194 plint's katueal histoet. [Book XXXIV. 



pounded with a large quantity of water, and left to settle. 

 This process is repeated until the deposit has gained the 

 appearance of minium f^ after which it is dried in the sun, and 

 put by for keeping in a box made of copper. 



CHAP 24. (11.) — THE SCOEIA OF COPPEE. 



The scoria, too, of copper is washed in the same manner ; but 

 the action of it is less efficacious than that of copper itself. 

 The flower, too, of copper®'' is also used in medicine ; a substance 

 which is procured by fusing copper, and then removing it into 

 another furnace, where the repeated action of the bellows 

 makes the metal separate into small scales, like the husks of 

 millet, and known as ''flower of copper." These scales are 

 also separated, when the cakes of metal are plunged into 

 water : they become red, too, like the scales of copper known 

 as "lepis,"^^ by means of which the genuine flower of copper 

 is adulterated, it being also sold under that name. This last is 

 made by hammering nails that are forged from the cakes of 

 metal. All these processes are principally carried on in the 

 furnaces of Cyprus ; the great difference between these sub- 

 stances being, that this lepis is detached from the cakes by 

 hammering, whereas the flower falls off spontaneousl3\ 



CHAP. 25. STOMOITA OF COPPER; FOETY-SEVEZST EEMEDIE8. 



There is another finer kind of scale which is detaclied from 

 the surface of the metal, like a very fine down, and known 

 as *' stomoma."^^ But of all these substances, and even of 

 their names, the physicians, if I may venture so to say, are 

 quite ignorant, as appears by the names they give them ; so 



^5 See B. xxxiii. c. 37. 



^ " Jilris llos." Ajasson makes some correct remarks npon the differ- 

 ence between tlie " scoria" and the " flower" of the metal. The former 

 may be considered as consisting of the metal, mixed with a certain pro- 

 portion of heterogeneous matter, whicli has been separated during the 

 fusion of the ore, while the latter consists of the pure metal in a state of 

 mechanical division. — B. ^' From the Greek XtTcig, " husk," or " scde.'-' 



^3 Ajasson describes this substance as consistinjj merely of the pure metal 

 in a state of minute mechanical division ; it would appear, therefore, to bo 

 scarcely, if at all, different from the articles described in the last Chapter. 

 The word 2-dyuw/^a means a '; hard substance," or " hard scales," there- 

 fore the application of this term to a substance like down, "lanugo," is 

 perhaps not very appropriate. — B. 



