Studies in palaeopathology. Note on a tumour of the pelvis dating from roman times (250 A.D. ), and found in Egypt

Abstract

THE bone which forms the subject of this note was foLlnd by us in the catacombs of Koni el Shougafa, in Alexandria.The skeletons in the catacombs undoubtedly date from Egyptian-Roman times, and, most probably, from the middle of the third century after Christ, or from some time before that date.The specimen in question was discovered among a number of human bones, in a grave which had been thoroughly rifled some time ago.The other bones were heaped up in utter confusion at one end of the grave, and they were in such a bad state that it was impossible to gather together the rest of the skeleton to which this specimen belonged.The grave had been opened for some time and was very damp, and all the bones had a tendency to break to pieces, even when treated with the greatest care.Often, they were so fragile that the only method of preserving them was to plunge them into melted paraffin at 5 5" C. ; when all the air bubbles had escaped (ten to thirty minutes), the paraffin was allowed to run off.Care was taken to dry them thoroughly before they were placed in the paraffin, all adherent sand and other foreign bodies being removed with a soft brush.The specimens so treated could then be handled with perfect safety. DESCRIPTION OF SPECIMEN FOUND.one, approximately of the same size and dating froin the same period.affect,s particularly the ischium and lower portion of the ilium.is apparently normal.We shall compare the bone to be now described with a controlThe tuniour occupies the right 0 s innominatum (Plate XLII.Fig. l), and The 0s pubis'

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