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340 PRECIOUS STONES.
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around some small indigestible nucleus which happens to have been taken into the stomach.
"
The Occidental Bezar," as M. Pomet relates, " is brought from Peru,
where it is found in some goats, harts, or those animals that produce
the Bezar ; and, as they are but rarely met withal in the belly of
these animals, the consequence is that very few are brought into
France. It has furthermore a very sweet smell, and is much stronger
than the Oriental Bezar." " And because this Bezoar is very scarce, the
Dutch, and other nations, make it, with a grey paste which they form
into sound balls, of what size they please ; and I can assure you that
I have seen one of the bigness of a tenis ball, that was in the middle
of a silver cup, (so fixed that it could not be remov'd), to the end
that it might be infus'd in the liquor put into the cup, in order to
give a flavour to it before they drink it." " There are those who have
these stones hung in little gilt chains to put into any liquor, for the
infusion ; they keep 'em in little gold boxes."—as likewise set in
medicinal rings.
Many
such rings were collected by Cardinal Benedict Odescalchi, who became
Pope Innocent XL, and died in 1688. The value of these rings depends
rather on their rarity and on their historical associations than on the
splendour of diamonds, and other precious stones ; but the chief
treasure is a pontifical ring, with large sapphire and reliquary, with
coat-of-arms enamelled on the lid, formerly the property of Cardinal
Antonelli. An eighteenth century poison ring has the hollow
appropriately enclosed by a devil's head.
Concerning
poison rings, Dr. Wynter Blyth, in a lecture delivered at the
International Health Exhibition, July 15th, 1884, on " Old and Modern
Poison Lore,"
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