Geoscientist Online

Rocks, minerals and fossils have been used by man therapeutically since ancient times. The Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides who was the imperial surgeon to Nero and the legions of the Roman army ‘published’  his five volume magnum opus The Materia Medica  around 64 AD, although largely a medical herbal work his last volume contains a section called ‘Metallic Stones’. He advocated the use of rocks, limestone, pumice and serpentine; minerals, cinnabar, calcite, pyrite, realgar, asbestos and corundum, one shudders to think how these might have been administered and fossils such as echinoid spines and oysters. This became a standard work of reference for the next 1400 years.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century when the science of geology was still in its infancy progress and scientific advancement was the preserve of men who were quite naturally from other disciplines and  names such as William Buckland, who became Dean of Westmintser, Charles Lyell, a lawyer by profession and George Bellas Greenhough  who was involved with the legal profession. These were the men who would further the science of geology, along with a number from the medical profession such as James Parkinson, a founder member of the Society, John Jeremiah Bigsby, who founded the Bigsby Medal that is awarded by the Society, Edward Jenner, and William Hunter, all of whom made significant contributions to the understanding of geology as an emerging science.

The links between geology and medicine are explored in this volume as a series of 29 papers from an international array of authors covering subjects as diverse as ‘the influence of geology in the development of public health’ and ‘the health properties of groundwater’ to’ Dr Arthur Conan Doyle’s contribution to the popularity of pterodactyls’ and ‘the pharmaceutical use of pumice’. A truly diverse collection which makes this eclectic series of papers fascinating reading.

The papers in the publication are varied in their scope and give a broad history of the interrelationship between geology and medicine. It is well illustrated, including some in colour and the 15 plus pages of references is a very useful addition to what will certainly be seen as a definitive work of reference in the future. This is the first ever volume dedicated to this subject, It is an enjoyable read it can recommended to all who have an interest in the history of geology and the history of medicine, it must certainly be recognised in the future as a seminal work.

Reviewed by Richard Porter