[972] It is indeed a matter of indifference whether the name be derived
from αμμος, _arena_, or rather from _Ammonia_, the name of a district
in Libya, where the oracle of Jupiter Ammon was situated. The district
had its name from sand. An H also may be prefixed to the word. See
Vossii Etymol. p. 24. But _sal-armoniacus_, _armeniacus_, sal-armoniac,
is improper.
[973] De Re Rust. vi. 17, 7.
[974] Lib. xxxi. cap. 7, sect. 39.
[975] Lib. v. cap. 126.
[976] This name was first used by Js. Holland.
[977] Synesii Opera, ep. 147.
[978] Athen. lib. ii. cap. 29, p. 67.
[979] I am fully of opinion that a town named in the new maps Kesem,
and which lies in Arabia Felix, opposite to the island of Socotora, is
here meant. It has a good harbour. See Büsching’s Geography, where the
name _Korasem_ also occurs.
[980] Geopon. lib. vi. cap. 6.
[981] Pallad. i. tit. 41.
[982] Bibliothek d. Naturwiss. u. Chemie. Leip. 1775, 8vo, i. p. 219.
[983] Lib. xxxi. cap. 7, sect. 42.
[984] [The double chloride of ammonium and iron].
[985] Liber de holosantho in C. Gesner’s treatise De omni Rerum
Fossilium Genere. Tiguri 1565, 8vo, p. 15.
[986] What a noble people were the Arabs! we are indebted to them
for much knowledge and for many inventions of great utility; and we
should have still more to thank them for were we fully aware of the
benefits we have derived from them. What a pity that their works should
be suffered to moulder into dust, without being made available! What
a shame that those acquainted with this rich language should meet
with so little encouragement! The few old translations which exist
have been made by persons who were not sufficiently acquainted either
with languages or the sciences. On that account they are for the most
part unintelligible, uncertain, in many places corrupted, and besides
exceedingly scarce. Even when obtained, the possessors are pretty much
in the same state as those who make their way with great trouble to a
treasure, which after all they are only permitted to see at a distance,
through a narrow grate. Had I still twenty years to live, and could
hope for an abundant supply of Arabic works, I would learn Arabic. But
ὁ βίος βραχὺς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή.
[987] Africæ Descriptio, iii. p. 136, b.
[988] This book is often printed along with Mesue. See Haller’s
Biblioth. Botan. i. p. 201. Biblioth. Chirur. i. p. 137.
[989] Della decima, iii. pp. 298, 373; and iv. pp. 59, 191.
[990] Pirotechnia, 1550, 4to, p. 36, a.
[991] Magia Natur. lib. x. cap. 20. Porta was born in 1545, and died in
1615.
[992] Lib. iii. cap. 8.
[993] De Natura Fossil, lib. iii. p. 212.
[994] Lib. ix. cap. 6, p. 131, b: also lib. ix. cap. 10, p. 141, b.
[995] De Natura Fossil. lib. iii. p. 215; in which he speaks of iron
pins with tinned heads.
[996] Page 135, a and b, pp. 136, 375.
[997] Mémoires de l’Acad. 1720, p. 195. Basil Valentine had before
taught how to separate the volatile alkali from sal-ammoniac by means
of the fixed alkali.
[998] Nouveaux Mémoires des Missions de la Compag. de Jesus, ii.
[999] Mémoires de l’Acad. 1720, p. 191.
[1000] Voy. au Levant.
[1001] Mémoires de l’Acad. 1735, p. 107.
[1002] Mém. de l’Acad. 1723, p. 221, where a figure is given of it.
[1003] Gaubii Adversaria. Leidæ 1771, 4to, p. 138.
[1004] [As Dr. Royle observes, in his Essay on the Antiquity of Hindoo
Medicine, p. 41, this salt must have been familiar to the Hindoos
ever since they have burnt bricks, as they now do, with the manure
of animals; as some may usually be found crystallized at the unburnt
extremity of the kiln.]
[1005] Though the sal-ammoniac that is made in the East may consist in
great part of camel’s urine, yet that which is made in Europe (where
camels are rarities) and is commonly sold in our shops, is made of
man’s urine.--Nat. Hist. of the Human Blood (Works, iv. p. 188).
[1006] Arnot’s History of Edinburgh. Ed. 1779, 4to, p. 601.