ably what Razi means: That it is soft before it ripens, and this is also probably
what Dioscorides means.
,104. Muhammad bin Ahmad KhatTb Dariya says that there is a valley in the mountain
of Salihayyah near Damascus. There is a place called Tall al-Shaykh there which
has a site known as Bayt Buqrat. He and other used to pick marjan, etc., there.
(Gloss).
105. That is, about 5,040 grains troy.
106. That is, Abu Hanifah al-DmwarT.
107. Jamast or Jamist is a coarse and blue stone.
108. A kind of jasper or agate; one particularly which, according to Castellus, comes
from China or India, and has the property of diverting lightening from any place
where it is laid, or from any person who wears it.
109. This is also jasper, especially of the whitish kind found on Mount Imaus,
110. Today Shalajit, however, is taken to be storex.
111. The mss. readings are not clear, but Nahrwalah can be referred particularly with
reference to its being situated to 'the south of Sind'.
112. Seems to be a mistake by the scribe. From what follows the correct figure should
be ' 180 dirhams'.
113. A kind of hard stone which when brayed and dissolved in water makes a reddle
for sealing. Some hold it to be the agate.
114. Situated in the Province of Ghazni (Afghanistan), Parwan being a town in the
vicinity of Ghazni.
115. Surah Al-Nur, XXIV: 35.
116. Surah Al-Naml, XXVII: 44.
117. Surah Al-Hijr, XV: 19-20.
118. Surah Al-R(ad, XIII: 17.
119. Surah Al-Baqarah, II: 26.
120. In one mss., someone has written the following gloss: "The meaning is that isrinj
(lead) is also called zanj far, just as the product of kibrit (sulphur) and zaybaq
(mercury) is called zanj far. There again the word, Rumi, is added as a prefix to
the product of sulphur and so as to emphasise its superiority over lead, and the
compound is spoken of as zanj-far-i-Rumi. What is not designated as Rumi is
made from sulphur and lead. It is called isrinj.
121. Majariti in the Rutbat al-Hakim (The Place of the Philosopher) writes that there is
only mine of quicksilver in the world in Spain. He saw this mine and the particles
of mercury in the sand of the mine. The quicksilver of the mine in Spain is not
good. Galen and Dioscorides believe it to be an artificially prepared object.
Rawsam, or Rosham, of ancient Egypt who wrote on Kimya in his Kitab alMasahif (The Book of the Books) has copied that it is adulterated, and is made
from lead and tin. There are three things which would establish its genuineness
(i) if mixed with a cotton cloth it should leave no trace (ii) If it changes when
vinegar is poured upon it or gets rusted, it is not genuine (iii) If the water is
poured upon it and if it alters or becomes turbid, it is non-genuine. (Different
glosses).
122. Surah Al-Isra', XVII: 93.
123. Surah Al-Tawba, IX: 34.
124. Surah Al-Insan, LXXVI: 16.
125. Surah Al-Insan, LXXVI: 21.
126. Greek Khalkos (copper).
127. Surah Al-Rahman, LV: 35.
128. Surah Al-Dukhan, XLIV: 10.
129. Suraft Al-Rahman, LV: 37.
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