The Anatomy of Melancholy

SUBSECTION 4 Precious stones metals and minerals as alteratives

Precious stones are variously judged. Many reject their use, or that of any minerals, in medicine. Foremost among them is Thomas Erastus, in his treatise against Paracelsus and in a letter to Peter Monavius: “Let those who wish believe that stones can work wonders; no one will persuade me. For my part, experience has shown me that there is no virtue in them.”

On the other side, Mattioli is equally lavish in their praise in his commentary on Dioscorides; so are Cardano, Renodaeus, Alardus, Rueus, Encelius, Marbodeus and others. Mattioli singles out coral, and Oswald Croll, in his Chemical Basilica, prefers salt of coral. Christoph Encelius, book 3, chapter 131, regards them as so many distinct medicines against melancholy, sorrow, fear, dullness and the like.

Renodaeus admires them: “Besides adorning kings’ crowns, gracing the fingers, enriching our household furnishings, defending us from enchantments, preserving health and curing diseases, they drive away grief and cares and cheer the mind.” The particular stones are these.

Granatus, or garnet, is a precious stone so called because it resembles the seeds of a pomegranate. An imperfect kind of ruby, it comes from Calicut. “Hung about the neck or taken in a drink, it strongly resists sorrow and refreshes the heart.” I find the same properties ascribed to jacinth and topaz: “They allay anger and grief, lessen madness, and greatly delight and cheer the mind. If carried on the person or taken in a potion, it will increase wisdom,” says Cardano, “and banish fear.” He boasts of curing many mad people with it, who, when they put the stone aside, became as mad again as they had been at first.

Petrus Bayerus, Come with Me, book 2, chapter 13, and François de La Rue, On Gems, chapter 19, say as much of chrysolite: a friend to wisdom and an enemy to folly. Pliny, book 37; Solinus, chapter 52; Albertus, On Stones; Cardano; and Encelius, book 3, chapter 66, highly praise the power of beryl: “it greatly helps sound understanding, suppresses idle fancies and evil thoughts, and causes mirth,” and so on.

A stone called chelidonius is found in a swallow’s belly. “Wrapped in a clean cloth and tied to the right arm, it will cure lunatics and mad people and make them agreeable and merry.” There is a kind of onyx called chalcedony, with the same qualities: it “greatly helps against imaginary illusions arising from melancholy,” and preserves the vigour and good condition of the whole body.

The eban stone, which goldsmiths use to polish their gold, has the same or very similar properties when carried on the person or given in a drink.