1892.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 121 



alleviate disease, stimulated the application of chemistry to metal- 

 lurgy and medicine. Among the sources of information concerning 

 the very earliest period is the Holy Bible, which contains a sur- 

 prising number of facts and allusions to chemical arts. 



The ancients were acquainted with seven metals, of which six are 

 mentioned by Moses in a single verse (Xumbers xxxi, 22): "Only 

 the gold and the silver, the brass [^■. e., copper], the iron, the tin, 

 and the lead," are to be purified by fire when captured as spoil 

 from heathen nations. 



Tubalcain, the seventh from Adam, seems to have excelled in 

 metallurgy, and apparently aided his brother's nfusical taste by his 

 skill. The remarkable passage in Job xxviii, 1, describing the 

 occurrences of ores and their metallurgic treatment, is well known. 

 With this can be compared Ezekiel xxii, 18. Jeremiah, in chap, vi, 

 28, seems to describe the process of cupellation of gold and silver. 



Of the seven metals, gold is the most attractive, and, occurring 

 native, was early known to men. It is named among the attractions 

 of the Garden of Eden (Gen. ii, 12), and Avas manufactured into 

 ornaments for personal decoration at a ver}^ early period. Of its 

 abundance in King Solomon's reign, testimony is striking. (I 

 Kings X, 21, and II Chron. i, 15.) 



Silver was early used in currency (Isaiah xlvi, 6), and, as the 

 pieces were not stamped, " wicked balances" and "deceitful weights" 

 were unhappily too common. (Micah vi, 11.) 



Copper, commonly called brass, is named by Moses as occurring 

 in the Promised Land (Deut. viii. 9), and is compared in value to 

 gold by Ezra (Ezra viii, 27). Its alloys were in common use. 



Tin and lead were frequently confounded in early times, the 

 latter being called "soft tin." The use of leaden tablets for in- 

 scriptions is graphically described by Job. (Job xix, 23.) Solder 

 was known to the Israelites (Isaiah xli, 7) for repairing metallic 

 trinkets. 



Iron was much used in Bible times. Among the many articles 

 manufactured of iron are "chariots" (Judges iv, 8), "spear-heads" 

 (I Sam. xvii, 7), "axes" (II Sam. xii, 31), "yokes" (Jer. xxviii, 

 14), " idols" (Dan. v, 4), "thrashing instruments" (Amos i, 3), 

 and "nails" (I Chron. xxii, 3). The " bedstead of iron" belonging 

 to Og, King of Bashan, was probably a sarcophagus of stone. 

 (Deut. iii, 10.) The liquid metal mercury is not mentioned in the 

 Bible nor by Herodotus, though known to Dioscorides and to Pliny. 



Besides their metallurgical knowledge, the ancients possessed 

 much skill in general chemical technology ; they knew well how" to 

 prepare fermented drinks, wine (Gen. ix, 20), and vinegar (Ruth ii, 

 14). 



Beer was known to the Egyptians, and is mentioned by Xenophon 

 as a drink of the Germans about 100 A.D. 



The apothecaries' art reached a high stage of culture in Egypt, 

 of which the famous Papyrus Ebers gives ample testimony. 



Cosmetics were used by Hebrew women for frescoing their faces 

 Vol. XL— 9 



