A compleat history of druggs / written in French by Monsieur Pomet ... to which is added what is further observable on the same subject, from Messrs. Lemery, and Tournefort, divided into three classes, vegetable, animal and mineral; with their use in physick, chymistry, pharmacy, and several other arts. Illustrated with above four hundred copper cutts, curiously done from the life; and an explanation of their different names, places of growth and countries from whence they are brought; the way to know the true from the false; their virtues &c. A work of very great use and curiosity. Done into English from the originals.

  • Pomet, Pierre, 1658-1699.
Date:
1725
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A compleat history of druggs / written in French by Monsieur Pomet ... to which is added what is further observable on the same subject, from Messrs. Lemery, and Tournefort, divided into three classes, vegetable, animal and mineral; with their use in physick, chymistry, pharmacy, and several other arts. Illustrated with above four hundred copper cutts, curiously done from the life; and an explanation of their different names, places of growth and countries from whence they are brought; the way to know the true from the false; their virtues &c. A work of very great use and curiosity. Done into English from the originals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    40 z General History Size of a Pin’s Head, extremely hard, and therefore difficult to bruife or pound. The rHdilh, which are ufually of the Colour of Wine, ought to be employ’d forphyficalUfes ; for as to the blackifh Saphirs they are rather like Rud of Iron than a precious Stone, and turn the Confection of Hyacinth black when added thereto. Some fubditute in the room of the red oriental Saphirs, thofe little Stones, Very common in Holland, that we call Ver¬ meil, or fmalî Granats, which beware of, tho’ it is nor difficult to didinguilh them, be¬ en ufe the une Saphirs are of a very fine, clear franfparent red ; which are contrary to the Granats, that are of a very deep red, and ve¬ ry folid. Saphirus vel Sapphirus, or the.&z- Lemery. phir, is a fine, precious, brilliant, diaphanous, refplendent Stone, of which there are two forts, one call’d the Male, the other the Female. The Males are of a pale blue, or a Water of the Diamond Ludre. Thefe lad are call’d white, or Wa- iti-Saphirs ; they are lefs enquir’d after than athe blue. The female Saphirs are of a deep Jblue ; thefe are more valuable, and efpecial- Jy Rich as come from the Eaft-Indies ; as Ca~ lecut, Pegu, Bifnagar, and Zeilan. They are found likewife in feveral Parts of the We* ilern World, as on the Borders of Bohemia &nd Silefia ; but they are neither lb perfect nor fine as the oriental, but have their Lu- ilre defac’d or funk by the Fire. They ufe in Phyfick the Fragments or Pieces which the Lapidaries cut off from the Saphirs, which are much about the Size of large Pins Heads, reddifh or blackifh ; but the red are prefer’d, becaufe the black are full of Iron Stone, by which we may per¬ ceive they have fome Analogy to the Load- Stone, for they will be attracted like Iron. There are a great many Virtues attributed to the Saphirs which they have not ; as the for¬ tifying the Heart and other noble Parts, puri¬ fying the Blood, refilling of Poilbn. Their true Properties are to flop Fluxes, fweeten she Blood, and dry up Ulcers of the Eyes. r Of the Ruby. Pomet. *TpHE Rubies are likewife little X reddifh Stones that are brought us from the Eafl-India, and are of very lit- o/DRUGGS. Vol. II. tie Ufe in Phyfick, for which Reafon I (hall fay nothing of them, nor of a great many others which we might fell had they attain’d to their Perfection, the Names of which are fubjoin’d, referring the Reader to a Book, entituled, T'he Perfect or Compleat Jeweller, or, 7%e Hiftory of Precious Stones, com¬ pos’d by Anfelmus Boetius de Boot, Phyfician to the Emperor Rodolph the Second ; or to the Indian Mercury, made by Rofnel, who has made a very large Treatife thereof. The precious Stones we have, befides thofe men¬ tioned before, are the Diamonds of Alenfon, the Amethyfts of Auvergne and Cartagena, the Girafole, the Peridot, the A gats, the Be- rils, the Sardius, the Corallines, the Granats, the Malaquits, and feveral forts of Marble, Florence Stones, &c. And as I have feen the vaft Difference betwixt the Stones that we fell, and the fine Stones the Lapidaries ufe, I advife all thofe who would make the Con¬ fection of Hyacinth, to take rather the Chip- pings of the fine Stones, than fancy he can buy better at the Druggifts. Befides, I am of Opinion with thofe who allow no other Virtue in all the precious Stones, than to ab« forb Acids. Rubinus, Carbunculus, Pyropus, Anthrax, thzRuby, or Carbuncle, is Lemery. a fine, diaphanous, precious Stone that is very hard, and refills the File. It is refplendent, and of a Colour as red as Blood, mix’d with a little TinCture of blue. There are feveral kinds of it ; but the fined, hardefi, and mod valuable, is that from Zeilan in the Indies. Stones that are of a Fklh Co¬ lour, they are whitifh at fird, and grow red¬ difh as they approach to Perfection. There are fome likewife in Gambaya and Bifnaga; but thefe are not fo fine. There is affign’d to ihe Ruby the Virtue of refiding Poilon, drengthening the Vitals, driving away Melancholy, reftoring of lod Strength ; but we know by Experience it has no other Quality than that of an Alcali Powder, that fweetens the Sharpnefs of the Humours, and breaks their Points, and con- fequently dops the Flux of the Belly. Dofe from half a Scruple to two Scruples. *Tis call’d Rubinus from its red Colour, and Car- bunculus from its Reflexion, looking like a red-hot Goal of Fire.