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172
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DE NATURA FOSSILIUM
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with
gold foil. The altar of St. Laurence in Noriberg has the roof of the
tower made of brass and covered with foil. Some people spin gold into
threads and embroiderers use these in a needle and work them into cloth
that they decorate with a variety of colors. Metallic gold is used by
chemists to prepare a liquid that they affirm will restore youth \vhen
drunk.8
I shall now take up silver (argentum) which
was unknown to the ancient writers as a native metal. One cannot tell
from the writings of Albertus whether he knew it as a native metal or
not. He writes, "It is found at Freiberg, soft and similar to a
tenacious porridge. This is the purest and finest grade of silver with
little slag, having been refined by nature."' He says nothing about the
color of this material. Silver is rarely found in metallic form at
Freiberg and although masses and films of argentite do occur there is
not enough of this mineral to assure that he refers to it. The latter
is commonly soft and has little slag. However, I would not care to
argue this point with anyone since much purer silver was obtained from
these mines in former times than has ever been obtained since. The
Freiberg veins have yielded a great abundance of lead ore rich in
silver as well as some pyrite ore but the mines of Misena as well as
those of Schneeberg, Annaberg, and Garium have all produced native
silver. It occurs in Bohemia in the Joachim and Abertham valleys;
sparingly on Mt. Melibocus, Lauterberg; also sparingly in a valley of
the Jurassic Mountains of France that takes its name from the charm of
Leberthal. In the latter locality, to date, all ore has come from two
pits, one named St. Wilhelm, the other named for an oven. Of the many
mines of Bohemia and Misena, two are the most important, one at
Schneeberg, St. George, is the most famous silver mine that has ever
been worked. Silver to the value of two million Rhine gold pieces has
been taken from the mine. This is known from the memory of old people
who discuss it and many of whom have made note of it. The most accurate
figures come from those who kept the account books in which were
recorded the quantities of silver smelted. Although the entire vein did
not consist of pure silver probably the major part did. The other great
mine is at Abertham and is named Laurence and Theodore. In recent years
silver to the value of some one hundred and fifty thousand Rhine gold
pieces has been taken from this mine, undoubtedly in the form of impure
silver. It should be understood that these are unusual mines.10 There
are many other mines at Schneeberg that have been very productive,
especially Sonnebirbel, St. Margaret, and St. Andreas. Large masses of
silver have been found in some mines. One mass found in the St. George
mine of Schneeberg was of such size that Prince Albert of Saxony, that
valiant warrior, descended into the mine to have the pleasure of seeing
it.
8 Gold bromide acts as a mild aphrodisiac when taken internally.
9 This is probably a reference to cerargyrite, native silver chloride.
10 These were native silver-cobalt ores similar to the rich ore mined in recent years at Cobalt, Ontario.
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