. The definitionof "a stillborn child " is still a matter for dispute and prob -ably should not be identical with that of I a dead-bornchild." In fact, it would appear that the phrase "stillborn"

"

originally signified "silent born "; the "still days of Lentconvey a similar idea. It is noteworthy that in France achild must live for three days before the birth is registrable

A C7M En 1entre sa lere." "

The legal position of a child en 1’entre sa mere has beenmuch canvassed in courts of justice. In the ChanceryDivision the question whether such a child is " living " atthe death of a testator has often arisen and appears to beanswered in the affirmative, while it has been clearly laid downthat an unborn child cannot be made the subject of a chargeof murder in a criminal court. That the Chancery judgeswill regard a child en ’(’entre sa mere as a living child wasacknowledged in a case which was heard in 1895. It

appeared that property was devised to the testator’s wifefor her life and after her death to the testator’s daughter"for her absolute use and benefit in case she has issueliving at the death of my [the testator’s] wife, but in caseshe has no issue then living " then the property was to goelsewhere. When the testator’s wife died his daughter wasenceinte. It was held that she had issue living at hermother’s death and was therefore entitled to takethe property absolutely. The law upon the subjectwas thus stated in Blackstone’s "Commentaries": "An