Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 054.pdf/32

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back of the toes appeared several of the extensor tendons.

The root just mentioned was bound to the foot by the filleting that invested the metatarsal bones; no more of this filleting was cut away, than was just sufficient to shew, without removing from its place, a substance which had been preserved in so extraordinary a manner.

On cutting away the fillets which covered the tarsus, the bones adhered strongly together; and were covered with hard pitch: with which they seemed thoroughly impregnated.

On cutting away this outward pitch, there appeared very distinctly the tendons of the poroneus anticus and posticus, the tendons of the extensor digitorum longus, and the tendon of the tibialis anticus; and besides these a considerable portion of the ligaments of the tarsus.

On examining the case formed by the pitch and fillets, which had covered the right foot, and out of which the bones had been taken; there was a very plain mould lest, in which there had been enclosed another root similar to that we discovered in the left foot; and in which some of the external shining skin of the root still remained.

During this whole examination, if we except what was discovered in the feet, there were not found the lest remains of any of the soft parts.

All the bones of the trunk were bedded in a mass of pitch; and those of the limbs were covered with a thin coat of it, and then swathed in the fillets: which (as has been mentioned) in some placeswhere the pitch was very thin, seemed to adhere to the bone itself.

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