Jan.=Garnet. May =Emerald. Sept.=Sapphire,
Feb.=Amethyst. June=Agate. Oct. =Opal.
Mar.=Bloodstone. July=Ruby. Nov. =Topaz.
Apr.=Diamond. Aug.=Sardonyx. Dec. =Turquoise.


The bloodstone is frequently assigned either to Aries or Scorpio,
owing to its symbolical connection with Mars; and the opal to Cancer,
which in astrology is the constellation of the moon.

Confusion is rendered still worse by the fact that the ancients whilst
in some cases using the same names as ourselves, applied them to
different stones; thus their "hyacinth" is our "sapphire," whilst
their "sapphire" is our "lapis lazuli".


Certain herbs, culled at favourable conjunctions of the planets and
worn as amulets, were held to be very efficacious against various
diseases. Precious stones and metals were also taken internally for
the same purpose--"remedies" which in certain cases must have proved
exceedingly harmful. One theory put forward for the supposed medical
value of amulets was the Doctrine of Effluvia. This theory supposes
the amulets to give off vapours or effluvia which penetrate into the
body and effect a cure. It is, of course, true that certain herbs,
_etc_., might, under the heat of the body, give off such effluvia,
but the theory on the whole is manifestly absurd. The Doctrine of
Signatures, which we have already encountered in our excursions,[1]
may also be mentioned in this connection as a complementary and
equally untenable hypothesis.