1886.] XEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 267 



ON ROCK crystal; its cutting in japan, GERMANY, AND 

 THE UNITED STATES. 



(Illustrated with crystal spheres and other objects of trans- 

 parent quartz, including some of the largest pieces in the 

 country.) 



Pliny, Seneca, and many other ancient writers, as well as the 

 early fathers of the church — Austin, Gregory, Jerome, etc. — 

 firmly believed that rock-crystal was but water congealed by a 

 cold so intense that ordinary methods could not melt it. Pieces 

 of rock-crystal were undoubtedly used by the ancients for burn- 

 ing-glasses, and Pliny says: '' I find it asserted that, when any 

 part of the body requires to be cauterized, it cannot be better 

 done than by means of a crystal ball held up against the sun's 

 rays." 



Orpheus recommends the employment of the crystal ball to 

 kindle the sacrificial fires, adding that, thoughakindler of flame, 

 the ball, strange to say, is icy cold when snatched from the 

 midst of the fire. 



Pliny mentions a crystal trulla which was purchased by a lady 

 of his time for $1,500; and the story of Nero's breaking two 

 cups engraved with subjects taken from Homer, when he was 

 informed of his deposition by the Senate, is familiar to all. 



A mass of crystal weighing fifty pounds was dedicated in the 

 capitol by Livia, the empress. Mention is also made of a crystal 

 bowl with a capacity of four sextarii, or two quarts. 



Sir Thomas Brown, in his famous " Vulgar Errors," pub- 

 lished in 1646, says that crystal is nothing else but snow or ice 

 concreted, and by time congealed beyond liquation — the Greek 

 word krystallos meaning ice. 



Crystal balls are not of Japanese origin only, as is commonly 

 supposed, but have played an important part in the occult 

 sciences of various nations, and were extensively used by sooth- 

 sayers and other wonder-workers in their time. Matter relating 

 to this use of crystal may be found in "State Papers Dom. 

 Elizabeth," a.d. 1590, vol. 233, No. 72. 



Spherical objects of crystal and stone have been repeatedly 

 found with remains of the Saxon period, which may be regarded 

 as amulets or connected with divination. 



An interesting account of the finding of such relics of the con- 

 juror's art in the ancient graves of Warwickshire is given in the 

 ArchcBological Journal, vol. IX., p. 336-338. And further de- 

 sci'iption is contained in Arclimologia, vol. XXXIV., p. 46. 



In its smaller forms, pure quartz is held by the Japanese to be 

 the congealed breath of the White Dragon; and in its larger and 



