2^0 'The Jrt of Farriery 



Account of Antinio7jy is a heavy, folid, metallic, brittle Sub- 



A"p'^!^"'.' fta^'Ce, of a Lead Colour, with long fhining Streaks, 



^jQQg^^^'^'^'flirible or made fluid by Fire, but not duftile or 



malleable. It is found in ZWy, and feveral of the 



Provinces in France, as Au^ergne, Poiftouj Britany, 



and others. 



Among the Ancients, Antimony was ufed to dye 

 the Supercilia or Eye-Brows, is'c. black ; and ac- 

 cordingly v/e read in Scripture, that the wicked 

 Queen J e%ehel, in order to charm the King her 

 Husband, painted her Eyes ( by which I fuppofe 

 is only meant the Eye-Brows) with Avti?nony ; and 

 the Women who ufed that Praftice are alfo reproved 

 by the Prophets. And from thence it was that this 

 Mineral got the Name of yvucuKeioi'. But altho' 

 Quickfilver was by the Ancients rank'd among Pci- 

 fons, ( 1 mean by thofe who mention it, for the 

 Name of it is not found in the Writings of Hippo- 

 crates, whence it is probable that it was not in Ufe 

 in his Time ; ) yet Anti?nony, its Preparations and 

 Virtues are often fet forth by Galen, Hippocrates, 

 and Diofcorides, and others of more modern Date. 

 And about the twelfth Century, a German Bene- 

 diftine Monk, ^oiz. Bafilius V dent inns publilhed~a 

 Book under the Title of Cur r us Triumphalis Anti- 

 monii, wherein he extols the Vertues of that Mi- 

 neral, and its Preparations, in the Cure of an infi- 

 nite Number of Difeafes. And in the Century 

 following, Parr.celfus made the Fame of Antimony 

 become llili moreuniverfal. However. Phyfician«, 

 for fome Time aftcrward.% with great Warmth and 

 Virulence difpu*^ed concerning the beneficial and ds- 

 leterious or poifonous Quali:ies of this Mineral ; 

 but at prefent all agree, that tiiC Preparations from 

 it are very powerful and fife, (provided they are in 

 good Hands i } and acknowledge two Vertues in it 

 which depend upon its different Preparations, one 

 operating cither by Vomjr or Stool, the other by 

 Sweat j for^ in Faft, all Medicines prepared from 



Antirtmny, 



