in Natural History, a name applied by the ancients to an earth, at one time much employed in medicine; but which later ages have supposed to be no other than our tobacco-pipe clay and fullers earth.

The cimolia terra of the ancients was found in several of the islands of the Archipelago, particularly in the island of Cimolus, from whence it has its name. It was used with great success in the erysipelas, inflammations, and the like, being applied by way of cataplasm to the part. They also used, as we do, what we call cimolia, or fullers earth, for the cleansing of clothes. This earth of the ancients, though so long disregarded, and by many supposed to be lost, is yet very plentiful in Argentiere (the ancient Cimolus), Sphanto, and many of those islands. It is a mass of a lax and crumbly texture, and a pure bright white colour, very soft to the touch. It adheres firmly to the tongue, and, if thrown into water, raises a little hissing and ebullition, and moulders to a fine powder. It makes a considerable effervescence with acids, and suffers no change of colour in the fire. These are the characters of what the ancients called simply terra cimolia; but besides this, they had from the same place another earth which they called by the same general name, but distinguished by the epithet purple, purpurea. This they described to be fattish, cold to the touch, of a mixed purple colour, and nearly as hard as a stone. And this was evidently the substance we call fleeterite, or the soap-rock, common in Cornwall, and also in the island of Argentiere, or Cimolus.

CIMOLIA Alba, the officinal name of the earth of which we now make tobacco-pipes. Its distinguishing characters are, that it is a dense, compact, heavy earth, of a dull white colour, and very close texture; it will not easily break between the fingers, and slightly stains the skin in handling. It adheres firmly to the tongue; melts very slowly in the mouth, and is not readily diffusible in water. It is found in many places. That of the isle of Wight is much esteemed for its colour. Great plenty of it is found near Pole in Dorsetshire, and near Wedneshbury in Staffordshire.

CIMOLIA Nigra, is of a dark lead colour, hard, dry, and heavy; of a smooth compact texture, and not vitreous; it does not colour the hands; crumbles when dry; adheres to the tongue; diffuses slowly in water; and is not acted upon by acids. It burns perfectly white, and acquires a considerable hardness. The chief pits for this clay are near Northampton, where it is used in the manufacture of tobacco-pipes. It is also mixed with the cretice clay of Derbyshire, in the proportion of one part to three, in the manufacture of the hard reddish brown ware.