The main purpose of this review of opinions on the therapeutic properties of stibnite is to demonstrate that the 16th and 17th-century experiments of alchemists with stibnite and its compounds, although they did not “rejuvenate an old man” (Paracelsus), nor did they “eliminate all poisons from the human body” (Basilius Valentinus), were nevertheless appreciated by official medicine not only in the abovementioned period but still in the 20th century.
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The paper aims to question a widespread belief that famous “Secrets of Alexis of Piedmont” were authored by a minor literary figure Girolamo Ruscelli. It also suggests that Alexis of Piedmont is not Ruscelli’s pseudonym, but actually the true name of the author of this work, who, in view of his profession and own scientific interests, appears to fit in this context far better than Ruscelli.
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Language, as a system of communication, usually does not tolerate two different words that would have exactly the same meaning. The reason why modern Polish words lek and lekarstwo, both meaning medicine, are still used, even though they mean exactly the same thing, is that originally they meant something else, and the process of approximation of their meanings was long and complicated enough for the language not to be able to eliminate the unnecessary one.