Emerald, SmaragdusZamarrund (Unani)Lu Bao Shi (TCM) |
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Emerald in Schist (Afghanistan)Photo by Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com
Emerald as used in Tibetan Medicine (Library ofTibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India,
Photo by Adam, 2009)
Mineralogical name:
Emerald is a type of Beryl, Al2Be3Si6O18
Traditionally the stronger colored stones were called Male, and lighter colored stones, Female.
Culpeper said ‘there are 3 sorts; the best comes from Scilicia, and is the softest; the next from Peru, which is harder, and not so deep a color, but more perspicuous and glistening; the third (which is the worst) comes from the West Indies, and is of a dull color, scarce to be seen through; scarce any that come from Peru are without Spots’.
Parts used:
According to traditional Indian texts, the 7 features of a good Emerald are: greenness, heaviness, softness, radiating rays, smoothness, density and brightness. Bad Emeralds are: tawny, coarse, blue colored, light, flat, ugly, blackish and rough.
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet, Salty; Ayurveda says Emerald has all 6 tastes
Properties:
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Color: shades of green
Streak: white
Cleavage: imperfect
Fracture: conchoidal to irregular
Luster: vitreous to resinous
Tenacity: brittle
Transparency: Transparent to translucent
Hardness: 7.5–8
Specific Gravity: 2.76
Soluble in HF.
Constituents:
Beryllium aluminum silicate (Be3Al2Si6O18); alkali metals, alkaline earth metals; Chromium (responsible for the color); Admixtures include iron, titanium, vanadium, manganese, and phosphorus.
Beryls contain approx. 11% Beryllium oxide.
Uses:
1. Benefits the Liver, Clears Heat, Stops Wind:
-Epilepsy, Lethargy, Headache, Vertigo, and to strengthen the Memory
-Anger (Worn, or taken internally) (Marbod von Rennes, Salmon).
-pain of the Heart, Stomach, or sides associated with Liver heat (Hildegard)
-it stops rising Liver Yang, especially when from Yin deficiency
2. Clears Wind and Heat, Benefits the Heart:
-Heart disorders, Hypertension, Neuralgia. (Bhasma, Ayurveda)
-Palpitations, Swooning and Heart weakness. (West, Unani)
3. Clears Heat, Calms the Mind and Spirit, Benefits the Brain:
-increases Intellect (Ayurveda); increases Mental powers. (Albertus)
-aids Learning and Wisdom.
-Madness, Frenzy, Insanity, Melancholy
-‘Demonical illusions, Phantasms, and Melancholy dreams’.
-‘Resists Lust, Stops unruly passions of Men’ (Salmon); Albertus Magnus said it ‘Promotes Desire for Innocence’; Culpeper said it ‘stays inordinate Passions and Affections’.
-‘It takes away vain and foolish fears, as of Devils, Hobgoblins &c. It takes away folly, anger &c. and causeth good conditions’; also ‘to expel
Fear and tension of ill visions’. (Worn externally, or taken internally)
4. Benefits the Brain and Eyes:
-many since Pliny used it to strengthen the Eyes.
–Paracelsus made a distilled water from Emeralds for sore and red Eyes.
-Just looking at an Emerald strengthens the Eyes while relieving sore and strained Eyes
-‘Its Greenness strengthens the Eyes’ (Marbod von Rennes).
5. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-biting of a Man Dog or Snake etc (West); regarded as effective against highly venomous Snake Bites in India.
-antidote to the Plague, and ‘all Malign and Pestilential Fevers’ (Salmon)
-Poison including Aconite, Colocynth
-Bhasma of Emerald is used in Ayurveda for infectious diseases, acute Fevers, Syphilis, various Poisons.
-Such is the effect of Emerald against poison that it is said anything growing in an Emerald mine can resist Poison
-all types of ulcers, swellings and Cancer.
-Pleurisy, Pneumonia
-used as a Talisman against all Evil.
6. Nourishes Blood and Essence:
-increases Essence (Ayurveda, Unani)
–Bhasma is used for Anemia and to promote Vitality.
-Essence of Emerald was likewise used for ‘Weakening of the functions of the Spirits proceeding from some long and perilous disease’;
-the Quintessence ‘renovates also the body and bring it to entire perfection’.
-Deficient Heat, Steaming Bone Disorder, Night Sweats
-nourishes the Blood and benefits the Skin.
-Menopausal symptoms
7. Resists Abortion, Promotes Birth:
-applied to the belly to resist miscarriage, applied to the hip to accelerate birth; good to relieve the pain of Childbirth. (Salmon, Schroder)
8. Clears Heat, Benefits the Stomach:
–Bhasma is used for Indigestion, Nausea and Vomiting, and is said to promote the Appetite, and decrease acidity (Ayurveda)
–Hildegard also said it was good for Stomach pain.
9. Strengthens the Lungs, Relieves Wheezing:
–Bhasma is used for Asthma and Dyspnoea.
-Hemoptysis (Unani)
10. Stops Leakages:
-‘they stop all sorts of Fluxes in any part of the body whatsoever’, especially used for Dysentery
-Diabetes
Dose:
1. Substitutes should be used due to the toxicity of Beryllium.
Ayurveda uses doses of 60–125mg (up to 200mg) doses of either the Bhasma or finely levigated powder, usually taken with Butter, Ghee, Honey, Rose petal jam or Conserve of Roses, or a suitable syrup. In the West, 200–500mg of the finely levigated powder was a common dose (Salmon)
Comment
Despite still being used in Unani and Tibetan Medicine, the known health risks associated with Beryllium render Emerald obsolete in the modern world. Its use against certain poisons (notable Aconite), as well as its occasional recommendation for Cancer suggest there may be some potent pharmacological effects which could potentially prove useful, but further research is required.
Preparations:
A number of methods of preparation have been used:
1. Triturated Emerald:
Powder in a mortar and pestle with a liquid, usually Rose water; this is traditionally repeated for days. Then the fine powder was passed through silk cloth which only lets the finest particles pass. The fine powder may also be stirred in water, left for several seconds to allow larger particles to sink, then the clear water is poured off and dried, leaving an extremely fine powder.
2. Quenched Emerald
Emerald is heated and quenched in cold liquid until the stones become friable and start to crack. They are then triturated.
3. Bhasma or Burnt Emerald
Bhasma is prepared in India by powdering, mixing with Sulphur, then mixed with Lemon juice and formed into small round discs. These are sealed between clay pans to be burnt in a pile of Cow dung cakes. This process is repeated a number of times.
4. Dissolved Emerald
Some of the processes of the 16th and 17th century dissolved the stones in acid, then precipitated, or else dried and washed well to removes the acid salts.
Substitutes:
1. Green Spinel has been used in Ayurveda
2. Green Chrysoberyl
3. Salmon said most of the ‘Emerald’ of his time was ‘Lapis de Peru’ (Green Prase, Chrysoprase or Plasma [Green Quartz]).
Main Combinations:
1. To strengthen the Heart and Brain, comfort the Spirits, for Melancholy, and to restore in Consumption, Emerald with Pearl, Angelica, Tormentil, Cinnamon, Aloeswood, Coral, Jacinth (Zircon), Sapphire and Saffron (as in Temperate Powder of Gems)
2. Heart Fire, Restlessness, Insomnia, Palpitations, Emerald with Pearl, Tabasheer, Coral, Rose, Borage, Sandalwood, Basil seed, Jacinth, Sapphire, Garnet (as in Cooling Powder of Gems)
3. Restlessness, Anxiety, Insomnia, Palpitations in a cold constitution, Emerald with Pearl, Amber, Coral, Zedoary, Citron peel, Basil seed, Cinnamon, Galangal, Clove, Long Pepper, Cassia wood, Saffron, Jacinth, Sapphire, Garnet, (as in Warming Powder of Gems)
4. Dizziness, Vertigo, Emerald with Hyacinth (Zircon), Peony root, Mistletoe, Cinnamon, Zedoary, Red Coral, Saffron (as in Electuarium Theriaca Smaragdina of Augustana)
5. Consumption, including that with Diarrhea, Emerald with Licorice, Tragacanth, Starch, Tabasheer, Poppy seed, Borage, Pearl, Amber, Ruby, Camphor, Saffron (as in Pills of Gems with Camphor of Unani)
6. Epilepsy:
i. Emerald with Peony root, Mistletoe, Red Coral, Amber
ii. and to strengthen the Brain, Emerald with Peony, Mistletoe, Red Coral, Aloeswood, Cinnamon, Pearl, Saffron
7. Cancer of the Womb: Emerald, Sapphire, Bezoar, equal parts. Give 3 or 4 grains daily with Blessed Thistle Water. (Culpeper’s Directory for Midwives, 1662)
Major Formulas:
The Goa Stone
Red Hungarian Powder
Cooling Powder of Gems
Warming Powder of Gems (Mesue)
Electuary of Gems (Mesue)
Confection of Hyacinth (Confectio de Hyacintho)
Letificans Conciliatoris
Powder of Gems for Palpitations (Wirtzung)
Powder to Cool the Heart
Powder Against Apoplexy
Powder for Uterine Cancer
Vigorous Cakes
Safoof e Jawahar Mohra (Precious Defender Powder) (Unani)
Precious Wish Fulfilling Jewel (Rin chen ratna bsam ‘phel) (Tibetan)
Cautions:
1. Standard cautions for using Gem stones.
2. Emerald is the only commonly used precious stone to have marked toxicity. Beryllium (primary component of Emerald) is toxic, especially when the dust is inhaled. This danger can be eliminated by preparing with Acids or Fire, or levigating with water or Rose water as was traditionally done.
3. If it is to be powdered, wearing a dust mask and levigating with a little Rose Water would largely eliminate risk of inhalation. However, substitutes should be used.
Toxicity:
1. Beryllium is toxic to the Lungs via inhalation of the dust or fumes. It is also toxic to other organs (Heart, Liver, Kidney, Pancreas) with chronic exposure. Acute Beryllium Disease manifests like bronchitis or pneumonia and is due to inhalation of beryllium particles.
2. Some research has found up to 6% of workers exposed to occupational beryllium demonstrate beryllium sensitivity, a condition where chronic exposure generates an allergic type reaction.
Metabolism:
Beryllium compounds are poorly absorbed via gastrointestinal route. Beryllium accumulates in the Bones, Liver and Spleen.
Antidotes:
Beryllium is a pancreatic toxin. Research showed Gymnema sylvestre to partially protect the pancreas from this toxicity.
Main Preparations used:
Levigated Powder, Bhasma/Kushta (Ayurveda, Unani). Many chemical preparations of Emeralds were prepared.
1. Zumurrud (emerald): Medicinal Potential of a Gemstone from Jawaharat-i-tis ‘a (navratan), in the Perspective of Unani Medicine
2. Beryllium induces TNF-α production
3. Beryllium enhances Arachidonic Acid mediated platelet aggregation.
4. Inhibits enzymes required for DNA synthesis.