Terra Sigillata, Sealed Earth
Sealing ClayTin Makhtum (Unani)
Ortus Sanitatis, Beck, 1517
Several types of Sealed Earth with Arabic inscriptionMetallotheca Vaticana, Mercati, 1719
A number of varieties of ‘Sealed Earth’Museum Wormianum, Olao Worm, 1655
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Three varieties of Terra Sigillata(Photo from Welcome Images)
Mineralogical Name:
Hydrated Aluminium Silicate; Kaolin and related clay-earths
Parts used:
Sealed Earth was prepared of Earths from various locations, apparently sometimes from White Earth and sometimes from Red Earth, pressed into the form of round discs. That of Lemnos was prepared by mixing with Goats Blood. Thus, white Lemnian Earth may have been used but appeared red due to the blood. Versions were prepared from Lemnia, Samia, Melia, Silesia, Germany, Turkey, and elsewhere, with that of Constantinople often regarded as best.
Earth of Lemnos and Sealed Earth are used very similarly; Sealed Earth was generally regarded as stronger against Poison.
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Sweet
Classification:
3A. SUDORIFICS & DIAPHORETICS. 3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS
4c. CARDIAC
Uses:
1. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-Poison, Plague, Putrefaction, Pestilence, Malignant Fevers
-‘all kinds of Malignity and Venom’
-venomous Bites.
-‘powerfully promotes sweat’ (Salmon)
-‘Nicander informs us that it is a special antidote to lethal Poisons’ (Lexicon of Alchemy, Rulundus).
-“Sealing clay counteracts all kinds of poisons and animal bites specially when taken with wineor used as a paint with vinegar”. (Avicenna)
-“useful in the initial stages of acute swellings” (Avicenna)
2. Astringes to Stop Leakage:
-Diarrhea and Dysentery.
-“useful in Consumption and bleeding from Lung Ulcers”. (Avicenna)
3. Moves the Blood:
-‘It powerfully dissolves congealed blood’. (Salmon)
-“It protects the organs from an injury due to fall. It sets the broken Bones” (Avicenna)
4. Settles Wind, Stops Spasms:
-‘Experience has confirmed it oftentimes to cure the Falling Sickness [Epilepsy]’. (Salmon)
5. Externally:
-applied to venomous bites, and malignant wounds
Dose:
1–3 grams
Preparations:
As can be seen from the above photos and illustrations, there were many varieties of Terra Sigillata.
1. Some said the cleansed Earth was mixed with Goat Blood and formed into round discs. Evidently some were not mixed with Blood as the color remained whitish or yellowish as the Earth they were prepared from.
Main Combinations:
Combinations are similar to the other Earths, which see.
Major Formulas:
Powder for Bleeding from the Stomach (Serapion)
Powder for Bruising (Bononiense)
Powder Against Bruising
Powder of Plantain Compound
Powder for Coagulated Blood (Renodeus)
Powder for Congealed Blood in the Chest
Powder for Excess Menstruation (Serapion)
Powder for Hernia
Powder for Hernia of Vigo
Powder for Vomiting of Blood
Powder Against Abortion (France)
Cordial Powder
Powder to Agglutinate the Lips of a Wound (Nicholas)
Troches for Kidney Ulcers (Riverius)
Pills to Stop Bleeding (Unani)
Electuary of Sealed Earth (Zenon)
Electuary of Scordium
Electuary of Rhubarb (Zenon)
Theriac of Sealed Earth
Athanasia Greater Nicholas
Tincture for Blood Stagnation
Cautions:
Not used in constipation
Main Preparations used:
Salmon, Seplasium:
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In Arabic it is called Terimachtrin; in Latin, Terra Sigillata; in English, Sealed Earth. Salmon listed 8 types, based on their origin: 1. Turkish or Constantinopolitan 2. Chia 3. Eretria 4. Lemnian 5. Melia 6. Samia 7. Selinusia 8. Strigensis The Turkish, Byzantine, Constantinopolitan and Silesian called Terra Silesiaca and Sphragis are ash-colored, and these are intended when Terra Sigillata are called for. They dry, bind, resists putrefaction and poison, dissolve congealed Blood, comfort and strengthen |
the Head, Heart and Stomach, dilate the Blood vessels and promotes Sweat. Used chiefly for Plague, Epidemics, Spotted Fever, Purple Fevers, Measles, Small Pox and other malignant Fevers. Also for venomous bites of Snakes. It is also very good for Diarrhea and Dysentery and all types of Bleeding. Used internally and externally for malignant Wounds, sharp, running and corroding Ulcers (usually skin cancers). Dose to 1 dram. Terra Lemnia, the Lemnian Earth was also Sealed and was called Sigillum Lemnium. It came in red and ash-colored varieties and has similar virtues. |
From Avicenna:
“Sealing clay is brought from tall-ahmar (red hill). The latter is called buhaira because it has a smooth surface and is devoid of grass and rocks. This was narrated to me by a person who had seen it personally. This earth is also called tin kiihini because in ancient days it was discovered by a lady sooth-sayer. It is also called al-maghra al-Kahiinia (red ochre) because it is a red clay which was used by Armitum-a lady sooth-sayer. She used to come to the town with this clay and put it in water to form a solution by shaking it well and leaving the preparation for sometime to settle down. The supernatant water was discarded and the residual thick, fatty and viscid substance yielded a wax like clay to be used for sealing purposes. According to Dioscorides this clay is collected from a cave. It is kneaded with blood procured from a male goat. It is not always possible to identify the adulterated clay from the genuine clay”.
See also Armenian Earth for research on the clay-earths.
–The use of medicinal clay from Silesia “Terra sigillata Silesiaca”, Central Europe-a new chance for natural medicine?
–Terra Sigillata–a remedy used through millenniums
–The introduction of a new sixteenth-century drug: terra Silesiaca