in
water and then infusing the solution into ground chalk. Pliny writes
that a pale violet variety is made by dissolving the true mineral and
then filtering it through lime on to Eretrian chalk.
The color of caeruleum varies
from black to white. It has a complex taste, bitter and astringent.
Painters use both the native and artificial minerals while physicians
use only the former and prefer that with a uniform color. This will
reduce and destroy growths on the skin.27
Armenium, which Galen and other physicians who follow him call ameniacum, some call armenium color, others opandica. If it is of the very best quality it is caeruleum according to Dioscorides. This mineral does not differ from caeruleum except in having a lighter color which Pliny describes as more delicate. However, since some caeruleum is white it can be substituted fraudulently for armenium. Actually if, as Pliny writes, differing from Dioscorides, the best armenium is a deep green, by combining this color with caeruleum, again
for purposes of fraud, that which is found in our mines can be
substituted in the place of that of a similar color which is used by
painters. Thus it is not to be wondered at that a mineral has been
found in the sands of Spain from which a color similar to armenium could be made.
Armenium occurs in different localities than caeruleum and differs from it in taste and strength. The former comes from Armenia as the name indicates while caeruleum is
found in many places. The taste is less acrid and astringent. As a
remedy it cleanses and for that reason it is used in eye remedies and,
having been ground to a very fine powder, is sprinkled on the eyelids
where it causes the lashes to grow. Having been drunk it purges the
black bile according to the younger Greek writers and the Moors.
17 Caeruleum is,
properly, the blue basic copper carbonate azurite. However it was
apparently confused with chrysocolla and other cupriferous minerals.
The following notes are from Bermannus. P. 453,
Bermannus. "This is caeruleum which together with chrysocolla adheres to the cracks in stones.
Naevius.
"It has the appearance of fine sand. Theophrastus, who invents the name
from a certain divine force of eloquence, evidently knew the mineral
since he writes, 'caeruleum is a natural substance since it contains chrysocolla' as is evident here.
Bermannus.
"Quite beautiful material is obtained from Goldberg, a town of Silesia
named for a mountain yeilding gold. Gold is also obtained from this
mineral. There are many genera of the artificial mineral, some of which
are very valuable. The methods of making caeruleum were in part
known to the ancients and in part have been discovered by chemists and
their assistants. To mention all of them would take too long now. I
have often thought about this because they make your catapotium or pilula, as you are wont to call them because of their form, from an artificial genus which is made by chemists." P. 454.
Bermannus. "Tell us of the properties of caeruleum.
Naevius. "It has an extraordinary power of dispersing although it is somewhat astringent."
