Musaeum metallicum

Four species of Diphryges

A Here, however, it must be noted that the Pandectarius compiler of medical/herbal knowledge confuses Diphryges with the Phrygian stone, although these two differ as much as heaven and earth. Four species of diphryges are found: The first results from a certain mud of Cyprus, which first dries in the sun, then is surrounded by vine-shoots and burned, and therefore it can be called "twice-cremated" by excellent right—first by the heat of the sun, then by the ardor of fire—and Dioscorides wrote that this species is made only in Cyprus. The second species is nothing other than the sediment of bronze burned in a furnace, which Galen observed being thrown out by artisans in Cyprus. The third species is prepared from pyrites of copper burned until it has contracted the color of red ochre, but it must be noted that burnt ochre puts on the same color, and therefore it is assimilated to this third species of diphryges, and is sometimes wrongly sold as diphryges. The fourth species arises from whatever stones are found in the furnace after the vein of metals has been smelted, and this species always has some metal mixed in; although such a stone may have been roasted in an open area, soon cooked in a furnace, then cremated five times in another furnace, so that it might be called heptapyros seven-fired for a just cause, nevertheless, as Agricola testifies, it scarcely attains the nature of diphryges.

Lib. 9. de Nat. fos.

B Today, artisans prepare diphryges in second furnaces in this way: when they suspect some gold or silver is in the bronze, they melt the bronze again with lead, because lead washes it and carries the gold or silver with it. After this is done, in extracting the remains of the lead, they apply a tempered fire so that the molten lead descends, but the bronze by no means does. Thus, it is rendered like a spongy stone, which, when fused and cooked through, is changed into purged bronze, the dross of which is a more purged diphryges than that which had exited from the first furnaces; working men call this Ramina refined copper/dross and sell it to individuals.

What the more purged Diphryges, Ramina, is.

Furthermore, while gold, silver, bronze, and lead are percolated, another recrement arises, which is called cadmia calamine/zinc ore, which according to some is so named from settling Latin: "infidendo", but it is an ancient name among the Greeks, and therefore it is still unknown where it had its origin, unless we wish to assert that cadmia was once observed while copper ore was being smelted, which some have designated as cadmia, perhaps because it was first found in Mount Cadmus. Galen left it written that cadmia is sometimes made from pyrites stone; nevertheless, he commended the metallic one prepared from bronze. Four species of this are shown by Dioscorides: the first is called Botrytes clustered, as if bunch-like, because botrys is explained as a cluster; the second is named Onychites nail-like, for it is onyx a nail, since it has veins running through it like a nail; the third is nicknamed Placodes crusty/flat, because it is surrounded by segments as if by certain zones, wherefore it is also called zonitis; the fourth is called Ostracites testaceous/shell-like, which is rejected as the worst of all. Pliny, besides the four kinds described by Dioscorides, adds a fifth species, namely Capnitim smoky, for kapnos is called smoke by the Greeks; but this is to be reduced to Pompholyx rather than to Cadmia. To these, fossil natural cadmia is not added, since a peculiar discussion is to be had about this in its own place. The Arabs call cadmia Climia zinc ore. In our age, cadmia of furnaces is brought similar to the barks of trees under the name of Alexandrian Tutia, which is a sign that it has adhered to iron rods.

What Cadmia is.

Lib. 9. de simp. med. fac. cap. de Cadmia.

C
How many species of Cadmia there are.

Tutia zinc oxide is an Arabic name, yet it does not signify cadmia, but Spodium soot/ashes. Here it is worthy of observation that the Tutia of the Portuguese is not metallic; this is prepared in the Quirmon region of the Persians, and bordering Ormuz, from the ashes of a certain tree by the name of Goan, for the fruit of this tree is so named; and this is called by some Alexandrian Tutia, not because it is manufactured in Alexandria, but because it is brought from Quirmon to Ormuz and thence exported to Alexandria. Authors, however, commend not this, but the metallic one, in medicines. Here we figure many differences of Cadmia Botrytis that came into the hands of the most famous man, Ulysses Aldrovandi. First, under number 1 and 2, two differences are shown, of which one appears larger than the other; afterwards, other three differences are delineated: the first was provided with an ash-colored exterior, but on the inside was verdigris-colored, which conditions Dioscorides highly approved in genuine Cadmia botrytis; the second was a white cluster similar to Parætonium white chalk; and finally, another species is also seen in the last place.