A lapidary, or, The history of pretious [sic] stones with cautions for the undeceiving of all those that deal with pretious [sic] stones / by Thomas Nicols ...

CHAP. LV. Of the Hematite or Bloud-stone.

[Description of the stone.] THe Hematite is a common stone of an obscure red colour; so called from the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth sanguis or bloud, and that not for its likenesse only, but also for its use; for as saith Dioscorides lib. 5. this stone hath a power of stop∣ping fluxes of bloud.

Its names.

In Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In Latine Haematites. In A∣rabick Sedeneg. In Germane Blutstein. In English the Bloud-stone.

Of the kinds of it.

The Hematite is of kin to the Load-stone; and so of kin, as that Pliny l. 36. c. 16. calleth Haematitem, Magnetem, that is, an Hematite a Load-stone.

Of the Hematites, Rulandus maketh six kinds.

1. Haematites fossilis, of a full red colour, which is very much commended of Dioscorides. l. 5. c. 90.

2. Haematites niger yielding a juice like saffron, this is much harder then the former, of this Rulan∣dus saith,* 1.1 that without doubt, it is the gemma or la∣pis Medus niger Alberti, which being broken yield∣eth a juice like in colour to saffron.

3. Haematites fossilis purpureus or the purple He∣matite, which is found in mines.

4. Haematites fossilis pulcherrimus or the fair He∣matite, this is used of Gold-smiths for the polishing of gemms: this likewise saith Rulandus is black, and as it were turbinated.

5. Fossilis niger trichurus, so called of Pliny l. 37. c. 10. because it being rubbed upon a whetstone doth yield three colours.

6. Haematites pulcherrimus or the fair Hematite, which resembleth in form a discovered brain, which form, saith Rulandus l. de Lap. I cannot sufficiently admire.

Pliny l. 36. c. 20. and c. 16. speaketh of these kinds of Haematites.

2. Aethiopicus Haematites which is profitable to the eyes; this is reckoned of the number of those that are called Pancrestoi, that is, of the number of those stones, or medicines which are said to be good a∣gainst all diseases.

2. Androdamanta, or Atrodamanta Haematites, which is of a notable hardnesse and weight, of a black colour drawing iron like a Load-stone, and be∣ing rubbed upon a whet-stone it doth yield a juice red like bloud; to this responds the Trichurus of Rulandus.

3. Arabicus, rendring very little moisture upon

the whet-stone, & that of a saffronish colour. To this respondeth Rulandus his second kind of Hematite.

4. Hematites Elatites, so called, whilst it doth re∣main* 1.2 crude; but coctus, dicitur alio nomine, viz. miles; this is said to be good against ambusta or burnings, and it is much more profitable then the rubrica or okre, for all those evils against which the okre is used.

5. Schistos which rendereth a black juice on the whet-stone.

Of the manner of calcining these stones, and of the adulterating of them, and of their use Pliny writeth, and so likewise Dioscorides. L.C.

Of the places.

The Hematites are found in Egypt, Gossaria, Me∣dia, Phasis, Hassia, Geurus, Anneberge, Salfeldia, A∣frica; in Cheruscis, Northusia, Hasgeroda, Aethiopia, Arabia; in Judetis montibus, in Salburgia, in Iena, Lybia, and Hispania.

Boetius saith of the Hematites that they are some∣times of the colour of Minium, sometimes black, sometimes yellow, sometimes of the colour of iron, and sometimes they are found to have many bright streaks like Antimonie. p. 191. It is, saith Boetius, usually found about the Okre or Iron-mines; and of some the Load-stone is taken for an Hematite.

Of its nature and properties.

It is supposed to be of a cold and dry quality.

Trallianus saith that the powder of the Hematite

given from a ℈. to iiij ℈. is of great power and force to cure a Phthisis or ulcer of the lungs, or the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a spitting of bloud.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gemma, seu lapis Medus.
• * 1.2

  Pliny l. 1. c. 16. Elatites cùm crudus est. Coctus autem dicitur Miles