transparent.
Some stones are blue and white; these are called the males; the others
are the females. The colour is easily taken out by fire." " The vertues
of the Saphyre are—it is cold, dry, and astringent : it dryes up rheums
in the eyes, and takes awav their inflammation, being used in
collysiums, or to anoint the eyelids. It is good in all fluxes of the
belly, the dysentery, the hepatiek flux, the haemorrhoids, and other
bleedings ; it cures internal ulcers, and wounds, strengthens the
heart, and refreshes it; is an enemy to all poisons ; it likewise cures
melancholy."
"
A whole Stone laid to the forehead stops bleeding at the nose, and when
applied to inflammations abates them. Being brought into little balls,
as big as peas, and polished, and put in the eyes, it takes out
anything that is fallen-in, dust, or gnats ; and preserves the eyes
from the small pox, and other diseases." " A Saphyre is prepared the
common way, by levigation, with cordial water." " Others dissolve the
fine dust of a Saphyre in pure vinegar, and juyce of limons, and give
the solution, with some other cordial."
Furthermore,
Mr. Boyle in his treatise already named, goes on to say, '' I am not of
their minde that reject the internal use of leaf-gold, rubys, sapphyrs,
emeralds, and other gems, as things that are unconquerable by the heat
of the stomack. For, I think the stomack acts not upon medicines barely
by means of its heat, but is endow'd with a subtle dissolvent by which
it may perform divers things not to be done by so languid a heat alone.
And I have with liquors of differing sorts (easily drawn from vegetable
substances, and perhaps unrectified) sometimes dissolved, and
sometimes drawn, tinctures from gems, and that in the cold.
