Pearls have a romantic past. The Chinese regarded them as the physical manifestation of the souls of oysters. One of the prettier names given to the pearl was margarithe, meaning “child of light.” The Arabs called them tears of the gods and said they were formed when raindrops fell into oyster shells. In India, pearls were the perfect wedding gift, promising devotion and fertility. A Hindu wedding ritual involved the piercing of the perfect pearl, a virginity ceremony.
One less-than-successful cure for the plague was this ancient recipe: six grains of powdered pearl in water mixed with ash-tree sap. One remedy for excessive bleeding was a glass of water with one part burned pearl-powder. Snuffing the same was a treatment for headaches. Pearl oil was used for nervous conditions, and pearl poultice was even used for leprosy! Other less glamorous uses for pearl potions were treatments for hemorrhoids and poisoning. An elixir made with one-half a pearl grain was supposed to cure impotence and be an overall aphrodisiac. In bygone days, people were so fond of grinding up pearls that they even used them in toothpaste!
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