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BOOK V
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105
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hard
and from this we can conclude that it is also found soft and having
other colors. It probably resembles stones found at Hildesheim near a
mill on a cliff not far from the village of Hasda. Here they occur in
veinlets of a glutinous sticky earth similar to Samian earth. They are
gray or some pale shade, soft to somewhat hard, sparkling inside and
rough outside. They are used to polish gold. The white Samian stones
have been made into gems because of their beauty and these were called exhebenus by Zoroaster. Samius lapis since
it is astringent and cooling, having been ground in a mortar with milk,
can be used advantageously in curing ulcers and reducing watering of
the eyes. Artisans polish gold and silver with samius lapis in
the same manner as ring makers clean and polish hard gems with emery.
Glass workers use it to cut sheets of glass. It is found in the silver
mines of Annaberg, Misena, and other localities and has the apÂpearance
and hardness of iron.36 It is used to harden the gums and as
a dentifrice. The stone occurs in Armenia where they use it to engrave
gems and cut small images according to Stephanus but he does not state
whether it is emery, Armenian flint or some other stone.
Ostracites, so
named because it resembles an oyster shell, is accepted as the best
material to remove skin and hair. The younger Greek writers have called
it Xidoapeos in order to distinguish it from the oyster shell. The older writers have called it ceramites since it has the color of the shell and also cheramides because
it has a band of dark colored protuberances. It forms in strata that
are conspicuous. When tapped with the finger it has the sound of a jug.
Today a light red variety is found in Hildesheim near a cave named for
dwarfs. The area, as I have said, shows that it has been on fire at
some time or other. Ostracites dries and is astringent and, for
that reason, will repress menstruation when a dram is drunk with wine.
MoisÂtened with water it reduces inflammation of the breasts, heals
ulcers and is poisonous to crawling insects.37
Phrygius stone
takes its name from Phrygia where dyers color cloth with it although it
is also found in Cappadocia. It is a spongy substance with a mixed
taste. Some is astringent and biting. The best has a pale color with
white veins similar to calamine and a body structure that is not
strong. The weight is moderate. When sprinkled with wine and burnt it
becomes a darker yellow. Some of this is sold today for lyncurium just as belemnites is
sometimes substituted for it. It is used in medicine as a desiccant. It
possesses mixed qualities for it also repels and disperses. It is used
to treat decomposed ulcers and as an eye remedy. According to Galen
dyers use phrygius just as tanners use ageratus. Since
it is both astringent and biting it is impossible to assign to it a
definite taste. Since it represses and disperses it is used to cure
inflammation of dog's teeth.
38 Apparently quartz, chalcedony, and other minerals are included in this group. 37
Although other writers have given this name to a variety of minerals
Agricola limits its use to a particular variety of fossil shell.
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