Note note 11, p. 572 — BOOK XII.

[Pg 572][11] The term for vitriol used by the Roman authors, followed by Agricola, is atramentum sutorium, literally shoemaker's blacking, the term no doubt arising from its ancient (and modern) use for blackening leather. The Greek term was chalcanthon. The term "vitriol" seems first to appear in Albertus Magnus (De Mineralibus, Liber V.), who died in 1280, where he uses the expression "atramentum viride a quibusdam vitreolum vocatur." Agricola (De Nat. Foss., p. 213) states, "In recent years the name vitriolum has been given to it." The first adequate description of vitriol is by Dioscorides (V., 76), as follows:—"Vitriol (chalcanthon) is of one genus, and is a solidified liquid, but it has three different species. One is formed from the liquids which trickle down drop by drop and congeal in certain mines; therefore those who work in the Cyprian mines call it stalactis. Petesius calls this kind pinarion. The second kind is that which collects in certain caverns; afterward it is poured into trenches, where it congeals, whence it derives its name pēctos. The third kind is called hephthon and is mostly made in Spain; it has a beautiful colour but is weak. The manner of preparing it is as follows: dissolving it in water, they boil it, and then they transfer it to cisterns and leave it to settle. After a certain number of days it congeals and separates into many small pieces, having the form of dice, which stick together like grapes. The most valued is blue, heavy, dense, and translucent." Pliny (XXXIV., 32) says:—"By the name which they have given to it, the Greeks indicate the similar nature of copper and atramentum sutorium, for they call it chalcanthon. There is no substance of an equally miraculous nature. It is made in Spain from wells of this kind of water. This water is boiled with an equal quantity of pure water, and is then poured into wooden tanks (fish ponds). Across these tanks there are fixed beams, to which hang cords stretched by little stones. Upon these cords adheres the limus (Agricola's 'juice') in drops of a vitreous appearance, somewhat resembling a bunch of grapes. After removal, it is dried for thirty days. It is of a blue colour, and of a brilliant lustre, and is very like glass. Its solution is the blacking used for colouring leather. Chalcanthon is made in many other ways: its kind of earth is sometimes dug from ditches, from the sides of which exude drops, which solidify by the winter frosts into icicles, called stalagmia, and there is none more pure. When its colour is nearly white, with a slight tinge of violet, it is called leukoïon. It is also made in rock basins, the rain water collecting the limus into them, where it becomes hardened. It is also made in the same way as salt by the intense heat of the sun. Hence it is that some distinguish two kinds, the mineral and the artificial; the latter being paler than the former and as much inferior to it in quality as it is in colour."

While Pliny gives prominence to blue vitriol, his solution for colouring leather must have been the iron sulphate. There can be no doubt from the above, however, that both iron and copper sulphates were known to the Ancients. From the methods for making vitriol given here in De Re Metallica, it is evident that only the iron sulphate would be produced, for the introduction of iron strips into the vats would effectually precipitate any copper. It is our belief that generally throughout this work, the iron sulphate is meant by the term atramentum sutorium. In De Natura Fossilium (p. 213-15) Agricola gives three varieties of atramentum sutorium,—viride, caeruleum, and candidum, i.e., green, blue, and white. Thus the first mention of white vitriol (zinc sulphate) appears to be due to him, and he states further (p. 213): "A white sort is found, especially at Goslar, in the shape of icicles, transparent like crystals." And on p. 215: "Since I have explained the nature of vitriol and its relatives, which are obtained from cupriferous pyrites, I will next speak of an acrid solidified juice which commonly comes from cadmia. It is found at Annaberg in the tunnel driven to the Saint Otto mine; it is hard and white, and so acrid that it kills mice, crickets, and every kind of animal. However, that feathery substance which oozes out from the mountain rocks and the thick substance found hanging in tunnels and caves from which saltpetre is made, while frequently acrid, does not come from cadmia." Dana (Syst. of Min., p. 939) identifies this as Goslarite—native zinc sulphate. It does not appear, however, that artificial zinc vitriol was made in Agricola's time. Schlüter (Huette-Werken, Braunschweig 1738, p. 597) states it to have been made for the first time at Rammelsberg about 1570.

[Pg 573] It is desirable here to enquire into the nature of the substances given by all of the old mineralogists under the Latinized Greek terms chalcitis, misy, sory, and melanteria. The first mention of these minerals is in Dioscorides, who (V., 75-77) says: "The best chalcitis is like copper. It is friable, not stony, and is intersected by long brilliant veins.... Misy is obtained from Cyprus; it should have the appearance of gold, be hard, and when pulverised it should have the colour of gold and sparkle like stars. It has the same properties as chalcitis.... The best is from Egypt.... One kind of melanteria congeals like salt in the entries to copper mines. The other kind is earthy and appears on the surface of the aforesaid mines. It is found in the mines of Cilicia and other regions. The best has the colour of sulphur, is smooth, pure, homogenous, and upon contact with water immediately becomes black.... Those who consider sory to be the same as melanteria, err greatly. Sory is a species of its own, though it is not dissimilar. The smell of sory is oppressive and provokes nausea. It is found in Egypt and in other regions, as Libya, Spain, and Cyprus. The best is from Egypt, and when broken is black, porous, greasy, and astringent." Pliny (XXXIV., 29-31) says:—"That is called chalcitis from which, as well as itself copper (?) is extracted by heat. It differs from cadmia in that this is obtained from rocks near the surface, while that is taken from rocks below the surface. Also chalcitis is immediately friable, being naturally so soft as to appear like compressed wool. There is also this other distinction; chalcitis contains three other substances, copper, misy, and sory. Of each of these we shall speak in their appropriate places. It contains elongated copper veins. The most approved kind is of the colour of honey; it is streaked with fine sinuous veins and is friable and not stony. It is considered most valuable when fresh.... The sory of Egypt is the most esteemed, being much superior to that of Cyprus, Spain, and Africa; although some prefer the sory from Cyprus for affections of the eyes. But from whatever nation it comes, the best is that which has the strongest odour, and which, when ground up, becomes greasy, black, and spongy. It is a substance so unpleasant to the stomach that some persons are nauseated by its smell. Some say that misy is made by the burning of stones in trenches, its fine yellow powder being mixed with the ashes of pine-wood. The truth is, as I said above, that though obtained from the stone, it is already made and in solid masses, which require force to detach them. The best comes from the works of Cyprus, its characteristics being that when broken it sparkles like gold, and when ground it presents a sandy appearance, but on the contrary, if heated, it is similar to chalcitis. Misy is used in refining gold...."

Agricola's views on the subject appear in De Natura Fossilium. He says (p. 212):—"The cupriferous pyrites (pyrites aerosus) called chalcitis is the mother and cause of sory—which is likewise known as mine vitriol (atramentum metallicum)—and melanteria. These in turn yield vitriol and such related things. This may be seen especially at Goslar, where the nodular lumps of dark grey colour are called vitriol stone (lapis atramenti). In the centre of them is found greyish pyrites, almost dissolved, the size of a walnut. It is enclosed on all sides, sometimes by sory, sometimes by melanteria. From them start little veinlets of greenish vitriol which spread all over it, presenting somewhat the appearance of hairs extending in all directions and cohering together.... There are five species of this solidified juice, melanteria, sory, chalcitis, misy, and vitriol. Sometimes many are found in one place, sometimes all of them, for one originates from the other. From pyrites, which is, as one might say, the root of all these juices, originates the above-mentioned sory and melanteria. From sory, chalcitis, and melanteria originate the various kinds of vitriol.... Sory, melanteria, chalcitis, and misy are always native; vitriol alone is either native or artificial. From them vitriol effloresces white, and sometimes green or blue. Misy effloresces not only from sory, melanteria, and chalcitis, but also from all the vitriols, artificial as well as natural.... Sory and melanteria differ somewhat from the others, but they are of the same colours, grey and black; but chalcitis is red and copper-coloured; misy is yellow or gold-coloured. All these native varieties have the odour of lightning (brimstone), but sory is the most powerful. The feathery vitriol is soft and fine and hair-like, and melanteria has the appearance of wool and it has a similarity to salt; all these are rare and light; sory, chalcitis, and misy have the following relations. Sory because of its density has the hardness of stone, although its texture is very coarse. Misy has a very fine texture. Chalcitis is between the two; because of its roughness and strong odour it differs from melanteria, although they do not differ in colour. The vitriols, whether natural or artificial, are hard and dense ... as regarding shape, sory, chalcitis, misy, and melanteria are nodular, but sory is occasionally porous, which is peculiar to it. [Pg 574]Misy when it effloresces in no great quantity from the others is like a kind of pollen, otherwise it is nodular. Melanteria sometimes resembles wool, sometimes salt."

The sum and substance, therefore, appears to be that misy is a yellowish material, possibly ochre, and sory a blackish stone, both impregnated with vitriol. Chalcitis is a partially decomposed pyrites; and melanteria is no doubt native vitriol. From this last term comes the modern melanterite, native hydrous ferrous sulphate. Dana (System of Mineralogy, p. 964) considers misy to be in part copiapite—basic ferric sulphate—but any such part would not come under Agricola's objection to it as a source of vitriol. The disabilities of this and chalcitis may, however, be due to their copper content.