Portal logo
220
DE NATURA F OS SI LIU Μ
different composition from a similar earth that contains geodes or some other stone or an earth that contains a gem such as smaragdus, quartz, or any other gem. In the same manner, the presence of marbles, rocks, peb­bles, gravel, and sand will vary the composition of an earth. We should consider the great variety of earths that may contain these numerous substances to appreciate the variety of compositions that are possible.
I shall now consider earths that contain metallic particles as well as those to which particles of metal adhere. We call these metallic earths. They vary according to the metal they contain. Those containing gold are called yij χρυσίτα by the Greeks and auriferous earth by the Latins. The Greeks call an earth containing silver apyvplns, the Latins, argen­tiferous earth. When they contain copper or lead the Greeks call them χάλκϊτίς and μολφδίτπ, the Latins, cupriferous and plumbiferous earth. Iron-bearing earth is called σιδηρϊτκ by the Greeks and ferruginous earth by the Latins. There are two species of argentaria earth and three species of plumbaria earth since the former may contain either silver or quick­silver, the latter, lead, tin, or bismuth. The numerous species of earth produced a great many species of this compound substance all of which are recognized by the miner and called by their correct names. So much concerning earths that contain congealed juices, stones, or metals, or to which these adhere. I shall now discuss congealed juices.
Even when a material contains an abundance of a congealed juice, any earth adhering to salt, soda, alum, atramentrum sutorium, sulphur, bitumen, the acrid juice that has no name, realgar, orpiment, chrysocolla, aerugo, or caeruleum will change its composition as well as any species of rock, gem, stone, marble, pebble, gravel, sand, or any species of metal. How­ever, natural substances other than earth, pebbles, gravel, and sand rarely adhere to a congealed juice. If the compound substance contains an abundance of stone any species of earth adhering to it will, of course, change the composition. In the same manner any congealed juice adhering to the stone will change the composition and it is in this way that saline, alkali and aluminous stones are produced. Any adhering metal will change the composition. The Greeks call auriferous stones χρυσίτης; argentiferous stones, kpyvplrs; cupriferous stones, χαλκίτης; plumbiferous stones, μοlφδίτη$; and ferruginous stones, σώηρίτης. As with the earths, there are three species of plumbiferous stones and two of the argentiferous since among the Greeks the name μολφδίτης signifies a stone to which lead adheres and άργυρίτης a stone to which silver adheres.
Not only do stones have certain natural materials adhering to them but may also have these within themselves as if in a stomach. This enclosed material may be an earth such as the white earth in the geodes found in the marl at Chemnitz; a liquid juice, as the liquid in enhydros; or some other stone, as the callimus in some geodes. Such stones are usually spherical or rounded, rarely of any other form. However they differ in other ways. Some may contain stones that have become loose and hence