SHEEP AND GOAT KIND. 285 



marcasite. This stone is from the size of an 

 acorn to that of a pigeon's egg j the larger the 

 stone, the more valuable it is held, its price in- 

 creasing like that of a diamond. There was a 

 time when a stone of four ounces sold in Europe 

 for above two hundred pounds ; but at present 

 the price is greatly fallen, and they are in very 

 little esteem. The bezoar is of various colours ; 

 sometimes of a blood colour, sometimes of a pale 

 yellow, and of all the shades between these two. 

 It is generally glossy, smooth, and has a fragrant 

 smell, like that of ambergris, probably arising 

 from the aromatic vegetables upon which the 

 animal that produces it feeds. It has been given 

 in vertigoes, epilepsies, palpitations of the heart, 

 cholic, jaundice, and, in those places where the 

 dearness and not the value of medicines is con- 

 sulted, in almost every disorder incident to man. 

 In all, perhaps, it is equally efficacious, acting 

 only as an absorbent powder, and possessing vir- 

 tues equal to common chalk, or crab's claws. 

 Judicious physicians have therefore discarded it ; 

 and this celebrated medicine is now chiefly con- 

 sumed in countries where the knowledge of na- 

 ture has been but little advanced. When this 

 medicine was in its highest reputation, many 

 arts were used to adulterate it, and many coun- 

 tries endeavoured to find out a bezoar of their 

 own. Thus we had occidental bezoar, brought 

 from America ; German bezoar, which has been 

 mentioned before ; cow bezoar, and monkey be- 

 zoar. In fact, there is scarcely an animal, except 

 of the carnivorous kinds, that does not produce 



