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30
DE NATURA FOSSILIUM
solved by the tongue's moisture. Since an earth of this type dries and is moderately cooling it reduces inflammation of the testes and breasts when mixed with rose water. Since this type of earth is glutinous and can be spread over any surface it will stop bleeding from any part of the body, as mentioned by Dioscorides. Galen describes Samian earth somewhat dif­ferently. He writes that the Samian aster is more glutinous and tenacious and since it is moderately cleansing, as are Chia and Selinusia earths, it is useful in treating skin ulcers and burns. Evidently Dioscorides was acquainted with one kind of Samian earth, Galen another. This is not to be wondered at since Theophrastus mentions that there are many different kinds of earths found on Samia. Since Dioscorides men­tions that he prefers the very whitest variety we can conclude that gray and even other colored earths are found there and while they may not differ in other qualities they at least differ in color from the one described by him.
Samian aster is unctuous, dense, smooth, and found in thin beds. Since it is unctuous and dense it must be glutinous and heavy. Some of the other qualities are not mentioned in descriptions but Galen \vrites that it is sticky and glutinous; Dioscorides, that it is dense; Theophrastus, that it is smooth. Although it is dense and hence heavy, it is lighter than Lemnia earth and heavier than collyrion. If these earths had been more abundant the ancients would have put them to more uses hut they were rare and therefore commanded a very high price. Earths, similar to Samia and other famous ones, are found in different localities and it is a com­mon practice to call these by well known names.
Melinum earth takes its name from the island of Melos, yet Pliny writes that it is found on the island of Samos. Chalk (creta) takes its name from the island of Crete, yet today we call any similar material by that name no matter where it comes from.
Chia earth takes its name from the island of Chios where it is found. It is unctuous, porous, soft, white to light gray, with a sharp oily taste and for that reason cleanses better than Samia earth. It is used to cleanse the face as well as the entire body. Galen writes that it is similar to Samia but is less efficacious in reducing inflammations of the breast, groin, and testes.
Selinusia earth resembles Chia very closely, even more closely than Chia resembles Samia. The name comes from Selinus,4 a town of Sicily. The best is highly lustrous, white, friable, and when moistened dissolves quickly and completely. According to Vitruvius, when it is colored blue it resembles the blue dye of India and according to Pliny when mixed with milk it resembles whitewash.
Melinum earth, called melia by Theophrastus, is a white, meager to in­termediate earth used by painters. Cimolia earth has a few distinctive characteristics. It is moderately unctuous, according to Dioscorides, white
The modern seaport of Selinonto.