The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. XVIII.

¶ The medicines that we haue from Lead, and the refuse and drosse of Lead: of the veine of Lead called Molybdaena or Galena: of Ceruse, white Lead, or Spanish White, called Psimmithyum: [unspec L] and of Sandaracha.

GReat vse there is in physicke of lead applied by it selfe alone, and namely to represse and keepe downe the skars and cicatrices that rise aboue the other skin: also by the refrigera∣tiue quality that it hath to coole the heat of fleshly lust, if there be bound vnto the loins and region of the reins a thin plate or leafe thereof. And verily Calvus the Orator, who by occa∣sion of much dreaming in his sleepe of venereous sports, fell into mighty pollutions, and so farther into the grieuous maladie of Gonorrhaea or running of the reines, with wearing ordina∣rily these leaden plates, stayed (by report) all such vaine and wanton fantasies and imaginati∣ons: by which means he preserued also his strength, and had a body able to endure the labor of [unspec M] much study and sitting at his booke. And Nero the Emperor (since the gods would haue it so) vsed ordinarily to weare a plate of Lead to his breast, vnder which he would chaunt out lusti∣ly with a wide throat and strong voice, his filthy Sonnets and beastly Ballads: but hee shewed thereby that Lead was a singular meanes to maintaine a good voice. But to serue otherwise in

Physick, lead ought to be prepared and baked after this manner: take an earthen pan of potters [unspec A] worke, and lay one bed therin of brimstone finely poudered; vpon which, bestow another couch of thin leaues or plates of lead, and a third course ouer them of brimstone and yron file dust to∣gether, for to couer all: this being done, set the vessel into a furnace; but while these things are calcining, meet it is and necessary that the vessell or pan aforesaid be well luted and stopped close, that there be no venting or breathing hole at all; for otherwise the lead within the said pan would send forth a noisome vapour and pestilent, most dangerous to all that be within the sent thereof, but to dogges especially, whom it killeth out of hand: and verily, as this exhalation of lead is deadly vnto them, so the aire of all mettals in generall, is aduerse and contrary vnto flies and gnats: which is the reason, that a man shall neuer see any of these insects in mines, forges, and bloome-smithies, where mettals be vsually tried. Now in the calcining of lead, some there [unspec B] be who chuse rather to take the dust of lead gotten off with a file, & to mix the same with brim∣stone: others think it better to vse cerusse rather than brimstone. Furthermore, lead doth yeeld from it selfe a certaine substance by way of loture, which is of right great and manifold vse in physicke: the making whereof is in this manner, They take a leaden mortar, they pun and stamp the same with a leaden pestill, casting in raine water eftsoones; and thus they labour at it con∣tinually vntill such time as the water grow to some consistence and be thicke againe; this they permit to rest and settle: the pure and cleare portion that is aloft, they suck and soke away with spunges: the grossest part that is setled in the bottome, after it is dried, they reduce into tro∣chisks. There be some who stamp in the same order, the file-dust which commeth of lead: o∣thers put thereto some lead ore among: and as there be many that vse vineger or wine in this operation, so there are some againe who take greace or roses in lieu thereof. You shal haue those [unspec C] that for this purpose make choice of a stone mortar, especially of Thebaicke marble, but they take a leaden pestill rather than any other, to bray and pun withall: and by this means the me∣dicinable lead will be the whiter.

Now as touching the lead calcined in manner aforesaid, it may be washed also after the or∣der of Antimonie and Cadmia: and in this manner prepared, it is of power astringent, good to stop any flux or rheume; proper also to skin and make a smal skar. Much vse there is of lead thus burnt and washed, in collyries or eie-salues, and principally if the eies either stand out too far, or be sunke in too deepe: also it is singular to represse the excrescence of flesh in vlcers, to heale the chaps in the seat or fundament, to cure the running haemorrhoids, and to discusse or keepe [unspec D] downe the blind and swolne piles: and for all these accidents in generall, the loture of lead a∣foresaid is most excellent. But the ashes of lead burnt and calcined, is more proper for the cure of corroding vlcers and filthy sores. And in one word, the same effects and operations it hath, that the ashes of paper. Also the manner of burning and calcining lead, is to put into a pan cer∣taine little plates thereof, together with brimstone, turning the same euer and anone either with some yron rod or stiffe stalke and stem of Ferula plants, vntil such time as both the one and the other being liquefied, be conuerted & turned into ashes: the same, after that they be once coo∣led, ought to be punned and beaten againe, and reduced into a most pure and exquisite fine pou∣der. Some there be who take file-dust of lead, put the same in an earthen pot or greene potters clay, set the same into an ouen, and so let it calcine therein vntill such time as the pot be well [unspec E] and throughly baked: others againe there are, who mix with lead the like quantity of cerusse, or els of barly, and pun the same like crude lead vncalcined in manner aforesaid, for a loture; and when it is reduced thus into pouder, they make more reckoning of it than of the Cyprian Spo∣dium.

Ouer and besides, the drosse or refuse of lead is medicinable: and the best is that accounted, which commeth nearest to a yellow colour, without any reliques at all of the lead among; or else inclining to the hew of brimstone, and cleansed from all earthly substance: this also beeing braied and broken into small parcels, may be washed in manner aforesaid, and stamped with wa∣ter in a mortar, vntill such time as the water looke yellow; then must it bee powred forth into a pure cleane vessell; and this tranvasation ought so long to be continued out of one vessell in∣to [unspec F] another, vntill such time as it haue done casting any residence downeward; for the sediment that resteth in the bottome is the best, working the self-same effect as lead doth, but with more acrimony. When I consider all this, mee thinkes I cannot sufficiently admire the diligence of men, who haue made such experiments of al things in the world, sparing not so much as the very

ordure, offall, and filthy excrements, but haue tried conclusions therein so many waies, and left [unspec G] nothing vnattempted.

There is a kind of Spodium also made of lead in the furnace, after the same manner as I shew∣ed before, of copper or Cyprian brasse: the order of washing whereof, is this; to put it in a course linnen cloth, and to lay the same in rain water, that the terrene substance may be separated from the rest that is transfused or passeth through the cloth with the water: and yet the same must bee cribled or serced afterwards, and beaten to pouder. Some thinke it better to wipe and scoure off the dust from the Calamine with wings, and then to beat it in a mortar with the most odorife∣rous wine they can get.

There is besides, a minerall named Molybdena, which elsewhere I haue called Galaena; by which I meane in this place, the ore or veine that containeth within it, both siluer and lead: the [unspec H] better this is thought to be, the more that it inclineth to the colour of gold, and the lesse that it standeth vpon lead: the same also is brittle, apt to crumble, and in proportion of the quantity not very weighty in hand: the same, if it be boiled with oile, will in colour resemble liuer. There is a kind of Galaena likewise that sticketh to the furnaces of gold and siluer: but this (whereof I now speake) they call Metallica, that is to say, the Minerall: and verily the best of this kinde, is that which is found in Zephyrium: the marks whereof are these; if it haue little or no earth in it, nor be any waies stony: the same is burnt, calcined, and washed, neither more nor lesse than the drosse Scoria. Much vsed this minerall is in those vncteous liniments or salues called Liparae, deuised as lenitiue & refrigerant, for vlcers: also it entreth into plasters which are * 1.1 not mordi∣cant: but being applied to any sore in tender and delicat bodies, and in the softest parts, it doth [unspec I] heale faire, and skin throughly. The composition of which plasters, is after this manner; Take three pound weight of this minerall lead Molybdaena, put thereto of wax one pound, and of oile three hemines; which done, incorporat all together (according to art) into the forme of an em∣plastre. Now if it so fal out that the patient be an elderly body, there would be an addition put thereto of the lees or mother of oile oliue. This minerall may be tempered also to right good purpose, with litharge of siluer, and the drosse of lead, and then it is a most excellent medicine (to be injected by a clystre) for the dysenterie or bloudy flix; for the tinesm also, which is an in∣ordinat desire to the stoole without doing any thing; prouided alwaies, that the belly be fomen∣ted besides with hot water.

There is another mineral besides, called Psimmithyum, which is al one with Ceruse: and this [unspec K] the furnace and mine of lead ore doth yeeld: but the best of this kind is brought from the Island Rhodes. The manner of making it is this: Take the finest pieces that are scraped from lead, let the same be hung ouer a vessell of the strongest and sharpest vineger that possibly can be had, that they may distill thereinto: and looke what of it is fallen into the said vineger, must be dried afterwards, ground into pouder, and searced; & then a second time it ought to be tempered with vineger, and so reduced into seuerall trochiske, to be dried in the Sun during Summer. There is another way of making Ceruse besides this; namely, to put lead into certaine pots or pitchers of vineger well and throughy stopped, that no aire go out, and therein to let it rest for ten daies space together: after which time, to take it forth, and scrape from it the mouldinesse or vinew∣ing that doth furre or gather about it: which done, to cast it in againe into the said vessels, con∣tinuing [unspec L] so, vntill such time as the lead be consumed to nothing. Now that which hath been thus scraped from it, they take and beat into pouder, they serce it also very fine, calcin it ouer the fire in a pan, stirring and mixing it together with little slices or pot-stickes, vntill such time as it wax red, and be like vnto Sandaracha. After all this, they wash it in fresh water so long vntil that all the grossenesse be scoured off: which when it is dry, in like manner as before, they digest into trochiskes. This Ceruse serueth to the same purposes that the rest abouenamed (onely of al the other it is lightest in operation) and besides serueth to make an excellent blanch for women, that desire a white complexion: but deadly it is, being taken inwardly in drink; like as letharge also. This ceruse thus made, as white as it is, in case it be afterwards burnt againe, turneth to be reddish. [unspec M]

As touching Sandarache, I haue already shewed in manner all that concerneth the nature of it; howbeit, this would be noted ouer and aboue, that it is found in the mines as well of siluer as of gold; the redder it is, and of a more strong and violent smell, the better men take it to be; such also is pure, clear, and brittle withal, or easie to crumble: mundificatiue it is and astrir gent,

heating also and exceeding corrosiue: and the principal vertue that it hath, is to fret and putrifie whatsoeuer it worketh vpon: in a liniment with vineger, it causeth the haire to come vp thicke againe in places despoiled thereof by any disease. It entreth iuto collyries or eie-salues: reduced into a lohoch with hony, it clenseth the throat, and maketh a cleare shrill, and loud voice: eaten by way of a bole with turpentine, it is a gentle and pleasant medicine for those that be short∣winded and troubled with the cough: a perfume also made with it and Cedar together, is good in the same cases, so that the smoke be receiued vp at the mouth. As for * 1.2 Arsenicke, it is of the same stuffe: that which is best of this kind, resembleth burnished gold in colour: the paler kind inclining to the colour of Sandaracha, is thought to be the worse. A third sort there is, of a mid∣dle and medled color, compounded as it were of gold and Sandaracha. These two later kinds be skaly aloft: as for the first, which is dry and pure, it is ful of small veins running here and there, whereby it is apt to cleaue as the veine goeth. Of the same operation is Arsenicke as the rest, [unspec B] but that it is more hot and biting; in which regard, it is vsed in potentiall cauteries, and depila∣tories: it taketh away the carnosities and apostemations about the nailes of the fingers: the su∣perfluous flesh also within the nosthrils: the bigs that hang forth of the fundament: and in one word, it eateth away any excrescence whatsoeuer. To conclude, much better it is and more pow∣erfull in operation, in case it be calcined in a new earthen pan, where it must torrifie so long vn∣till it change the colour. [unspec C]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Quae non alli∣gantur: it is thought that Plinie mistook in Dioscor and for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which he hath translated without any sence at all or congruity to the place.
• * 1.2

  Yellow orpi∣ment.