*3 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



Nor irfthe mod remote times were the che-, 

 jnical arts wholly unknown to the northern re- 

 gions. Pythcas of Marieillcs relates, that the in. 

 habitants of Thule even made a beverage of 



grain 



Teas collected in clean fleeces fpread over the vapour of boiling 

 pitch. He alfo fpcaks of th<- dilUIlation of quick-filver from 

 /'.* (native cinnabar) and the burnt drofs of wine (fait of tar- 

 tar) which xvcre judged to be well prepared, if they were 

 while, and acrid to the tafte. Galen, Oribafti.s, Paulus ALgin- 

 rta, and JEttm txtol much a Gallic fo.ip : ./Etiiu menlions a 

 bl.ick foap alfo. yEgincta prepared an extemporaneous foap 

 from oil, the burned dregc of wine and nitre. The oil of 

 fulphur alfo i* mentioned by him, which was probably a fpecies 

 of balfam cf fulphur. The lixivium frot oft aflum of wfcgincta is 

 nothing clfc tl.an the cauftic alkali, yttiu-. di fcribes the diilil- 

 Jation j>cr dtfi<*f#* of flunking oil, and relates the preparation 

 ofbrafsand pttrilicctwin cf antimony. Various phtillen alfo 

 of which mention \ made fic<juently by ancunt author i, may 

 be reckoned among the prej)arations of cltcmiiiry. Oribafi'.is 

 and TEtiiiH added the drofs of filver (lithargyrium) to fc\cr:il 

 pluiilers, and thecompofjtionof thefnowy-likeplailttr from mi- 

 iiium was long prcfcrvul among their valuable fccrets. Syrups, 

 drofata, jisleps and /uleps are not well dillingui/hcd among 

 them. Myrepfi:s reckons 129 formulx of f)Tupa and 137 of 

 pills. Elcduniies, confections, pills and bolufcs ina'.'e two 

 tiiirds of their internal medicines The drar.gca: of the Greek 

 phyficiant f-cm to be fame with our t raj; tar. Smeguia is 

 uudtrflood by them in fcveial frnfes: Sometimes it ffgnifie 1 * 

 a dry powder, at other times a foft maf-, chu-fly mixed ulh 

 ioaj> ; and again, a trrtrtin kind of paib'K. Undtr th. ;,..: r 

 of troc^iiSi paflils were formed of varioui figures. Oi I rt< r- 

 they hail fcvcral kinds, as powdm, pilii and tlet r tiur:c:,. 'J'l,.ii 

 acidulated medicine?, infufions ct Imbs, and mixtures of vin. 

 rgar and watrr were prrpnred by cxpodire to the f'm, \\'h:i 

 li called nt'igmaly thr Greek'., the Arabian* rail Av:A and 

 .v't!j Li ;s lin.iu:. 



