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as it is commonly called; but it is dug in Cappadocia, and thence carried to Sinope. There are particular Pits in Lemnos, in which nothing but the Earth is dug.
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were diſtinguiſhed by the Names of Terra Lemnia, and Rubrica Lemnia, Γῆ Λήμνια and Μίλτος Λήμνια, the Lemnian Reddle, and Lemnian Earth: The firſt of theſe was uſed by Painters, as it was taken out of the Pit; the ſecond was firſt made into Cakes, and ſealed with great Ceremonies; and was in very high Eſteem in Medicine. I ſhall be the more particular on theſe Earths, as it will naturally lead to a better Underſtanding of ſome other of the Earths now much in uſe in Medicine; the Names of which at leaſt are ſo. The great Occaſion of the Errors about the Lemmian Earths, is the Miſtake of Pliny, in confounding them together, as he evidently has done; not diſtinguiſhing the medicinal ſealed Earth of that Place, from the Reddle uſed by Painters. The ſealed Earth was eſteemed ſacred, and the Prieſts alone were ſuffered to meddle with it. They mixed it with Goat's Blood, made the Impreſſion of a Seal upon it; and it was, therefore, called σφρᾳγις, and Sphragis by the Latins; ἡ δὲ Λημνία λεγομένη γῆ ἐϛὶν ἐκ τινὸς ὑπονόμȣ ἀντρώδȣς ἀναφερομένη καὶ μιγνυμένη αἵματι ἀιγείῳ, ἣν οἱ ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωποι ἀναπλάσσοντες, καὶ σφαγιζόμενοι εἰκόνι ἀιγος, σφαγῖδα κααλοῦσιν, Dioſcorides. This, therefore, was the Sealed Earth of Lemnos, the Earth uſed in Medicine, and called by the Phyſicians Lemnian Earth: The Hand the Prieſts had in the making it up, got it the Name of Sacred Earth, Γῆ ἱερά. And this ſeems to be the very ſame with the true Terra Lemnia uſed at this time; which is a fat unctuous Clay, of a pale red Colour, made up in Cakes of about half an Ounce Weight, ſometimes leſs, and brought from Lemnos, and many other Parts of the Turkiſh Dominions: This we now call Terra Lemnia Rubra, by way of Diſtinction from a white Earth, leſs unctuous and more aſtringent than the red, which is dug in Lemnos only. And we have ſometimes, beſide theſe, an unſealed Earth from the ſame Place, which is yellowiſh, with blackiſh Specks: it has this Advantage of the other, that we are ſure it is genuine; for we are ſenſible they are too often counterfeited.
Theſe were the Terræ Lemniæ uſed in Medicine. The Rubrica Lemnia was a kind of
