A Z U
writing, which obtained among them, feems to have given rife to a practice of calling the means made ufe of for bring- ing metals to perfection, by the name of medicines, the imperfect metals by the name of fick men, and gold by that of a found and lively perfon. From hence the ignorant fall into the error of fuppofing, that thefe were to be underftood in a literal fenfe, efpecially upon finding the impurities of the bafer metals, called by the name of Ieprofies, the molt incurable of all difeafes ; and hence rofe that opinion, which hasftnce fpread itfelf far and wide, that the imperfect metals might be turned into gold, and the bodies of fick men into found ones, by the fame preparation. To this preparation they gave the name Jzotb, or the philofophers ftone, and to its poffeflbrs the name of adepts. Beerbaave's Chym. p. 26. AZURIUM, a hard chymical mafs, produced from two parts
A Z Z
of mercury, a third part of fulphur, and a fourth of fal am- moniac. Theat. Chym. T. 2. p. 437. Brim. Lex. Med p. 96. b.
AZYMITjE, in church hiftory, a name given to thofe who communicate with bread not leavened or fermented. Sptlm GlofT. p. 54. a.
The Greeks, in the eleventh century, called the Latins, by way of reproach, A%jmhs, and their clergy, A?ofc,1«, ;', s ,f DuCmge, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 414.
AZZALUM, in the antient phyfiology, a fpecies of iron reputed the moft excellent of all, fuppofed to have been brought from India. Whence it was called Indkum, but, in reality, according to fome, brought from China. Ptin. Hift. Nat. 1. 34. c. 14. Poncirsl. de Reb. Memor. tit. 13. g
B.
