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BOOK I
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13
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which,
having been drunk, counteracts the sting of a scorpion; sulphur, having
been smeared on a wound counteracts the poison in it; soda and iron
sulphates, having been drunk, counteract the poison from toadstools.
Some minerals counteract many poisons, for example halite, which is a
remedy for the bites of vipers, horned snakes and crocodiles, the
stings of scorpions and wasps, the infections from centipedes. The
halite is applied as a poultice. Taken internally, halite counteracts
the poisons of toadstools and opium.
Among other minerals with healing qualities hieracites stops bleeding from deep cuts. Jaspis, placed
on the stomach, strengthens it and prevents vomiting. A geode tied on
the left side of a women's hips maintains and preserves pregnancy and
prevents miscarriage. Jaspis and geodes bound to the thigh of a pregnant woman cause an early delivery. Magnetite removes excess fat. Chrysocolla, armenium, and atramentum sutorium cause vomiting.
I
shall say no more about the medicinal properties of minerals and will
now take up the medicinal qualities. All minerals dry. Some warm the
body such as alum, atramentum sutorium, chalcitis, misy, sory, and melanteria while
others such as Eretrian earth, galena, and stibnite cool it. Regarding
the secondary qualities, jet softens areas of the body which are hard
while galena and stibnite harden areas which are soft. Hydrous sodium
carbonate minerals such as nitrum, nitri spuma, and aphronitrum open holes too small for the eye to see while Samian aster and all other glutinous earths close them. Minerals such as pyrite, molaris, and bitumen break up gatherings in the body. Chalcitis, misy, and cleavable alum heal wounds. The Greeks call minerals which remove fleshy growths κα0αιρ€τικό$. These include natural lime, aerugo, and if the growths are soft chalcitis and misy. Some minerals which the Greeks call σηπτικός cause flesh to decay, for example, the spodos found in mines, orpiment, realgar, and chrysocolla.
Various
minerals have been endowed with diverse qualities, for example Cimolia
earth (principally cimolite) and halite. Cimolia earth disperses and
holds disease in check; halite cleanses and is astringent. Chrysocolla, armenium, orpiment, realgar, hematite, and goethite have these same qualities as well as atramentum sutorium, misy, sory, chalcitis, and melanteria. Of these chrysocolla is stronger than armenium; orpiment, than realgar; hematite, than goethite; atramentum sutorium, than
the related minerals. Many will cause serious injury and even death to
men and animals when taken into the body with food or drink or when
placed in close contact to the body. Certain varieties of spodos found in mines, cadmia and chrysocolla, will eat away flesh rapidly. Gypsum and selenite cause constipation.
I
shall say nothing concerning the properties which the Persian scholars
have attributed to stones and gems. They, and the Arabs who have copied
them, have treated the natures and causes of things with such a
superficiality and vagueness as to cause one to regard them as of
little value as I shall explain at greater length elsewhere.
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