In industrialized societies, cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of death. The history of this disorder has the potential to improve our understanding of disease prevention, aetiology, pathogenesis and treatment. A striking rarity of malignancies in ancient physical remains might indicate that cancer was rare in antiquity, and so poses questions about the role of carcinogenic environmental factors in modern societies. Although the rarity of cancer in antiquity remains undisputed, the first published histological diagnosis of cancer in an Egyptian mummy demonstrates that new evidence is still forthcoming.

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The application of FT-Raman spectroscopy and visible Raman microscopy to the nondestructive analysis of pigment specimens excavated from Tell el Amarna by Flinders Petrie in the 1890s has provided information about the chemical composition of the materials used by XVIIIth Dynasty artists in the New Kingdom at the time of King Akhenaten, c. 1340 BC. Comparison of the Raman spectra of the samples labelled`red and yellow ochre' with documented, archival material from geological collections provided a clear indication of the materials used in the iron(III) oxide/hydroxide system, including a-hematite, goethite, maghemite, magnetite and lepidocrocite. The yellow±orange specimen labelled`realgar' proved to be a mixture of realgar and pararealgar; since the specimen had been sheltered from light since its excavation, this could indicate that the ancient Egyptian artists recognized the colour variation and may have used this to effect in their decorations. A specimen of yellow ochre contained goethite, a-FeO.OH, with particles of crystalline, highly ordered graphite; in contrast, the red ochre specimens contained amorphous carbon particles.

Summary. Forty-six, mature, New Zealand white does were used for collection of fluid from the Fallopian tubes. Ligation of the tubes into four isolated segments was carried out with minimal disturbance to the blood supply, using an operating microscope. The volume of fluid collected decreased from the fimbriated end to the utero-tubal junction.Analysis of the chemical constituents of the fluid from the first three segments showed that the concentration of sodium, bicarbonate, inorganic phosphate, proteins and lactic acid increased significantly from the fimbriated end to the utero-tubal junction, while chloride concentration decreased significantly. These results support the possibility that the different segments of the oviduct may play specific roles in early events of reproduction.