CHAP. 59.—GALAXIAS. GALACTITIS, LEUCOGÆA, LEUCOGRAPHITIS, OR SYNNEPHITIS. GALLAICA. GASSINADE. GLOSSOPETRA. GORGONIA. GONIÆA.
Galaxias,[3314] by some called “galactitis,”[3315] is a stone that closely resembles those next mentioned, but is interspersed with veins of blood-red or white. Galactitis[3316] is of the uniform colour of milk; other names given to it are, leucogæa,[3317] leucographitis,[3318] and synnephitis,[3319] and, when pounded in water, both in taste and colour it marvellously resembles milk. This stone promotes the secretion of the milk in nursing women, it is said; in addition to which, attached to the neck of infants, it produces saliva, and it dissolves when put into the mouth. They say, too, that it deprives persons of their memory: it is in the rivers Nilus and Acheloüs that it is produced. Some persons give the name of “galactitis” to a smaragdus surrounded with veins of white. Gallaica is a stone like argyrodamas,[3320] but of a somewhat more soiled appearance; these stones are found in twos and threes clustered together. The people of Media send us gassinade,[3321] a stone like orobus in colour, and sprinkled with flowers, as it were: it is found at Arbela. This stone, too, conceives,[3322] it is said; a fact which it admits when shaken; the conception lasting for a period of three months. Glossopetra,[3323] which resembles the human tongue, is not engendered, it is said, in the earth, but falls from the heavens during the moon’s eclipse; it is considered highly necessary for the purposes of selenomancy.[3324] To render all this however, still more incredible, we have the evident untruthfulness of one assertion made about it, that it has the property of silencing the winds. Gorgonia[3325] is nothing but a coral, which has been thus named from the circumstance that, though soft in the sea, it afterwards assumes the hardness of stone: it has the property of counteracting fascinations,[3326] it is said. Goniæa,[3327] it is asserted, and with the same degree of untruthfulness, ensures vengeance upon our enemies.