SC - Gemstones

[david friedman]

At 3:45 PM -0400 10/10/00, Jenne Heise wrote:

(I had written)

>  > Why do you assume my persona is easily defrauded? Fake (and improved)
>>  gemstones existed in period, and people knew it.
>
>My understanding is that for a recipe such as this, you would go to your
>apothecary and order the stones required. Trust in apothecaries was
>apparently high, as many doctors complained that people were taken in by
>substitutions.

Many twentieth century people are taken in by a variety of scams, but 
hopefully my twentieth century persona is not one of them. Similarly, 
my period persona doesn't know a lot of things my twentieth century 
persona does, but he isn't particularly credulous.

For a nice period incident of scepticism vs credulity, I recommend 
Ibn Battuta's account of the trembling minaret in a mosque dedicated 
to Ali, I think in Basra. It's in the Miscellany, which I have just 
webbed.
- -- 
David Friedman
Professor of Law
Santa Clara University
ddfr at best.com
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/