Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
New details are emerging about a discovery that stunned researchers last year, when they found a fetus preserved within a pregnant Egyptian mummy.
In a blog post earlier this month, updating what is believed to be the first known case of a pregnant mummy, Polish researchers said the fetus appeared to be "pickled."
The mummy was found in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes and dates back to the first century. The mummified woman, whom the researchers call "The Mysterious Lady," was 20 to 30 years of age and between 26 and 30 weeks pregnant before she died.
Researchers say the pH level of blood declines substantially in corpses, included in the uterus, resulting in high concentrations of ammonia and formic acid. This, combined with the natron that was used as a preservative during the mummification process, creases a uterus that is "almost hermetically sealed," the researchers wrote.
The researchers liken the inside of the mummified uterus to a swamp, an environment that is known to preserve human remains quite well. Numerous ancient naturally-preserved mummies -- known as "bog bodies" -- have been discovered within swamps and wetlands across the world.
"In our case, we have two different mummies, because there were two different mummification processes," the researchers said. "The fetus was in an acidic, 'bog-like' environment that later dried-up during the embalming of the mother. During the mummification process, the deceased woman was covered with natron, a naturally occurring in Egypt sodium, in order to dry the body."
Because of the acidic environment, the fetus's bones were partially decomposed. Researchers liken it to how an eggshell will dissolve if placed in a pot filled with acid.
"The eggshell is dissolving, leaving only the inside of the egg (albumen and yolk) and the minerals from the eggshell dissolved in the acid," they explained.
Because of the lack of bones, the researchers note that fetuses in mummies aren't easily visible in X-ray images, meaning that there may be more mummies of pregnant women in other museum collections.
"The Mysterious Lady died together with the unborn child, and by examining her, we restore their memory. We remember that it was a long-lived person who had her dreams, probably loved ones and was loved. Now she reveals to us the secrets she took with her to the grave," the researchers wrote.
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.