Materia Medica of Metals, Minerals, Stones, Gems and Salts
Illustration from the Chapter of Mineral and Metal Medicines,
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
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Left
A seller at the Chengdu Medicine Market specialising in mineral medicines. The jars at top are gemstones, while Amber, Pearl, Cinnabar, Shells, Salts, Fossils, Shilajit and numerous other minerals are down below. Note the labels are in both Chinese and Tibetan, as Tibetan Medicine uses lots of mineral and gem medicines.
(Adam, 2019)
Metals and Metallic Minerals
Argentum – Silver
Astroites – Star Stone
Aurum – Gold
Calamine – Lu Gan Shi
Calomel – Mercurous chloride
Ceruse – White Lead
Cinnabar – Zhu Sha
Copper
Copper Sulphate
Ferrous sulphate, Green Vitriol
Goethite, Mdung rtse dkar po
Hematite – Dai Zhe Shi
Iron oxide, Ferrum oxidum
Prepared Iron, Lcags rtsi Litharge
Magnetite – Ci Shi
Mercury – Argentum Vivum
Minium – Red Lead
Pyrite – Zi Ran Tong
Verdigris – Aerugo
Zinc oxide, Tutty
Stones and Minerals
Actinolite, Amianthus, Yang Qi Shi
Aetites – Geode
Agate
Arsenolite, Pi Shi
Asphaltus, Bitumen Judaicum
Astroites – Star Stone
Bloodstone, Heliotrope
Calcite – Han Shui Shi
ChalkChlorite Schist, Meng Shi
Flint
Flourite, Zi Shi Ying
Gypsum, Shi Gao
Irish Slate, Lapis Hybernicus
Lapis Amianthus
Lapis Armenius, Azurite
Lapis Crucifer, Lapis Cruciatus
Lapis Phrygius
Lepidotes
Lime, Calcium oxide
Malachite
Ophicalcite, Hua Rui Shi
Orpiment
Osteocolla
Pyrolusite, Wu Ming Yi
Realgar
Sardonyx Serpentine, Jahara Mohara
Shilajit
Sulphur – Liu Huang
Talcum, Hua Shi
Trochite or Entrochus
Salts
Alumem, Alum, Bai Fan
Black Salt NEW 8/23
Borax, Peng Sha
Cream of Tartar
Epsom Salt
Glauber’s Salt, Mang Xiao
Natrum, Sodium Carbonate
Nitrum, Saltpeter, Xiao Shi
Potassium carbonate, Potash
Potassium Sulphate, Tartar Vitriolate
Sal Ammoniac, Ammonium Chloride, Nao Sha
Salt, Rock Salt
Earths
Earth of Armenia, Red Earth, Chi Shi Zhi
Earth of Lemnos
Limonite, Yu Yu Liang
Terra Sigillata – Sealed Earth
Yellow Earth Burnt, Zao Xin Tu
Stones and Shells from the Sea
Abalone shell, Shi Jue Ming
Alcyonium
Blatta Byzantina
Clam Shell, Ge Ke
Cockle Shell, Wa Leng Zi
Cowrie shell
Cuttlefish Bone, Hai Piao Xiao
Dentalium, Tooth Shell
Lapis Auricularis
Lapis Spongiae, Sponge Stone
Oyster shell, Mu Li
Pearl, Zhen Zhu
Pumex, Pumice
Red Coral, Shan Hu
Umbilicus Marinus
Fossils
Belemite, ‘Lynx Stone’
Conchites
Echinite, Echinoid, Sea Urchin Fossil
Fossil Bones, Dragon Bones, Long Gu
Fossil Crabs
Fossil Shells
Fossil Spirifer
Glossopetra, Fossil Shark Teeth
Lapis Ammonites
Lapis Hystericus
Lapis Judaicus, Jew’s Stone
Lepidotes
Nummulite, Shadnaj
Ostracites
Gems & Semi-precious Stones
Amber, Succinum, Hu Po
BerylCornelian
Coral, Shan Hu
Crystal
Emerald
Garnet
Jade
Jet
Lapis Lazuli
Opal
Pearl, Zhen Zhu
Ruby
Sapphire
Topaz
Tourmaline
Turquoise
Zircon (Hyacinth, Jacinth)
Stones of Animal Origin
Note that not all of the following are of animal origin, but were traditionally believed to have been of animal origin.
Alectorius – Stones of a Cocks Gizzard
Belemite – Lynx Stone
Bezoar, Niu Huang
Bufonite – Toad Stone
Crab Eyes
Draconite – Serpent Stone
Fish Head Stone
Lapis Limacis – Cochlite, Snail Stone
Pearl, Zhen Zhu
Other Resources related to Minerals:
Sources for Mineral Materia Medica
Preparation of Medicines
Mineral Hardness
Introduction to Gem Medicines
Sample Gem Formulas