[13.] Omphacium.) Of this there were two kinds, the one the juice of unripe olives, and the other the juice of unripe grapes. Plin. lib. xii. cap. 27.
[14.] Copper-scales.) This must be an interpolation, as in this same chapter, which mentions only the class of cleansers, it occurred before.
[15.] Calcined copper.) The metal was calcined by being put into a pot, stratum super stratum, with sulphur and salt.—Or else the copper was kept for several days in the fire in a pot by itself.—Others again added allum to it, or sulphur alone, which last gave it a sooty colour.—It was washed in a mortar, and the water changed four times a day, till no froth arose in it. Dioscorid. lib. v. cap. 861.
[16.] Apronitre.) The spume or froth of nitre was of a purplish colour, and the lighter the better. It had the same virtues with nitre.—Id. lib. v. cap. 905.
[17.] Chrysocolla.) I have here retained the original word, because naturalists are not agreed, that it was the modern borax. Dioscorides says the Armenian is the best, and in colour it resembles leeks.—What is full of earth and stones is to be rejected. Lib. v. c. 878.
[18.] Cyprus ashes. Cinis Cyprius.) I do not remember that this is mentioned by any other ancient author; but it has probably been the ashes of the tree or plant of this name, or perhaps some particular kind of ashes brought from the island of Cyprus.
[19.] Cadmia.) The best is the Cyprian, called botryitis, solid, moderately heavy, being clustered like a bunch of grapes, of the colour of spodium, and being broken it appears cineritious and eruginous within. There are other kinds of it inferior, known by the names onychitis, zonitis, and ostracitis. For burning cadmia it is hid in live coals, till it grows diaphanous, and runs into bubbles like the scoria of iron; afterwards it is extinguished in Aminæan wine. Some burn it thus three times, till it be perfectly converted into ashes; and then they use it instead of spodium. It is washed in a mortar, and the water changed, till no dross appears on the top. Dioscorid. lib. v. cap. 858.—I have here mentioned particularly the burning and washing of cadmia, because it may serve to shew the nature of this process in other minerals, when our author prescribes such; and Dioscorides in mentioning them often refers to cadmia as the general example.
[20.] Hypocistis grows near the roots of cistus. The juice of it is inspissated like the acacia; and it has the same qualities. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 128.
[21.] Diphryges.) This is not known in medicine at present. Dioscorides says ‘there are three species of it. One of the metallic kind found only in Cyprus, which is first dried in the sun, and then burnt by laying sticks all round it. Whence its name from being twice torrified. A second kind is found at the bottom of the copper furnaces after smelting. The third is the pyrites stone calcined for several days in a furnace, till it have the colour of cinnabar. The taste of diphryges is eruginous, astringent, and vehemently drying upon the tongue.’ Lib. v. cap. 894.
[22.] Salamander.) Our author here intends the animal so called, and Dioscorides ascribes to it this virtue. It was burnt and the ashes made use of. Lib. ii. cap. 255.