Chap. 43.] CUALAZIAN STONE. 367 



that ?:i'apc-juicc^ will absolutely cease to boil if pumice is put 

 into it. 



CHAP. 43. (22.)— STONES for moutaks used roit meihcinal ais-d 



OTHKR rUliroSES. ETKSIAN STONE. THEBAIC STONE. CUALA- 

 ZIAN STONE. 



Authors, too, have paid sonic attention to the stones iu uso 

 for mortars, not only those employed for the trituration of 

 drugs and pigments, but for other purposes as well. In this 

 respect they have given the preference to Etesian^ stone before 

 ail others, and, next to that, to Thebaic stone, already men- 

 tioned^ as being called ** pyrrhopoecilon," and known as " psa- 

 ranus" by some. The third rank has been assigned to cliry- 

 8ites,'^a, stone nearly allied to Chalazian' stone, lor medicinal 

 purposes, however, basanites*^ has been preferred, this being a 

 stone that remits no particles from its surface.^ 



Those stones which yield a lic^uid, are generally looked upon 

 as good for the trituration of ophthalmic preparations ; and 

 hence it is, that the ^Ethiopian stone is so much iu requi-st for 

 tlie purpose. Ta^narian stone, they say, riiocnician stone, and 

 haematites, are good for the preparation of those medicinal 

 compositions in which saftron forms an ingredient; but they 

 also speak of another Taenarian stone, of a dark colour, which, 

 like rarian^*^ stone, is not so well adapted fur medicinal pur- 

 poses. We learn from them, too, that Egyptian alabastrites,'' 

 or white ophites,'- from the virtues inherent in them, are con- 

 sidered still better adapted for these purposes than the kinds 

 last mentioned. It is this kind of ophites, too, from which 

 vessels, and casks even, arc made. 



3 "Musta." Grape-juice in the process of being made into wine, 



^ Dolafosse suggests that this may have been grey-spotted granite. 

 The name is doubtful, as "Edisian" and Ephcsiau" are other readings'. 



^ In Chapter 13 of this Hook. 



•^ " (JoUh'u sloue." A'varicty, perhaps, of the Thebaic stone with gold 

 spots, mentioned in Cliapter 13 of this IJook. 



■^ Possibly so called from X<iXa^a, " liail," it being, perhaps, a granite 

 with spots like hailstones. « See Chapters 11 and 38 of this Eook. 



^ In consequence of its extreme hardness. 



10 riioiuieian stone and Ticnarian stone do not appear to have been 

 identified. Parian stone may probably have been white Parian marble. 



11 Sec Chapter 12 of this Book. 



12 Serpentine. See Chapters II and 30. 



