FULLER'S EARTH. 87 
from Armenia, and the island of Lemnos, in the Grecian 
Archipelago. The Lemnian bole was held so sacred 
that it was dug in the presence of the priests of Venus, 
and, after having been mixed by them with goat's blood, 
was moulded into cakes, which were impressed with 
the figure of a goat, to authenticate them. This done, 
it was administered as a consecrated remedy ; and, even 
so lately as the sixteenth century, the vein of bole in 
Lemnos was annually opened on the sixth of August, 
and, after certain prayers by the priests, so much of 
the earth was taken out as was thought sufficient for 
the consumption of the ensuing year. The entrance 
was then closed, and the severest punishments were 
denounced against any one who should open it without 
permission. A portion of the earth was sent to Con- 
stantinople, where it was made into small cakes, and 
sealed by the ministers of the Emperor ; the remainder 
was prepared in the island, and was impressed with the 
seal of the Governor. Not many years ago, it was cus- 
tomary with certain empirics on the Continent, to sell 
this substance in sealed packets, as a nostrum of great 
value, and particularly as possessing astringent proper- 
ties of very extraordinary nature. 
129. FULLER'S EARTH is a well-known mineral, ge- 
nerally of greenish colour, more or less mired with brown, 
grey, or yellow : of soft and almost friable texture, and 
somewhat unctuous to the touch 
When put into water it immediately absorbs it, and breaks 
down into a fine pulp. 
This earth is valuable for its property of taking grease 
out of woollen and other cloths, which, on a large scale, 
is effected by the operation called Jutting, whence its 
name has been derived. This operation, which is per- 
formed by a kind of water mill, called a. fulling mill, is 
particularly necessary with respect to new cloths, to 
extract from them the grease and oil that have been 
used in their preparation. 
Fuller's earth was formerly considered an article of 
