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138 PRECIOUS STONES.
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of
his wonderful strength, always wearing it when about to undertake one
of his feats. But he must have forgotten to employ this talisman when
he tried his last exploit.
The
Carnelian (Sardius), called of old " Odem," i.e., of red hue, is a pale
red variety of Chalcedony ; its colouring matter is a hydrated oxide of
iron. It was considered among the Hebrews, and Arabs, to be an
important preventive of illness; the former people ascribed to it the
virtue of preserving life from the dangers of the Plague ; the latter
people—even now— according to Niebuhr, continue to employ it as an
efficient agent for arresting a flux of blood. " It is a Gem," wrote
Schroder, 1669, " half transparent, like the water wherein flesh is
washed ; or like bloody flesh ; hence it is called Carneolus, or
Cornelian, from ' caro '—genitive 'carnis,'—flesh. They are not of one
colour; some are red : some only a little bloody ; others are yellowish
red." " The Babylonian Cornelians are best; the Indian, and Arabian are
not despicable; nor the European." As for their virtues—" the pouder of
them is good to drink against all fluxes ; carried about it makes
cheerful minds, expels fear, makes couiage, destroys, and prevents
fascinations, and defends the body against all poysons ; it stops blood
by a peculiar property ; and, bound to the Belly, keeps up the Birth."
THE RUBY.
The flaming
blood-red Buby, the '" Live-coal " of the Greeks, the Anthrax, which
(under its name of Carbuncle) was among the twelve gems making up the
sacred Ephod of the Hebrews, is one of the most magnificent of all
Gems. It is of a phosphoric nature, and
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