NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 227 



When vegetable matter is burnt, it is destroyed, but when 1 860-62. 

 the Tan-ska (cinnabar) is subjected to heat, it produces, cinnabar 

 mercury. After passing through other changes, it returns 

 to its original form. It differs widely, therefore, from 

 vegetable substances, and hence it has the power of making men 

 live for ever, and raising them to the rank of the genii. He who 

 knows this doctrine, is he not far above common men ? In the 

 world there are few that know it, and many that cavil at it. 

 Many do not even know that mercury conies out of cinnabar. 

 When told, they still refuse to believe it, saying that cinnabar is 

 red, and how can it produce a white substance ? They say also 

 that cinnabar is a stone, that stones when heated turn to ashes, 

 and how then can anything else be expected of cinnabar? 

 They cannot even reach this simple truth, much less can it 

 be said of them, that they have been instructed in the doctrine 

 of the genii. ...... 



The specimens of cinnabar which I have received are in small Monopoly in 

 crystalline fragments and very pure. According to Ksempfer, 1 the t ^e abar 

 both native and artificial cinnabar are exported from China to 

 Japan, the artificial being used by the Japanese as a colour 

 and the native being employed in medicine. The same author 

 tells us that in his time the buying and selling of cinnabar was 

 a monopoly of certain merchants, in virtue of letters patent 

 granted by the emperor. 



^U $& Yin-choo; Vermilion ; Levigated Eed Sulphuret of Vermilion. 



Mercury. The process for preparing vermilion is described by 

 an old Chinese author to be as follows : 1 Ib. of mercury and 

 2 Ibs. of sulphur are triturated together until they form a 

 blackish powder, which is put into a crucible, closely covered 

 with an iron lid and luted down. The heat of a wood fire is 

 then applied, the lid being kept cool by something wet. The 

 sublimation is thus effected, 1 Ib. of mercury usually producing 

 14 ozs. of cinnabar of the first quality, and 3J ozs. of the 

 second. In the Library of the India House (London) is a series 

 of beautiful native drawings representing the preparation of 

 vermilion by the Chinese. 



1 Hist, of Japan, Lond., 1727, Vol. i., p. 113. 



Q 2 



