Toadstone; Being applied to the place helps the bitings of venomous beasts, and quickly draws all the poison to it; it is known to be a true one by this; hold it near to any toad, and she will make proffer to take it away from you if it be right; else not. Lemnius.
Nephritichus lapis; helps pains in the stomach, and is of great force in breaking and bringing away the stone and gravel.
Jasper; being worn, stops bleeding, eases the labour in women, stops lust, resists fevers and dropsies. Mathiolus.
Atites, or the stone with child, because being hollow in the middle, it contains another little stone within it, is found in an Eagle’s nest, and in many other places; this stone being bound to the left arm of women with child, stays their miscarriage or abortion, but when the time of their labour comes, remove it from their arm, and bind it to the inside of their thigh, and it brings forth the child, and that (almost) without any pain at all. Dioscorides, Pliny.
Lapis Lazuli, purges melancholy being taken inwardly; outwardly worn as a jewel, it makes men cheerful, fortunate and rich.
And thus I end the stones, the virtues of which if any think incredible, I answer; 1. I quoted the authors where I had them. 2. I know nothing to the contrary but why it may be as possible as the sound of a trumpet is to incite a man to valour; or a fiddle to dancing: and if I have added a few simples which the Colledge left out, I hope my fault is not much, or at a leastwise, venial.
A CATALOGUE OF SIMPLES
IN THE
NEW DISPENSATORY.
