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Book V about lodestone, hematite, geodes, hematite, selenite, lapis secularum, asbestos, mica

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96
DE NATURA FOSSILIUM
A certain black stone is found with a uniform color similar to the stone from which tin is smelted but so light that one readily perceives that it is barren and contains no metal. We call this spuma lupi.17
When lodestone is mixed with copper it is changed so that it resembles silver and if cadmia (calamine) is mixed with it, it will resemble gold and is called orichalcwn (brass).18 There are three varieties of cadmia two of which are obtained from mines. One of these contains no metal and we will speak of it now. The second one contains an abundance of metal. The for­mer we refer to by the common name fossilis (native), the latter we call metallica (metallic). The third variety which forms in furnaces we call cadmia fornacum. Since the cadmia that forms on the iron rods in a fur­nace is in hollow masses it first took its name from the hollow reed calamus. Today it is only given to the natural mineral.19 This stone is of a light yel­low color, sometimes not very hard. Festus Pompeius writes that this is an earth. It gives off yellow fumes when burnt.20 It is found in Lower Ger­many at a locality between Cologne and that important town which takes its name from waters; in Greater Germany in Westphalia near the town of Lemming and in the iron mines of Sauerland; in Raetia where it was first mined; and in Altenberg where it is mined. In our tongue the latter locality signifies an old mountain. But this is enough concerning those substances that are seen to have natural qualities which lie be­tween those of an earth, a stone and a metal.
I shall take up now the remaining stones that form from marbles or rocks. Lapis judaicus, trochites, dactylus idaeus and related stones belong to this genus. Lapis judaicus is known by a number of names, this being due principally to the number of places where it occurs. Since it occurs in Judea from whence it is brought, even today, Dioscorides named it judaicus. Aetius Amidenus called it syriacus because Judea itself is in Palestine Syria.21 Concerning its form some say it is similar to an acorn or palm nut while others say it resembles an olive pit. For that reason the former is called phoenicites and the latter pyren.22 Having been heated it has the power to liquify stones and because of this it has been called tecolithos by some. It is also called eurrhoeus because it removes gall-stones and permits easy urination. It usually occurs in the form of symmetrical acorns. Prominent lines run from the blunt to the pointed end and these are so regular they appear to have been made in a lathe and resemble the striae on a shell. The people \vho call this mineral pyren liken these lines to the bones of a fish that extend from the back down to the belly. If it
17 Froth of the wolf.
18 This term includes both brass and several alloys of similar composition.
19  Calamine was used for both zinc silicate (U.S.) and carbonate (England) until recently, and is still widely used for oxide zinc ores.
20 This is typical of hemimorphite which may occur in light yellow earthy masses and gives off yellow fumes when heated.
21  Lapis judaicus is a fossil, probably a pentremites.
22  Probably from φοινι,ζ, an emblem of immortality and τυρήν, stone of a fruit.
Book V about lodestone, hematite, geodes, hematite, selenite, lapis secularum, asbestos, mica Page of 251 Book V about lodestone, hematite, geodes, hematite, selenite, lapis secularum, asbestos, mica
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