of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. ! 57 
A mix it with fal-nitre, grind the fame togither with vinegre, it maketh a fingular good liniment 
for ro {coure the foule morphew: let the fame be tempered and prepared with vinegre of Sanda- 
racha, itkilleth the nites that breed in the eye lids. Moreover, brimftone is emploied ceremoni- 
oufly in hallowing of houfes ; for many are of opinion, thatthe perfume and burning thereof 
will keepe out all enchauntments, yea and drive away foule fiends andevill {prices thardo haunt 
_aplace. The ftrength of fulphur is evidently perceived and fele in the fprings of hot wagers, that 
boile froma veine of it:neither is there in all the world, a thing that fooner.catcheth fire; wher- 
by itis apparent, thatit doth participat much of thar element. Thunderbolts and lightnings 
in like manner doe fent {trongly of brimftone :the verie flafhes and leams thereof ttand much 
upon the natureof fulphur, and yeeld the like light. Thus much fhall {uffiee as touching the na- 
~ B etureof fulphur. ; ae 
> The nature of Birumen approcheth neare unto brimftone:whereit isto be noted in the firft 
place, that the bitumen whereof I {peake, is in fome places in manner of a muddie {lime ; in o- 
thers, a verie earth or minerall. The flinie bitumen arifeth (2s ] have {aid before) out of aJakein Z 
’ Torie:as forthe mineral] bitumen, it is found in Sytia,about a maritime town upon the feacoatt, | 
called Sidon: but both the oneand the other are of acompaé and maffie fubitance, growing 
together faftand unite. And yecthere is a kiad of Bitumen liquid; andnamely thatot Zacyn- 
thus, and the Bitumen which is brought from Babylon, where verely it is white naturally as ir 
groweth, [he Bitumen alfo which commeth frem Apollonia is liquid:and all diefe the Greeks 
. doe comprehend under one name Piffalphalton,a word derived of Pitch and Bitumen. There is 
C afattickind of Birumen likewife refembling an vacuous ot oleous liquor, within the terzitorie 
of Agragentum in Sicilie, arifing out of a fountaine,and it foteth alott: The Inhabicants of the 
countrey ufeto skum and fleete it off by the meanes of certaine chats or catkins which grow 
upon many reeds and canes, for quickly will ithang and cleave to the downe of fuch. Great ufe 
they have of this Bitumen, for itferveth theicturns tomaintaine lamp -lighr,infteed of oile: and 
therewith alfo they kili the farcins, fcabs,and mange in their jades and labouring gartons.Some 
writers there be who reckon Naphiha (whereof I haue written in my fecond booke) to be akind 
of Bitumen ; but fo ardentit is; and holdeth fo muchof the fire , that we know not which way 
tomake any ule thereof, Concerning the markes of good Bitumen , the beit is knowne by the 
gloffe that it carrieth, if it fhine exceeding. much; the fame alfo is ponderous and weightie: 
D whereasthe lighter fort is but indifferent heavie, and arguech fome fophiftication with pitch, 
In operation st hath the qualities of brimftone; altringent it is; and yet relolutive: icdrawech : 
together and foldereth withall. A perfume thereof while it burnech,chafeth away ferpents. The 
Babylonian Bitumen is thought to be verie effectual for the cataracts, pearles, and filmes that 
over{pred the eies: foveraine ltkewile forthe leprie, the filthie tetcars of theface called Liche- 
nes, andthe itchin any part of the bodie: it fervech in a liniment for the gout: and there isno 
kind thereof, but it cauferh the haires of the eye lids, which growuntowardly and failintothe 
eyes, for to turne up againe. If the teeth bee well rubbed with Bitumen and fal-nitre together, 
it doth eafe and afluage their paine: and beeing given in wine, it helpeth an oldcongh, and.the 
fhortneffe of wind. In cafe alfo of the diffenterie,icis taken in that manner for icftaieth a blou- 
E die flix: bur if itbee drunke with vinegre, it doth difcufle and diflolve * cluttered bloud which * Hetevsonte 
is within the bodie, and expellechthe fame downeward byfecge : it dooth likewife aflnage the isanordwarie 
paine of the loines or {mall of thebacke, and generally mittigateth any greefe of the joints, fe 
itbee laid too in manner of acataplafme with Barley meale. ‘here is atpeciall plaftre or cata- (which 1s Pi 
plafme made of Bitumen, which carrieth the name thereof ;it ftauncheth blond, it bindeth /Ph«#) ute 
and draweth together the edges of a wound, alfo it knittech and uniteth againe finewes which faine from on 
bee cut in twaine. There is an ordinarie medicine alfo for the quartane ague, made in this wife ; high snd be _ i 
Take of Bitumen one dram, of Mints the like weight, of Myithe the quantitie of one Obolus, aoe beh 
mix and incorporat all thefe together: A perfume or {moake thereof will bewray the falling 
ficknefle. The very {mell of Bitumen alfo difcuffeth the fitts of the mother when it rfeth and 
F ftoppeth the womans breath: A fuffumigation thereof, doth likewife reduce the matrice and 
timill into the right place, if they bee flipped and fallen downe too low, and teacie to hang 
foorth of the bodie: Being drunke with wine and Caftoreum, it bringeth the ordinariecourle 
| 
of the monethly tearmes in women, Itferveth alfo for diverle and fundrie other ufes than in 
Phyficke : for if any brafen pots, chaufers, pans or kettels, and {uch like veficls, bee enhuiled 
. Bb ij there- he 
t / 
