But I cannot tell when the fable arose that
asbestos was a substance derived from the animal. This belief, however,
was general in the Middle Ages, both in Asia and Europe. "The fable of the
Salamander," says Sir Thomas Browne, "hath been much promoted by stories
of incombustible napkins and textures which endure the fire, whose
materials are called by the name of Salamander's wool, which many, too
literally apprehending, conceive some investing part or integument of the
Salamander.... Nor is this Salamander's wool desumed from any animal, but
a mineral substance, metaphorically so called for this received opinion."
Those who knew that the Salamander was a lizard-like animal were indeed
perplexed as to its woolly coat. Thus the Cardinal de Vitry is fain to say
the creature "profert ex cute quasi quamdam lanam de qua zonae
contextae comburi non possunt igne." A Bestiary, published by Cahier and
Martin, says of it: "De lui naist une cose qui n'est ne soie ne lin ne
laine." Jerome Cardan looked in vain, he says, for hair on the
Salamander! Albertus Magnus calls the incombustible fibre pluma
Salamandri; and accordingly Bold Bauduin de Sebourc finds the Salamander
in the Terrestrial Paradise a kind of bird covered with the whitest
plumage; of this he takes some, which he gets woven into a cloth; this he
presents to the Pope, and the Pontiff applies it to the purpose mentioned
in the text, viz. to cover the holy napkin of St. Veronica.
Gervase of Tilbury writes: "I saw, when lately at Rome, a broad strap of
Salamander skin, like a girdle for the loins, which had been brought
thither by Cardinal Peter of Capua. When it had become somewhat soiled by
use, I myself saw it cleaned perfectly, and without receiving harm, by
being put in the fire."
In Persian the creature is called Samandar, Samandal, etc., and some
derive the word from Sam, "fire," and Andar, "within." Doubtless it is
a corruption of the Greek [Greek: Salamandra], whatever be the origin of
that. Bakui says the animal is found at Ghur, near Herat, and is like a
mouse. Another author, quoted by D'Herbelot, says it is like a marten.
[Sir T. Douglas Forsyth, in his Introductory Remarks to Prjevalsky's
Travels to Lob-nor (p. 20), at Aksu says: "The asbestos mentioned by
Marco Polo as a utilized product of this region is not even so known in
this country." - H. C.]
+ Interesting details regarding the fabrication of cloth and paper from
amianth or asbestos are contained in a report presented to the French
Institute by M. Sage (Mem. Ac. Sciences, 2e Sem., 1806, p. 102), of
which large extracts are given in the Diction. general des Tissus, par
M. Bezon, 2e ed. vol. ii. Lyon, 1859, p. 5. He mentions that a Sudarium
of this material is still shown at the Vatican; we hope it is the cover
which Kublai sent.
