On the chemistry of the ancient Assyrians / [R.C. Thompson].

  • Thompson, R. Campbell (Reginald Campbell), 1876-1941.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the chemistry of the ancient Assyrians / [R.C. Thompson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    233/338 (page 225)
    l]/ white vitriol sulphate of iron = sulphate of zinc, sulphate of alumina (jr, in his hist.,ii,307,where he quotes Bubacar (circa Xr-Alth Gent. ) as sayin- that there are six vitriols (atramen ta), one to give a black colour ,one whito , chalcant.hum, calcancle , calcathar, surianum. Gno is a yellow employed by goldsmiths, .and me a green used by leather-dressers. ,,e should therefore see in our red ZA.Suh the basic sulphate of iron of Berthelot. Can we arrive at any satisfactory Semitic comparison for i a r a h u to bear this out? A word i a r a h ft U?1 exists,having the equivalent in Sumerian sh.biG ,lit. corn-top,and as it appears from its occurrence in a list to be connected with corn (see i A, hiB 310) we may not be far out in considering it as h u s k , and thus equal to the Greek Ws husk flakes of copper or iron, Latin squama. Iron scale, according to Dios- corides, is similar to rust (hydrated ferric oxide), but possesses less active medicinal properties. It might be added that ferric oxide acts as a basic oxide. *© therefore bo on the right track in translatin'- i a r \ h u as a bj e form of i a r a h [t u] husk (?), wi th parallelism to the Greek MtT* 5 a-s a chemical term. The other problems ,notably (tak) ZA. SUiiy.UKU.ui, and the larger mineral of tho same name which k i b a J , must be left for the present. But some little additional evidence may be drawn for the equivalence vitriol to this section from th© presence of the word m a r h u s n,marcaoite,