Derwations of Mineral Names. 25 
hands of alchemists, apothecaries, and a few doctors of medicine. 
For the production and application of meaningless names, these 
gentlemen are to be commended. The principal metals were called 
by the names of the “ heavenly bodies,” as Chaucer has rhymed it: 
“ Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe ; 
Mars iren, Mercurie quicksilver we clepe.”’ 
Others were endowed with terms like lupus metallorum, wolf 
among metals, for antimony; diabolus metallorum, the devil 
among metals, for tin ; spuma lupi, wolf’s spittle, for wolfram, ete. 
On the other hand, we are indebted to the alchemists for many 
chemical terms which are now indispensible—e.g., alcohol, alkali, 
crucible, and many others. The influence of ancient Arabic magic 
and occult science is plainly discernible in the Oriential source 
whence the alchemists chose their names for various 'substances. 
By so doing they removed the comprehension of their terminology 
far beyond the reach of laymen, and even of many learned philolo- 
gists and ecclesiastics, and added to the attractive mystery which 
enveloped their labors. Linneus, about 1730 to 1740, attempted 
to introduce binomial nomenclature for minerals; but the science 
was not ripe for it in his day. His efforts were in the right direc- 
tion, tending, as they did, towards systematic classification ; but the 
means were not at his hand to use proper discrimination. The 
material was too crude; the analytical knowledge too insignificant. 
To-day some of his names cause a smile—e.g. (Edition Gmelin, 
1773), his genus Silex contains the species Silex achates, agate, and 
the subspecies Achates arenomorphos, “with drawings of constella- 
tions ;” A. zoomorphos, “with drawings of animals ;” A. techno- — 
morphos, “with drawings which the imagination transmutes into 
works of art,” ete. 
Few of the mineral names given by the alchemists have survived 
in their original application, but their researches have enriched our 
fund of available words. Quicksilver (mercurius vivus) has been 
handed down unchanged ; but Marcasite, for instance, now desig- 
nates a compound of sulphur and iron, while it was used for bis- 
muth (mareasita argentea) originally. Besides the planets, mytho- 
logical deities have been called upon to furnish names for the 
ever-growing list of mineral compounds. Thorite perpetuates the 
name of the mighty Scandinavian god, the son of all-powerful 
Odin and the Earth. 
