Bezoar stones, magic, science and art

Abstract

Bezoars were introduced into Western medicine by Arabian doctors during the twelfth century. They were used as antidotes to arsenic, the poison used most commonly in European courts. The use of bezoars was widespread during the sixteenth century, and their value was ten times more than their weight in gold. These were rare and expensive items and many kings owned one or more specimens, some of which were mounted as pieces of jewelry. Sixteenth and seventeenth century physicians wrote extensively about them, describing their properties and use. ‘Oriental bezoars’ (mostly from Asian porcupines) were introduced at this time. Difficulty in obtaining bezoars led to the production of numerous dangerous counterfeits containing highly toxic substances including cinnabar, quicksilver and antimony. Possibly for these reasons, their use declined at the end of the seventeenth century and from 1800 onwards, they were no longer used. In strict mineralogical terms, bezoars are not actually stones. However, the Flemish mineralogist and physician, Anselm Boetius de Boodt (1550–1632) included them in his work Gemmarum et Lapidum Historia (History of Gems and Stones , 1609 ) and their study is an important chapter in the history of toxicology.