Chap. 29.] APPIANUM. 243 



AVIien powdered, it is black in appearance, but when diluted in 

 water it yields a marvellous combination of purple and cferu- 

 leum. There is another"^ kind, also, which floats upon the sur- 

 face of the pans in the purple dye-houses, being the scum 

 which rises upon the purple dye. Persons who adulterate it, 

 stain pigeons' dung with genuine indicum, or else colour Seli- 

 nusian^s earth, or anularian^^ chalk with woad. 



The proper way of testing indicum is by laying it on hot 

 coals, that which is genuine producing a fine purple flame, 

 and emitting a smell like that of sea- water while it smokes : 

 hence it is that some are of opinion that it is gathered from the 

 rocks on the sea-shore. The price of indicum is twenty denarii 

 per pound. Used medicinally, it alleviates cold shiverings 

 and defluxions, and acts as a desiccative upon sores. 



CHAP. 28. — armenium; one eemedt. 

 Armenia sends us the colouring substance which is known 

 to us by its name.^^ This also is a mineral, which admits of 

 being dyed, like chrysocolla,^^ and is best when it most closely 

 resembles that substance, the colour being pretty much that of 

 caeruleum. In former times it was sold at thirty sesterces per 

 pound ; but there has been found of late in the Spanish 

 provinces a sand which admits of a similar preparation, and 

 consequently armenium has come to be sold so low as at six 

 denarii per pound. It difl'ers from cseruleum in a certain 

 degree of whiteness, which causes the colour it yields to be 

 thinner in comparison. The only use made of it in medicine 

 is for the purpose of giving nourishment to the hair, that of 

 the eyelids in particular, 



CHAP. 29. — APPIANUM. 



There are also two colours of very inferior quality, which 

 have been recently discovered. One of these is the green 



mode in which the drug was produced, they agree in the conclusion that 

 his ''indicum" was real indigo, and not, as some have supposed, a pigment 

 prepared from isatis, or woad. 



6» This passage, similar in many respects to the account given hy Dios- 

 corides, is commented on at great length by Beckmaun, Hist. Inv. Vol. II. 

 p. 263. Bohn's Edition. 66 gj^e Chapter 56 of this Eook 



" See Chapter 30 of this Book. 



«s " Armenium." Armenian bole is still used for colouring tooth-pow- 

 der and essence of anchovies. cs g^e B. xxxiii. c. 26. 



E 2 



