Egypt has not only an advantage of other Countries by the goodness of its Water, serenity of its Air, and warmth of its Climate, but also derives a yet farther Benefit in regard of Embalming, |Sand how useful in Embalming.| from the Nature of its Sand and Soil, the usefulness of which has in this respect been sufficiently experienc’d by Modern Artists. Thus it is reported curious Florists preserve both the form and colours of beauteous Plants, by laying them in Sand, drying them in an Oven, or the like; and thus some modern Embalmers have, by hot Sand laid on prepar’d Bodies, dry’d up the superfluous Moisture, and reduc’d their Embalming Matter to a just Consistency: ’Tis likewise observable some Sands will naturally Embalm without any addition of Balsamic Ingredients. Moreover, ’tis probable the Sea-Sands may have the like Effect, provided they be not too often wet; for thus a Body being first pickl’d or salted, as it were with the Sea-Brine, may afterwards, when dry’d by the Wind or Sun, remain firm and durable as long as it shall be preserv’d free from Wet or Moisture; and partly of this Opinion perhaps was Mr. William Glanvill of the Temple, who having so order’d it in his Will, was bury’d in the Goodwin-Sands, which tho’ they cannot preserve him, as before alledg’d, because so often wet, yet he being inclos’d in a leaden Coffin, that must in Time sink to the bottom, they may by their coolness help to keep his Corps entire for many Years; or at least by being so secur’d, he will be defended from the rapine of Animals, or disturbances of Sextons: But the Sands of Egypt being much more hot, from the reflection of the scorching Sun, are capable of Preserving Bodies without either Salination or Embalming, and that only by exhaling and drying up the Humidities and adventitious Moisture, insomuch that it has occasion’d no small Contests among some Authors, which of the two is the truer Mummy, that dry’d in the Sands, or that which is Embalm’d with Balsams and Aromatics. Le Fevre in his Chymistry, p. 138. is entirely of the first Opinion; but I shall refer such Disputes to their proper Places.

Of those sorts of Mummies there have been many casually found in the Desarts of Egypt, Lybia, Arabia, &c. suppos’d to have been Travellers suffocated by great drifts of Sand, rais’d by sudden Tempests; for it sometimes so happens, that contrary Winds arising of a sudden, agitate the Sands with such impetuosity, that they over-whelm Passengers and Beasts with their Burthens, who perishing thus unawares, are thro’ the power of the hot Sun and parching Sand so dry’d, they become fix’d and for ever undissolvable.

Next as to the Medicinal Virtue of the Soil of Egypt, and how far it may be serviceable in Embalming and preserving Bodies, every one, who does but consider its great Stipticity and drying Nature, will be very well satisfy’d: Besides this Earth is never much dampt by Rains or Springs, but kept constantly dry by the warmth of the Sun. Aetius and Galen commend it as good against Phlegmons, Oedematous Tumors, and immoderate Fluxes of the Hæmorhoids; also that it cures Dropsies meerly by anointing with it, of which see more in Olaus Borrichius, p. 146. Thus having consider’d the Water, Air and Earth of Egypt, I will next add some Observations of Father Vansleb on the Seasons of the Egyptian Year, with their Computation of Time, calculated according to the Account of the Copties.

The Egyptians reckon their Autumn from the 15th of September to the 15th of December. Winter begins with them the 15th of December, and ends the 15th of March. Spring begins the 15th of March, and ends the 15th of June. Summer begins the 15th of June, and ends the 15th of September. They allot every Season just Three Months, and begin their Year in September, as I observ’d before. Every Month has Thirty Days, which in Twelve Months make Three hundred and sixty Days; but because there yet want Five to complete the Year, they add those at the end of all, and call them Epagomene, which signifies added.

The most temperate Season, has still somewhat of Spring or Autumn in it, which two last cannot well be distinguish’d in Egypt. Now the mild Weather commences in September, then they begin to breath the fresh Air, but, as about this Time, the Fields are all so cover’d with Water, one cannot Walk nor Travel by Land; an Abode there is not pleasant till the middle of November, for then the Country’s dry, the Ways free, the Waters run into their Channels, the Air pleasant, the heat of the Sun supportable, the Fields green and sweet, and refreshing Gales blow every-where. In short, the Season is then very comfortable, and so continues ’till the middle of April.

The cold Season, answerable to our Winter, begins about the middle of December. It is a delightful Time, unless in those seven Days which the Arabians term, Berd il agiuz, (the cold of the old Hag.) They begin about the 7th of February, and continue to the 14th. The Mornings are then exceeding cold, the Sky cloudy, Rains fall, and the Winds are continually boisterous. Now tho’ Winter be in this Country extream mild, yet do Persons of Quality always wear furr’d Gowns from the Month of November to that of March, not on account of any great cold, for there is hardly any at this Time; but because the Weather is then more variable, and the Egyptians fear to be incommoded by Distempers, which such a changeable Time occasions.

Summer is the worst and most troublesome Season, by reason of the excessive heat of the hot Winds, and the perilous Diseases that are rife about this Time, which the Egyptians term Camsins, and we Easter: This dangerous Season begins about the Easter-Monday of the Copties, and ends with their Whitson-Monday. About this Time the Winds, the Arabians term Merissi, are boisterous; they are so hot and troublesome, People are ready to be stifl’d by them, and raise in the Air so much Straw and Sand, the Sky is almost darkned with it: This Sand is so subtile, it penetrates every little chink and cranny. About this Time Malignant Fevers, Dysenterys, and many other Diseases commonly reign, the least of which is incurable if not resisted by necessary Remedies timely apply’d; nay, when these Winds blow, Bodies that were healthy before, will sicken and grow out of order.

These Southerly Winds blow not every Day in this Season, nor every Year in the same manner, or with a like impetuosity. ’Tis not possible to express the Peoples Joy when they favour them by becoming mild. Besides the two chief Winds which blow in Egypt, viz. Merissi and Maltem, I must farther take notice, that not only the Southern Winds are term’d Merissi, but also the Eastern. These blow commonly twice every Year, at Easter, call’d, as I have already said, Camsin, and from the Month of November to the middle of February. The Winds call’d Maltem or Teijah are Westerly ones; they begin about Twelve Days before the Rains fall, and last ’till the Month of November, during which Time scarce any other Wind blows. The Winds Merissi are hot and spoil the Corn, whereas these nourish and refresh it, and not only so, but prove comfortable both to Man and Beast, since they are cooling and afford strength.

The ordinary Time for Rains and Winds, which might be compar’d to our Autumn, begins in the Month of December, and lasts ’till January or February, tho’ at Rosetta and Alexandria the Rains fall at other Times, by reason of the propinquity of the Sea, nay sometimes it happens to be misty and moist at a Season when none expect it, which often proves so considerable as to wet ones Cloaths, as much as a shower of Rain: But these moist Mists are more frequent about Cairo than any where else. They usually begin about November, before the rising of the Sun, and continue all Winter. Some happen in other Seasons, and many times in Summer, as Vansleb observ’d in the Year 1672. at the beginning of August, when returning back from Fium to Mocanan, a Village about Four Hours from Cairo, he saw over that City so thick a Mist, he could neither see the Buildings there, nor the Pyramids that are near, tho’ the Air was clear where he stood.

Throughout all the Seasons of the Year, when the Nights are serene, so much Dew falls it may well be taken for a moderate Shower, whereas when ever the Sky is cloudy no Dew must be expected. Were it not for these Dews, there would neither be Grass nor Corn in Egypt; the Trees would bear no Fruit, nor could the wild Beasts in the Desarts live, here being neither Fountains nor Rivers, and the Rains falling but seldom. |Thunder seldom heard.| Thunder is rarely heard, for in all the Time Vansleb liv’d in Egypt, he says, he heard that noise but twice, viz. on the First of January and the Fourth of May, 1673.

These Things are to be regarded the more particularly, in that the temperature of Seasons conduces much to the preservation of Bodies, which is so far to be consider’d, as it acquaints us when is the best and most proper Time for Pickling, Preserving or Embalming Bodies; what Time of the Year, Day or Moon is best for gathering Fruits, Flowers, Plants, &c. in order to the well preserving and laying them up, as also what Places are fittest for Repositories for them after they are gather’d and prepar’d; for there are some, both Places and Airs, where Sweet-Meats will give and dissolve, bak’d Meats, Pyes, &c. gather mould, Liquors mother, and Flesh or Fish corrupt sooner than in others, wherefore such Places are to be avoided as exceeding prejudicial to Embalm’d Bodies, in as much as they will dispose what is not preserv’d, to Putrifaction, and what is, to Relaxation. For this Reason my Lord Bacon advises us well, to be very careful in our choice of Places for this purpose, and to the end the aptness or propensity either of the Air or Water, to corrupt or putrifie, may be easier found out, proposes the following Experiments: |Experiments of the Air.| First, To lay Wool, Sponge or a piece of Bread in a Place one would make Tryal of, and then to observe whether it be wetter or more ponderous than the same was when laid in other Places, by which one may judge whether the Place design’d be in a moist or gross Air. Secondly, To expose raw Flesh or Fish to the open Air, or lay them on the Earth, when if they quickly corrupt, ’tis a sign of a disposition in that Air to Putrifaction. Thirdly, The quick Putrifaction of Waters or Dews may likewise disclose the Qualities of the Air and Vapours of the Earth more or less corrupt: ’Tis good also to make Trial not only of the moisture and dryness of the Air, but of the Temper thereof in heat or cold; for that may concern Health variously, and whatever in this respect conduces thereto, the same is to be observ’d in Embalming. Fourthly, The goodness of Airs is likewise to be known by placing two Weather-Glasses in several Places, where no shades or inclosures are, and then remarking their difference, and the like. Now these sorts of Experiments serve for a natural Divination of Seasons, shewing them much better than any Astronomers can do by their Figures. They also inform us of the wholsomness or unwholsomness of Dwelling-Places, and where to erect Granaries for Corn, Store-Houses for Fruits, Green-Houses for Plants, Vaults for Wine, and Conservatories for other Things which require keeping either hot, or cold and dry.

Next as to Waters, this may serve for one Trial of their goodness, viz. To observe which will keep sweet the longest, for such likewise denote the Healthfulness of any Place: Now, how far the goodness of Waters tend to the preservation of Bodies and Things, may well enough be observ’d from Brewing, Washing, Baking, and the like; for those that make the strongest Drink, are ever the best concocted and most nourishing; those that bear Soap well, fret not out Cloaths like those that are hungry, but are fat, smooth and soft in Taste, which is also allow’d to be a general sign of good Water; so likewise such as are lightest and most apt quickly to boil away, are always best. Now these are the most useful in making Bread, Pyes, &c. and will keep them longest without moulding; but of all European-Waters that of the River Thames is the most noted for making Sea-Beer and Bisket, which are carry’d the longest Voyages, and into the hottest Countries of both East and West-Indies.

By these Considerations on the Air and Water, we may see the great advantage Egypt receiv’d from the clearness and dryness of the one, and sweetness and softness of the other, to which Herodotus chiefly attributes the Health and long Life of those People, as we, in some measure, may the continuance and duration of their Embalmings; for, as inequality of Air is pernicious to Health, so it is also to Embalming, therefore we find the Winter-Seasons are not so proper for this Art as the Summer, as producing much Rain, with misty or foggy Weather, which disposes all things to Putrifaction, in so much that Flesh is then hardly to be kept from being musty or stinking, by reason it will not so well take Salt at that Time. Things preserv’d with Sugar relax, and dry’d Things, imbibing the moisture, either rot or mould, which Mouldiness is a beginning of Putrifaction, that afterwards turns to Worms or odious Stinks. |Inequality of Air bad for Embalming.| Now as inequality of Air produces Putrifaction, so does also an interchangeableness of heat and cold, wet and dry, as may be observ’d from the mouldring of Earth in Frost and the Sun, or in the more hasty rotting of Wood that is sometimes wet and sometimes dry; so likewise a certain degree of heat or cold preserves and keeps Bodies from Putrifaction, whereas a tepid heat inclines them to it; for, tho’ such a weak degree of heat may put the Spirits in a little motion, yet is it not able to digest the Parts, or rarifie them, as may be seen by Flesh kept in a Room that is not cool, whereas in a cold and wet Larder ’twill keep much longer, and we observe that Vivification, as the Lord Bacon says in his Nat. Hist. p. 74. (whereof Putrifaction is the bastard Brother) is effected by such soft Heats, as the hatching of Eggs, commonly practis’d at Cairo, the heat of the Womb, &c. whereas such a heat as breaths forth adventitious Moisture best preserves Bodies; for as wetting hastens Corruption, so convenient drying (whereby the more radical Moisture is only kept in) puts back Putrifaction: So we may also observe that Herbs and Flowers, when dry’d in the shade or hot Sun, for a small space keep best. For these Reasons the warm Climate of Egypt must needs conduce best to the preservation of Things and Embalming Bodies, provided it be not attempted in the extream heat of the Summer, which is between Easter and Whitsontide, at which Time the hot Southerly Winds blow, which bring malignant Fevers, Plagues and great Putrifactions. Thus much as to the temperature of the Air shall suffice; next we must speak of the Egyptians.

The antient and true Egyptians were the Copties or Copts, so call’d, as I have formerly shown, p. 126. from Coptus, Son of Misraim, who became King of Egypt upon the Decease of his Father, and his Conquest over his Brothers; for those who now inhabit that Country, according to Sandys, Heylin and others, |Character of the modern Egyptians.| are much degenerate from the Ingenuity and Worth of their Ancestors, being not only Ignorant but Barbarous, devoted to Luxury and Venery, and naturally addicted to detract from what is Good and Eminent, nay, in a word, they are both Cowardly and Cruel. In their Dealings they are more Observant than Faithful; of a Genius much inclin’d to Craftiness, and very eager of Profit. Such as inhabit the Cities apply themselves to Merchandize, grow Rich by Trading, are reasonably well Habited, and not very differing from the Turks in Dress and Fashion. Those in the Country, who follow Husbandry, are affirm’d to be a brutish and nasty People, crusted over with Dirt, and stinking of Smoak and their abominable Fuel; for they burn their own Dung, and that of Cattle, instead of Wood, which is here so scarce it is sold by weight, and us’d only by Foreigners and the richer sort. Nothing now remains among them of the laudable Arts of their Ancestors, but a ridiculous affectation of Divination and Fortune-telling, in which, and some other cheating Tricks, they are very well vers’d, great numbers of them wandring from Place to Place, to get their Livelihoods that way. This occasions Vagabonds and Straglers of other Nations, who pretend to the same false Arts to assume their Names. The whole Body of the present Inhabitants is an hotchpotch or medly of many foreign Nations, such as Moors, Arabians, Turks, Greeks, Jews, Franks, &c. the natural Egyptians making the least part of the number.

Now as concerning the Make, Complexion, Temper and Constitution of the Egyptians in general, that varies according to the different Quality or Employ of the Person or Sex. Those that dwell in Cairo and other Cities are gross, corpulent and sanguine, whereas the wandring Arabians and Husbandmen are meagre and slender, very active and nimble, yet withal hairy, sweaty, and almost scorcht and burnt up with the Sun. The People in general are of a mean Stature, tawny Complexion, and spare Bodies, and this is remarkable of them, that tho’ their Country be in the same Climate with Barbary, yet are they not black, but tawny or olive-colour’d. The Women are of the same Complexion with the Men, yet well shap’d and featur’d, did not they too much affect a seeming Corpulency, which if they cannot get in Flesh they will be sure to have in Cloaths. |Their Women fruitful in Children.| They Marry at Ten, or at farthest at Twelve Years of Age, being very fruitful, some bearing Three or Four Children at a Birth; and those that are born in the Eighth Month live to a good Age, and are not in such danger of Death, as in other Countries.

As to the Constitutions of the Egyptians, they are hot and dry, being by nature very wakeful and little inclin’d to sleep. They are of a chearful Temper, yet delight much in an idle and lazy kind of Life, being immoderate Votaries to Venus. Their continual Bathing, drinking the Waters of Nile, and using cold Food, mightily lessen and alter their heat and drought; but then this inconveniency ensues, that they have cold and raw Stomachs full of Phlegm, which not only proceeds from such cold Dyet, but also from the extraordinary heat of the Air, whereby the natural heat is overcome.

They are nevertheless said to be longer liv’d than those of other Countries, it being common to find among them People of above a Hundred Years of Age. The reason of this longœvity Phisicians differ greatly about, yet assign, as the chiefest Cause of it, next to the Air, the spare way of living of that People, they eating little Flesh, but store of Roots, Fruits and Herbs, nor often drinking any Wine, but commonly Water, and sometimes Beer, which Herodotus Lib. 1. Sect. 77. assures us the antient Egyptians made. On the contrary, all Europeans, who drink abundance of Wine, and eat much Flesh, are for the most part short liv’d. |A Problem concerning Diet.| Therefore whether it were not better for us to conform to the simple Diet of our Forefathers? Whether pure and simple Waters be not more healthful than fermented Liquors? Whether there be not an ample sufficiency in the Food of Honey, Oil, and several parts of Milk; in the great variety of Grains, Pulses and all sorts of Fruits, since either Bread or Beverage may be made almost of all of them? Whether Nations have rightly confin’d themselves to peculiar Meats? Whether the common Food of one Country be not more agreeable to another? How indistinctly all Tempers apply to the same, and how the Diet of Youth and old Age is confounded, are Considerations worth our notice, says Sir Thomas Brown in his Vulgar Errors, p. 138. and might not a little prolong our Days; yet must not this Discourse, therefore I will proceed to speak of some Diseases the Egyptians have been always liable to. |Their Diseases.| These are occasion’d either by the intemperate Air, the Summers here being exceeding hot and sultry, or else by reason the Poor, who are very numerous, are necessitated to eat foul and unwholsome Food, such as the flesh of Camels, of Crocodiles, (by some worshipp’d and consequently held Irreligious) rotten salt Fish, and mouldy stinking Cheese, by them call’d Gibnehalon. They are also accustom’d to drink muddy and corrupt Waters, whereby is ingendred much Choler, thick and adust Blood, gross and crude Humours, which create many Distempers, the chief of which, and most to our purpose, are Sore Eyes and Blindness, Scabs and Leprosie, Dropsie, Frenzie, Malignant Fevers, Poxes of both kinds, Plague and Pestilence, &c. which tho’ other Nations are likewise subject to, yet it being not so constantly or grieviously, these may properly enough be nam’d, The Plagues of Egypt; wherefore I shall a little expatiate upon them, with a suitable Application to our Subject of Embalming.

First, I shall take notice of the incredible number of blind People in Egypt, but more-especially in Cairo, where sore Eyes or Opthalmia are so common, scarce half the Inhabitants escape them. Nay, new-born infants are so troubl’d with this Distemper, that it is sometimes hardly to be cur’d, for it seems a Disease lodg’d in the Blood, of which the Natives give this Reason, viz. That the subtile Particles of the Lime, wherewith their Houses are built, being carry’d about by the Wind, stick so close to the Eyes, that they not only cause Inflammations, but likewise insensibly mixing with the Blood, occasion this Distemper to be Hereditary; to which Sandys adds, as other Causes of this Disease, the reflecting heat of the Sun, the salt Dust of the Soil, and the Inhabitants excessive Venery; wherefore did they not use frequent Bathings in this Country, the stinking Sweat of their Bodies, mix’d with this Dust, which so continually rises and adheres to them, wou’d, by stopping their Pores, not only render them nasty and frowzy, but also their Blood becoming Pruriginous, and exalted by the salt and corrupt Diet, |Scabs and Leprosie.| wou’d, as it often does, produce Mange, Scabs and Leprosies; so that to keep themselves sweet, clean and free from these Diseases, they are wont to use constant Bathings, and refrain from salt Meats, which are very unwholsome to these Eastern Nations. Herodotus assures us they in his Time abstain’d from Swines Flesh, as particularly apt to beget Leprosie in hot Countries, if salted, and if not, or well roasted, infallibly brings a Diarrhæa, or else turns to some dangerous Fever or Surfet. Hippocrates, Lib. Poss. p. 5. observes, it throws some People into a Cholera Morbus, that is, It works vehemently upon them by Choleric Vomits and Stools. Plutarch likewise remarks, that the very Milk of this Beast being drank, produces the Scab, &c.

The Egyptians also from their too frequent use of Colocasia, Bammia, Melochia, Beets, and such like Herbs as occasion thick and tough Flegm, are often troubl’d with the Dropsie, which swells and puffs up their Legs, with abundance of hard and gross Humours, like the Legs of an Elephant, tho’ indeed they feel no pain, but are only unweildy to walk.

At Cairo rages that most terrible Disease call’d by the Arabians, Dem el Muia, which in few Hours seizes the Brain like an Apoplexy, and bereaving it of Sense, soon dispatches the Patient. Every Year once the Egyptians are surpriz’d by this Disease, and multitudes die dayly of it. At the same Time Children are wont to be greatly afflicted with a malignant kind of Pox, |Small Pox.| bred out of venemous Damps, arising from the corrupt Waters of Caleg, a Branch or rather Trench cut from the Nile to Alexandria. Every Year, when that River rises 8 or 10 Cubits, it falls into this Trench, and so runs thro’ the whole City; so that, at the retiring of the River, this Water, remaining without motion, stagnates and corrupts: It first becomes green, then black, and at length sends fourth Pestilential Vapours, whereby the Air is polluted and this Infection caus’d, wherefore, some Time before it is expected, all the Children thereabouts are remov’d to other Places. Sandys also tells us, |French Pox.| the French Pox is exceedingly rife among the Egyptians, which however is not to be wonder’d at if we consider their hot Constitution, excessive Venery, &c.

In Alexandria many malignant and mortal Agues reign about the Time of their Harvest, occasion’d by drinking the tainted and foul Waters, which the Townsmen keep from Year to Year in Wells under their Houses. But the most destructive of all Diseases to the Egyptians is the Pestilence or Plague, |Plague.| which very frequently visits them, and is the more prevalent in that they seek no Remedy for it, as believing none can die of it but such as are destin’d by GOD. For this Reason they never go about to avoid any infected Person or Place, for that they look upon as Irreligious. Nay the very Cloaths or Houshold-Goods of such as die of this Distemper, are instantly sold in the open Market by Outcry, which none are afraid to buy, thro’ which mad obstinacy, in this their foolish Opinion, the Plague has in Cairo, during only the space of six or seven Months, sometimes swept away above Five hundred thousand People, as was observ’d in the Year 1580.

Those Plagues which come out of Barbary are the most pernicious and of longest continuance, of which kind was the before mention’d; whereas such as come from Greece or Syria are more mild and of a shorter duration; for this Disease is seldom or never occasion’d by Putrifaction of Air in Egypt, unless the Nile, overflowing the Country too high, leaves its Waters a long while on the Ground, whereby the whole Land becoming a corrupt and standing Lake, that by the Southerly Winds and Summers heat, may be ripen’d and made fit to send up infectious Steams. That Plague which begins in the first Months of Summer is the worst, whereas that which comes later is milder and ceases sooner. But let the Plague rage never so fiercely, when the Sun enters Cancer, which is the Time of Nile’s overflowing, it wholly ceases, insomuch that not one then dies of it, as has been before shown. The Reason of this so sudden alteration seems to be the even and constant Temperature of the Air, thro’ the blowing of the anniversary North Winds, which then begin to rise and oppose the moist Nature of the South Winds, call’d Camsin. Now these cooling, as well the Air as Mens Bodies, and taking away the Cause (the infectious Heat) the Effect soon ceases.

Thus far have I shown how the infection of Air and Water may occasion many Diseases, which therefore are carefully to be avoided as pernicious to Embalming: I shall now only observe, that as the even Temper and good Humour of Man tends much to his Health and long Life, so that healthy State and Constitution, either affords a Natural Embalming, or at least such Bodies are easiest to be preserv’d. But whether those Bodies that dy’d of the Plague, or other malignant Distempers, could with any Art be preserv’d, is a Quære of no small concern in this our Natural History, and must needs to the Egyptians bring a great scruple of Conscience, who believ’d the Metempsychosis or Transmigration of Souls, to think what must become of such Bodies as were not Embalm’d? Since therefore no History can give us any satisfaction herein, we are inclinable to believe they could not any ways be preserv’d, by reason of the immediate tendency of such tabid Carcasses to Putrifaction, and yet we know not but the Egyptians might do more in this case than others could, both thro’ the efficacy and goodness of their Medicines, and their not being afraid of the infectious Steams which issue from such Bodies, during their hot Embalming; which brings me next to enquire into their Skill in Physic, Anatomy and Chymistry. In order to this, I shall first begin with the Rise and Progress of their Physic, according to the Opinion of the Learned Dr. Grew; and then shew its Effects, and how it was practis’d, as affirm’d by Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Prosper Alpinus, and others.

‘The Egyptians, says Dr. Grew in his Cosmologia Sacra, p. 265. being from sundry Causes (some of which we have already discours’d of) the most diseas’d of all People, were also the first Authors of Medicine. Mizraim their first King, otherwise call’d Menez, Osiris, Dionisius and Bacchus, all being Names of the same Person, together with his Wife Isis, apply’d himself to furnish his People with wholsome Food. He with Wine, which he had learn’d to make of his Grandfather Noah; |Osiris taught them Drink and Food.| and with Water, in making the best use of the River Nile; and She, by teaching them, among so many various sorts of Roots and Fruits, |Isis salubrious Plants.| wherewith Egypt abounds, to distinguish the Noxious, many of which, as Sulpitius Severus and P. Alpinus observe, are very sweet and tempting, from those which are wholsome and fit to eat; from whence she was call’d Ὑγεία and Salus.

‘Their next King was Orus, by Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus and Athenagoras in his Apology to the Christians, said to be Osiris’s Son. This Prince seeing Food already provided for, bethought himself of some means, such as they were, for the cure of Diseases. The first step he took, being affrighted with a Plague, was to offer Sacrifice to the Celestial Bodies, which he suppos’d Gods, and the only Arbiters of Life and Death. Therefore Anebo the Egyptian Priest, |These Orus, Son of Osiris, apply’d for Physic, by Sacrificing them.| personated by Jamblichus, in his Book of the Egyptian Mysteries says, That, even in his Time, they knew no other way of curing that Disease; and what Isis had found out for Food, he thought best apply’d to this purpose. So Porphyrius in his Book of Sacrifices tells us, the most ancient Egyptians, Cœlestibus litabant, with Herbs, Roots and Fruits, which at first Orus offer’d singly, but afterwards compounded, supposing them thereby, as is intimated by Proclus, the more acceptable.

‘The Plague and other contagious Diseases, being blown away, as they commonly were and are, by the North Winds, Orus thought it decent to solemnize his Sacrifices with Music; |To which he added Music.| and that he had excellent Skill herein, is witness’d by Diodorus, from whence also he is taken to be the Egyptian Apollo. Now finding Music acceptable to the People, he apply’d that also, with the Sacrifices to which it was annex’d, towards the cure of Diseases; for which Reason Music is by Jamblichus, in his Book aforesaid, enobl’d with the Title of Divine. And it seem’d, for many Ages after, so necessary to Medicine, as to give occasion to Thessalus, Head of the Methodic Sect in the Reign of Nero, to brag, That he could make Physicians without the help either of Astrology or Music. Thus all Music consisting in a proportionate Measure, he saw it requisite the Notes or Tunes, and Words he us’d with them, should be commensurate one to the other, and so became the first Poet or Maker of Verses; |And Poetry.| which being us’d with Music, were suppos’d to have the same Divine Virtue, and came at length to be us’d alone in the cure of Diseases. And it is by Sanchuniathon affirm’d, that Misora, that is Misraim, |Thence thought to be the Egyptian Apollo.| was one of those two antient Gods, whose Sons were the Inventors of Medicinal Charms, which as it seems were all the means Orus, or the Egyptian Apollo, invented for the cure of Diseases, viz. Sacrifices, Music and Charms, upon which three he began likewise to build the Art of Divination; and as a branch hereof, his Magical Prognostics in relation to Diseases. ’Next to Orus succeeded Athothus; by Sanchuniathon nam’d, Taautus; by the less antient Egyptians, |Athothus the antient Egyptian Mercury,| Thoyth, and by the Greeks in Alexandria, Thoth. He was the most antient Egyptian Mercury; said by Manetho and Eratosthenes to be Son of Menez or Mizraim, and was therefore younger Brother to Orus, whom he succeeded by Noah’s Gift, as is witness’d by Sanchuniathon: Saturnus, in Deum Taautum a Misore Natum, Egypti Regnum contulit. This Man, to add to what his Predecessor had done, |The Inventor of Images,| was the Inventor of Images, dedicated to the Sun, Moon and Stars, with their Figures upon them, according to their position in the Heavens, supposing they would be more effectually mov’d by the Sacrifices offer’d to them, if thereby honour’d and represented. And that none might be without what he thought so necessary for the Peoples Health, he caus’d the making not only of Images of Gold and Silver, but certain Sculptures or Paintings upon Wood or some other Ground. The Figures or Marks, made upon all these, |Characters,| were properly call’d Characters, and were the original of all those us’d by Magicians in after Times for the cure of Diseases: Whence it is these Characters, which were properly made, are said by Jamblichus to be Diis congrui, that is, agreeable to the Celestial Bodies, they were suppos’d to represent; in which Sense also the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, speaking of the Second Person in the Sacred Trinity, uses the same word.