A medicinal dispensatory, containing the vvhole body of physick discovering the natures, properties, and vertues of vegetables, minerals, & animals: the manner of compounding medicaments, and the way to administer them. Methodically digested in five books of philosophical and pharmaceutical institutions; three books of physical materials galenical and chymical. Together with a most perfect and absolute pharmacopoea or apothecaries shop. Accommodated with three useful tables. Composed by the illustrious Renodæus, chief physician to the monarch of France; and now Englished and revised, by Richard Tomlinson of London, apothecary.

CHAP. 3. Of some other Earths less usual.

THere are many other Earths commended by the Ancients, for refrigerating and occluding passages, and much used by them in Medicine, which the later Age doth so despise, that they are to∣tally excluded from Pharmacopolies, except some few, which for their candour, rubour, or other eximious colour, as flave, or the like, which are commended and bought by infectors, as Ocre, Ru∣brick, Synope, Ceruss, and such like.

Yet some of them are indued with eximious medicinal faculties, as the Melitean Earth; so called from the Isle Melita, * 1.1 whence it comes; which is prevalent against the Pestilence and Poysons: Whence many usurp it for Lemnian Earth.

The Samian Earth is a kinde of fossile coming from Samos, * 1.2 which Dioscorides saith, is of two sorts; the one he calls Collyrium, which, I think, may be mixed in Collyries for eyes; the other Samius aster, because there are certain spots in it, which shine like stars; it is crustaceous and dense like a Wherstone, being withall somewhat viscous: This is burned and washed like white Earth, of whose faculties it participates, and thence cohibits the rejection of blood: the other, which he calls Collyrium, is soft, white, fryable, and adheres to the tongue: both of them refrigerate, and arceate fluxes.

The Chian Earth, so called from the Isle Chios, * 1.3 hath affinity with the Samian in face and faculties; for it is white, soft, refrige∣rative, and astrictive: it cures burnings, crugates the face, makes it splendid, and deleates scars.

There is another kinde of Earth called Selinusia, * 1.4 which Galen commends against swellings beginning in the Paps, Testicles, and small Guts; which in colour, faculties, and consistency, is finiti∣mous

to the Chian: both are special Remedies against burn∣ings.

Dioscorides makes mention of Fullers-earth, * 1.5 whereof he consti∣tutes two sorts; the one white, the other purpureous: that is best, which seems fat and cold to the tact; both of them dissolved invi∣negar, discusse-pimples and tubercles, represse inflammations, and cure burnings.

The Eretrian Earth is, * 1.6 according to Galen, a red Glebe; the best whereof, is without sand and stones. Dioscorides makes two sorts thereof; one white, and another cineritious; none red: that which is cineritious, is soft, and is the best. Eretria is a City in Euboia, near Calcis, in whose Territories this Earth is effoded, and thence nominated: it is astrictive, refrigerative, mollitive; it expletes ca∣vities, and conglutinates wounds.

Rubrick, * 1.7 or Vermillion, so called, because it is red, is called Sy∣nopica, from Synops a City of Cappadocia, whence it comes; and Fabrilis, because workmen often use it in drawing Lines, their cords being died therewith. Some Rubrick is maculated, other unico∣lorate; some soft, other hard and spisse; some fat, other mode∣rate. All of them are adapted to pictures; which, because they siccate and astringe, serve sometimes to medicinal uses, and may be mixed in vulnerary and siccative Emplasters.

Ocre is a kinde of flave Earth, * 1.8 much commended in Attica, not lapideous, but fryable, luteous, and smooth: it astringes, erodes, discusses collections, and represses excrescencies. Aetius saith, That bruises, and blue places, may be cured by a Medicament made thereof.

The Cretian Earth, or Chalk, is so called, from the Isle Crete, whence it comes, though it is copiously found in other Regions; whereof there are many varieties; one sort whereof is white, which exceeds all other Earths therein, which Artificers use in protract∣ing Lines; another green, celebrated for the same use, which we ordinarily call Theodosia; another is black, which workmen-Pain∣ters and Taylors use: All of them are abstersive; whence they are much used in cleansing Tin and Silver vessels. The green is more acrimonious then the white and black, and more abstersive then both.

Other Earths, as Pnigitis, Melia, and Ampelitis, are recorded in Dioscorides, and mentioned by Galen: But their vertue is so ignave, and effects so small, that the later Physicians do not celebrate them; who leaving Acorns, chuse rather to eat Whear. These therefore being useless, I will not describe.

There is a certain subrulous Earth carried about Lutetia, which they call Alana and Tripolis, serving onely to deterge brazen vessels: which here we will omit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Melitea.
• * 1.2

  Samia.
• * 1.3

  Chia.
• * 1.4

  Selinusia.
• * 1.5

  Cimolia.
• * 1.6

  Eretria.
• * 1.7

  Rubrica.
• * 1.8

  Ochra.