Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.
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that mankind, his children, parts of the divine essence, maintain that most beautiful and primal type of creation, the human body. " Through the intervention of Patah, this divine essence, after undergoing many transmigrations, may be made to re-enter its original form of aggregated atoms, providing these atoms formed from Seb, the earth, have been pre- served in their original external shape. To perform this miracle Ave must first discover the exact aggregation in which the divine essence of a former mortal has its pres- ent abode. It may be that it permeates an animal, bird, fish, insect, or plant. "Now, I, Athothis, son of Mena, founder of the Egyptian line of kings, when chief physician, astrologer, and ma- gician to my father's court, was taught the incantations and processes necessary for the performance of this mir- acle by certain wise seers and necromancers from Chaldea, and upon at least three occasions have given life by re- storing the vital essence to mummies which had laid embalmed in tombs for over five hundred years. These same incantations may be done by any man learned in the wisdom of ancient Egypt; and if this person be a skilled physican, versed in anatomy, he can easily apply the methods to be followed." Doctor Paulus Androcydes again laid down the papy- rus and indulged in a low, gurgling, disdainful laugh; then speaking aloud to himself, as was his custom when alone, he said, " Oh ! Athothis, son of Mena, Ananias was the embodiment of truth when compared to thee !" He had scarcely spoken these scornful words when the cat gave a blood-curdling scream of anger, and the phy- sician arose to his feet in astonishment and dismay; for there, on the table, stood Anubis with his back curved