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STONES OF HEALING 123
In
the sixteenth century sapphires, emeralds, rubies, garnets, jacinths,
coral and sardonyxes were used in all tonics prescribed to protect the
heart against the effects of poison and of the plague. As it was noted
that these remedies were frequently ineffectual, an explanation was
sought in the fact that spurious stones were often used, the
apothecaries either not having the knowledge to recognize the genuine
stones, or being moved by a desire to profit by the substitution of
some inferior substance. Hence physicians were warned to be on their
guard against such deceptions, and only to employ thoroughly
trustworthy apothecaries for the compounding of their prescriptions. A
substitution frequently made was that of the so-called yellow
Chrysoprase (cerogate), a stained chalcedony, for the jacinth, although
the true jacinth of the ancients was of the color of the amethyst. The
grinding of coral in a brass mortar, instead of in one of marble, was
also regarded as a very dangerous proceeding, which would have the
worst possible results for the unlucky patient who took the powder, for
some particles of the brass might be rubbed away and mix with the
coral. This was said to have often produced very serious illness.9
In
a price-list of a firm of German druggists, printed in 1757, all the
precious stones still appear. Here the cost of a pound of rock-crystal
is six groschen ($.18) ; the same quantity of emerald was priced at
eight groschen ($.25), while the pound of sapphire was quoted at
sixteen groschen ($.50), of ruby at one thaler ($.75), and of
lapis-lazuli at five thalers ($3.75). This indicates quite clearly the
quality of the emerald, sapphire and ruby offered for sale. A pound of
Oriental bezoar commanded the highest price, sixteen thalers ($12).10
'Andrea Matthiolus, " Commentaries sur Discoride," Lyon, 1642 (written in 1565), p. 538.
»Fuhner, " Lithotherapie," Berlin, 1902, p. 44.
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