The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-11-11


ewes liz seemed had been removed, and elias
ones substituted, which we're very beautiful
and wonderfully life-ike, with the exceptio
of somewhat TOO determined stare. TIL
| fling ers and the nails we've brilliantly gilded.
Mr.. Glddon was Of opinion, from the red
ness of the epidermis, that the embalmen
had been effected altogether by asphaltum
but, on scraping the surface with steel In
strumen,, and throwing into the fire some
| the powder thus obtained, the flavor Of cam
phor and other sweet-scented gums becam
apparent.
We searched the corpse very carefully 10
the usual openings through which the entrail
are extracted, but. to our surprise, we coul'
discover none. No member Of the party wa
at that period aware that entire or unopened
mummies are not unfrequently met. TIT
brain it was customary to withdraw through
the nose the intestines through an iDcisioI
in the side; the body was then shaved, wash
ed, and sailed; then laid aside for severa
weeks, when the operation Of embalming
properly so called, began.
As no trace ofan opening could be found
DIR. Ponnonner was preparing his instru
ments for dissection, when observed that i
was then past 2 O'Clock. Hereupon it wa:
agreed TO postpone the internal examination
until the next evening; and we were about
TO separate for the present, when some one
suggested an experiment or two with the V OIL
taic pile.
The application of electricity 10 Mummy
three or four thousand years old at least.was
an idea. If not very sage, still sufficiently orig
iual, and we all caught at it at once. About
one tenth in earnest and nine tenths in jest,w
arranged a battery in the Doctors study, and
convey ed rhither the Egyptian.
twas only after much trouble that we sue
ceeded in laying bare some portions Of the
temporal muscle which appeared ofless stony
rightly than other parts of the frame, but
which, as we had anticipated, ofcourse, gave
no indication Of galvanic susceptibility when
| brought in contact with the wire. This the
first rial, indeed, seemed decisive, and, with
a hearty laugh at our own absurdity,we were
bidding each other good night, when my eyes,
happening to fall on those Of the Mummy
were there Immediately rivited in amaze
ment. My brief glance, in fact, had sufliced
To assure me that the orbs which we had all
| supposed TO be glass, and which were orig
inally noticeable for wild stare, were now
so far covered by the lids that only small
portion ofthe tunica dlbugined remained visi-
BILE.
| With shout called attention to the fact,
and it became Immediately obvious 10 all.
| Icannot say that | was alarmed at the
| phenomenon, because alarmed is, in my
case, not exactly the word. 1t is possible.
however, that, but for the Brown Stout,
might have been little nervous. As for the
rest ofthe company, they really made no at
tempt at concealng the downright fright
which possessed them. DIR. Ponnonner was
man to be pitied. Mr.. Gliddon, by some
peculiar process, rendered himself invisible.
Mr.. Silk buckingham. fancy, will scarcely
be SO bold as to deny that he made his way
upon all fours. under the table.
| After the first shock Of astonishmept, how
ever, we resolved, as a matter Of course. upon
farther experiment forthwith. Our operations
were now directed against the right toe Of the
| right foot. Wemade an incsiOn over the
outside Of the exterior os sesdmoideum pollicis
pedis. and thus got at the root Of the dhduc-
or muscle. Re-adjusting the battery, we
now applied the fluid to the biscuit ted nerves
when, with movement of exceeding life
| likeness, the Mummy first drew up its right
knee so asto bring il nearly in contact with
| the abdomen, and then, Strengthening the
| limb with uncomfortable force, bestowed
effect of discharging that gentleman, like an
arrow from catapult, through window in
to the street below.
We rushed out en- masSe to bring in the
mangled remains Of the victim, but had the
happiness to meet him upon the staircase,
coming up in an uuaccountable hurry, brim-
full Of the most ardent philosophy, aud more
! than ever Impressed with the necessity OF
prosecuting our experiments with rigor and
with Zeal.
twas by his advice, accordingly, that we
made, upon the spot, profound incision in
TO the tip Of the subjects nose,while the Doc
tor himself, laying violent hands upon it,
pulled it into vehement contact with the
wire.
Morally and physicallv-6guratively and
iterally-was the effect electric. In the first
place, the corpse opened its eyes and winked
very rapidly for several minutes, as does Mr..
Barnes in the pantomime; in the second
place, it sueezeG in the third, il sat upon
end; in the fourth, it shook its fist in DR..
Ponnonner's face; in the fifth, turning to
Messiuis Gliddon and Buckingham, it ad-
dressed them, in. veryi capital Egyptian
thus:
Il must say, gentlemen. that am as much
sur prs Gu DIS Gun ulOfuueu. al your Denay-
Jour. OfDr. Ponnonner nothing better was
TO be expected. He is poor little fat fool
who kno'os no better. Ipity and forgive
him. But you, Mr.. Gliddon-and you, Silk
who have travelled and resided in Egypt un-
Ill one might imagine you TO the manor born
you, 1 say. who have been so much among |
us that you speak Egyptian fully as well, |
think, as you write your mother tongue
you, whom have always been led to regard |
as the firm friend Of the mummies-I really |
did anticipate more geDtlemanly conduct |
from you. What am to think of your |
standing quietly by and seeing me thus I'M
handsomely usedl What m to suppose |
by your permitting Tom, Dick and Harry to
strip me of my collins, and my clothes, in
this wretchedly cold climatei In what light |
Ito come 10 the point) am to regard your
aiding and abetting that miserable little vii
lam. DR.. Ponnonner, in pulling me by the |
noser
1t will be taken for granted, no doubt, that
upon hearing this speech under the circum-
stances, we all either made for the door, or
fell into violent hvstericS or ,vent off -, , nan