557. Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, Loeb edition volume IX-Summary

557.  Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, Loeb edition volume IX.  How nicely Pliny fits with Peltier.  This volume holds Pliny’s thoughts and knowledge about metals, useful earths, painting and bronze sculpture.  Human search has a down side: GREED.  But this is balanced by discovery of material useful to humans which lay hidden in Mother Earth.  bronze is copper mixed with tin and brass is copper mixed with zinc.  But in the process of mining and using this metal to create statues for instance humans have learned of medicinal applications of the metal themselves and byproducts of these metals.  He spends much time talking of uses for human use- from using minerals combined with other minerals and oils and wax to make salves and ointments to control body odor.  Some of what he recommends may be risky, some ineffective, some wise and sensible.  This is not the point- the point is continued investigation into the endless offerings and bounty that the earth has to offer will only come to light with diligence and sweat.  These lead in a meaningful way to a discussion of sculptors in bronze and painters.  All is connected.  It is interesting that colors for painting which come directly from stone or plants he calls natural but when those colors are used to create other colors he calls artificial.  He shows great concern for the fact that painting has fallen out of favor.  Marble is preferred.  I suggest that his concern is due to the fact that without a search for material useful for artists, investigation into the offering of Mother Earth will not happen.  Humanity looses.  The two are connected- painting and medicine, medicine and painting.  He sure was an advocate of learning- on a huge scale.  He was disgusted with doctors who knew little or nothing of plants, minerals, metals and the interplay of their byproducts.  They just go to the druggist and purchase them from a professional.  To what degree I wonder has the specialization in the medical field made doctors for instance dupes of the pharmaceutical companies?  Perhaps they could serve their field better learning botany.  Just a thought.  He mentioned a painting by Apelles of a horse which was so real that when real horse looked at it he neighed.  He records that Aristides was the first to paint what was going on in the mind and expressed the feelings of a person.  He talks about how painting flourished in Italy and the Italians were first to expend to the type we can now see in Pompeii and Herculaneum etc.  He mentions that one remedy which used alum and honey was available at the baths.  The uses of Mother Earth are endless.  Thus the investigation for benefit of humans must never cease and negative applications of these discoveries must be condemned but this should not prevent continued search.