ΝΕΚΡΟΚΗΔΕΙΑ; Or, the Art of Embalming; / Wherein Is Shewn the Right of Burial, and Funeral Ceremonies, Especially That of Preserving Bodies After the Egyptian Method. Together With an Account of the Egyptian Mummies, Pyramids, Subterranean Vaults and Lamps, and Their Opinion of the Metempsychosis, the Cause of Their Embalming. As Also a Geographical Description of Egypt, the Rise and Course of the Nile, the Temper, Constitution and Physic of the Inhabitants, Their Inventions, Arts, Sciences, Stupendous Works and Sepulchres, and Other Curious Observations Any Ways Relating to the Physiology and Knowledge of This Art.

A comprehensive survey of burial rites and techniques for preserving human remains, comparing funeral ceremonies from various cultures and focusing on ancient Egyptian mummification, tombs, and beliefs about the soul. It describes anatomical, chemical, and practical procedures for embalming, proposes refinements to established methods, and supplies a pharmacopoeia and recipes for preservative agents. The text situates funerary practices within geographic and environmental observations of Egypt and the Nile, and assembles scholarly letters, citations, maps, and illustrations to support its blend of practical guidance, experiments, and antiquarian description of sepulchral art.