Kermes mineral or ''Alkermes mineral'' was a compound of
antimony
Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (from la, stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient time ...
oxides and
sulfide
Sulfide (British English also sulphide) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S2− or a compound containing one or more S2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. ''Sulfide'' also refers to chemical compounds lar ...
s, more specifically, antimony trioxide and trisulfide. It can be made or obtained in the laboratory by the actions of potassium carbonate (K
2CO
3) on antimony sulfide. The compound is reddish brown in color and described as a velvety powder which is insoluble in water. It was used extensively in the medical field until the general use of antimony compounds declined due to toxic effects.
History and Uses
The name is derived from the word ''kermes'' as denoting the compound’s red color. The origins of the term is from the
French ''kermès'', which is short for ''alkermès'', from the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
''al-qirmiz'' a reference to
crimson
Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple.
It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...
dye made from the bodies of insects (see
Kermes (dye)
Kermes is a red dye derived from the dried bodies of the females of a scale insect in the genus '' Kermes'', primarily ''Kermes vermilio''. The ''Kermes'' insects are native in the Mediterranean region and are parasites living on the sap of the ...
). It was also known as
poudre des Chartreux from a story of how it saved the life of a
Carthusian
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...
monk in 1714.
[{{cite EB1911 , wstitle=Kermes , volume=15 , page=746] Because of its reputation as a medication and heal-all (or
panacea
In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art:
* Panacea (the goddess of universal ...
), the formula and production process for Kermes mineral was purchased by the
French government in 1720. Used for centuries in medicine as a health treatment, diaphoretic (causing sweat), anti-inflammatory and emetic it was used through the 19th century and its use extended to
epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
treatment in addition to hectic fever.
See also
*
Kermesite
Kermesite or antimony oxysulfide is also known as red antimony (Sb2S2O) . The mineral's color ranges from cherry red to a dark red to a black. Kermesite is the result of partial oxidation between stibnite (Sb2S3) and other antimony oxides such a ...
References
KermesitePaschal, Ashley and Prof. Bryan Hanson "Dr. William D. Hutchings, 19th Century American Medicine and the Use of Antimony Compounds: A Chemist’s Perspective" (pdf)
History of chemistry