A bezoar or enterolith is a sort of calculus or concretion, a stone found in the intestines of mostly ruminant animals, but occurring among others including humans. There are several varieties of bezoar, some of which have inorganic constituents and others organic. A calculus is a stone (a concretion of material, usually mineral salts) that forms in an organ or duct of the body. ... 1. ... “Rock” redirects here. ... In anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ruminantia. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. ... Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon and hydrogen; therefore, carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon are not organic (see below for more on the definition controversy...

History

Bezoars were formerly sought after because they were believed to have the power of a universal antidote against any poison. It was believed that a drinking glass which contained a bezoar set within would neutralize any poison poured into the glass. The word "bezoar" ultimately comes from the Persian pâdzahr (پادزهر), which literally means "protection from poison." In fact, some types of trichobezoar are apparently able to precipitate or bind arsenic compounds (long used as poison) from a solution.^{[citation needed]} An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. ... The skull and crossbones symbol (Jolly Roger) traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ... “Farsi” redirects here. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Standard atomic weight 74. ...

In 1575, the surgeon Ambroise Paré described an experiment to test the properties of the Bezoar Stone. At the time, the Bezoar stone was deemed to be able to cure the effects of any poison, but Paré believed this was impossible. It happened that a cook at Paré's court was caught stealing fine silver cutlery. In his shame, the cook agreed to be poisoned. He then used the Bezoar stone to no great avail as he died in agony days after. Paré had proved that the Bezoar stone could not cure all poisons as was commonly believed at the time. Ambroise Paré. Ambroise Paré (1510 – December 20, 1590) was a French surgeon, the official royal surgeon for kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III, is considered by some as one of the Fathers of Surgery. ...

A famous case in the common law of England (Chandelor v. Lopus, 79 Eng Rep. 3, Cro. Jac. 4, Eng. Ct. Exch. 1603) announced the rule of caveat emptor, "let the buyer beware" if the goods he purchased are in fact genuine and effective. The case concerned a purchaser who sued for the return of the purchase price of an allegedly fraudulent bezoar. (How the plaintiff discovered that the bezoar did not work is not discussed in the report.) Judicial scepticism over the alleged magical powers of bezoars may well have justified this judgment in this particular case. The ruling, however, was seized on and formed an impediment to the formation of effective consumer protection remedies and the law of implied warranty well into the nineteenth century. This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Exchequer was (and in some cases still is) a part of the governments of England (latterly to include Wales, Scotland and Ireland) that was responsible for the management and collection of revenues. ... Year 1603 (MDCIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Caveat emptor is Latin for Let the buyer beware. Generally Caveat Emptor was the property law doctrine that controlled the sale of real property after the date of closing. Under the doctrine of Caveat Emptor, the buyer could not recover from the seller for defects on the property that rendered... In the broadest sense, a fraud is a deception made for personal gain. ... A plaintiff, also known as a claimant or complainer, is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an action) before a court. ... Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... Not to be confused with Magic (illusion). ... Consumer protection is a form of government regulation which protects the interests of consumers. ... In common law jurisdictions, an implied warranty is a contract law term for certain assurances that are presumed to be made in the sale of products or real property, due to the circumstances of the sale. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy notes that persimmons have been identified as causing epidemics of intestinal bezoars, and that up to ninety percent of food boluses that occur from eating too much of the fruit require surgery for removal.^[1] Species See text A Persimmon is any of a number of species of trees of the genus Diospyros, and the edible fruit borne by them. ...

Bezoar pearls

In addition to bivalve pearls, there are a group of sacred natural gemstones largely considered bezoar stones, which were first documented in the Garuda Purana, one of the books of Hindu holy text Atharvaveda. In addition to oyster pearls, also enumerated are the Conch Pearl, Cobra Pearl, Boar Pearl, Elephant Pearl, Bamboo Pearl, Whale Pearl, Fish Pearl, and Cloud Pearl. These pearls were later documented in the treatise Brihat-Samhita ("The Great Compilation") of Varahamihira, the Indian mathematician. The first documented contact with these artifacts by the Western world is described in the sole volume of 18th Century scientist Albertus Seba, entitled Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. Therein, a large collection of bezoar stones and non-oyster pearls were hand-sketched, and the collection of these items were on display in a forum which was the precursor of the modern day museum. Today, the original 446-plate volume, part of the greater work Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesauri Accurata Descriptio, is on permanent exhibit at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in The Hague, Netherlands. Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as the smriti. ... The Atharvaveda (Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद, , a tatpurusha compound of , a type of priest, and meaning knowledge) is a sacred text of Hinduism, and one of the four Vedas, often called the fourth Veda. According to tradition, the Atharvaveda was mainly composed by two groups of rishis known as the Bhrigus and the... This volume of Varahamihira is an encyclopedia of wide ranging subjects of human interest, including astrology, planetary movements, eclipses, rainfall, clouds, architecture, growth of crops, manufacture of perfume, matrimony, domestic relations, gems, pearls, and rituals. ... Varahamihira (505 – 587) was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer born in Ujjain. ... Albertus Seba (1665-1736) was a Zoologist who published an early Thesaurus of animal specimens. ... The Dutch Royal Library (in Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek or KB) is the national library of The Netherlands in The Hague. ... Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006)  - Municipality 98. ...

While the sacred Nine Pearls of Vedic tradition are typically considered bezoars, the Bamboo Pearl forms in the stem of the Bamboo plant, while others such as the Cloud Pearl have no known formation process. The Nine Pearls, sometimes known as the Nava Moti (or nine gems, or mani), are a group of sacred gemstones described in the Vedic text known as the Garuda Purana. ... This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period; see Dharmic religions for details of contemporary religious practices. ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Cloud (disambiguation). ...

Types of bezoars

• Food boli (singular, bolus) imitate true bezoars and are composed of loose aggregates of food items such as seeds, fruit pith, or pits as well as other types of items such as shellac, bubble gum, and concretions of some medications.
• Pharmacobezoars (or medication bezoars) are mostly tablets or semi-liquid masses of drugs.
• Phytobezoars are composed of nondigestible food material (e.g., cellulose) and are frequently reported in patients with impaired digestion and decreased gastric motility.
• Trichobezoar is a bezoar formed from hair - an extreme form of hairball. Humans who frequently consume hair sometimes require these to be removed. This has also been called Rapunzel syndrome.

For the 1968 stage production, see Hair (musical), for the 1979 film, see Hair (film). ... A hairball from a short-haired orange tabby cat (about 2 in/5 cm long). ... Rapunzel Syndrome (also known as Trichobezoar) is an extremely rare intestinal condition. ...

Miscellaneous

• Other types of bezoars are formed from items such as stone or sand, usually in young children.
• Ox bezoars are used in Chinese herbology, where they are called Niu-huang.
• In alchemy, animal bezoar is the heart and lungs of the viper, pulverized together.^[1]
• In alchemy, mineral bezoar is an emetic powder of antimony, correct with spirit of nitre, and softened by repeated lotions, which were said to carry off the purgative virtue of the antimony, and substitute a diaphoretic one. It promoted sweat like the stone of the same name. ^[1]

Herbology is the art of combining medicinal herbs. ... Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ... This article is about the element. ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... A diaphoretic is a drug which increases perspiration. ...

In popular culture

• Bezoars, a trichobezoar in particular, were featured in the Sandman comic storyline "Calliope", in the graphic story collection The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman.
• Bezoars have made appearances in Robert Jordan's Further Chronicles of Conan
• A Darwin Award was awarded to someone who died from a bezoar resulting from compulsively eating her own hair [1].
• A Bezoar was used as an ingredient in one of several configurations in the Xbox game Jade Empire.
• The Mehrunes Razor extra content for the Xbox 360 and PC game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion features a Bezoar from an albino Guar, a cattle like creature. It also features a Trichobezoar Extract potion that cures poison and increases your poison resistance.

<--* A fictional monster in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode entitled "Bad Eggs" shared a name with the Bezoar. The subterranean creature birthed parasitic offspring which would infect human hosts enslaving them to the mother Bezoar.--> The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... Dream Country is the third graphic novel collection of the comic book series The Sandman, published by DC Comics. ... Dream Country is the third graphic novel collection of the comic book series The Sandman, published by DC Comics. ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ... For other persons named Robert Jordan, see Robert Jordan (disambiguation). ... Named in honor of Charles Darwin, a Darwin Award is a manifestation of Internet humor, a dubious/sarcastic/cynical honor awarded to those members of the species Homo sapiens who have improved the human gene pool by removing themselves from it in a spectacularly stupid manner. ... Jade Empire is an action RPG developed by Canadian developer BioWare. ... The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a game currently under development by Bethesda Softworks for the PC, Xbox 2, and Playstation 3. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ...

• The first mention of the bezoar stone is by the Arabic and Persian writers. In the Arabic work attributed to Aristotle, and which was certainly written by the ninth and possibly as early as the seventh century, it is even described among the precious stones. The same is true of the oldest Persian work on medicine, namely, that of Abu Mansur Muwaffak, composed about the middle of the tenth century. A valuable monograph on the bezoar was written in 1625 by Caspar Bauhin, a learned professor and physician of Basel; this work contains all that was then known of the various qualities ascribed to this substance by the older authors.^{[citation needed]}
• A patient in episode 2.13 (Begin the Begin) of Grey's Anatomy was found to have a bezoar; he had eaten his novel because he thought it was so bad and wanted to literally "put it behind him."
• In the Harry Potter series, bezoars are, as noted by Professor Snape in Harry's first potions lesson, "a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, which will protect from most poisons." In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry uses a bezoar to save Ron Weasley's life when he accidentally drinks poisoned mead.

This article is about the television series. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Severus Snape (born January 9, c. ... Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released on July 16, 2005, is the sixth of seven novels in J.K. Rowlings popular Harry Potter series. ... Ronald Bilius Ron Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ...

See also

• bezoardicum
• The bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus)
• Snake-Stones

Bezoardicum (bezoar of) is a term applied to multiple substances used in alchemy and other practices. ... Binomial name Capra aegagrus Erxleben, 1777 Subspecies Capra aegagrus aegagrus Capra aegagrus blythi Capra aegagrus chialtanensis Capra aegagrus cretica Capra aegagrus hircus Capra aegagrus turcmenica The Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus) is a common type of goat. ... Snake-Stones or Black-Stones are used to treat snake bites in many parts of the world. ...

References

1. ^{^} This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain. [2]

• Barry Levine. 1999. Principles of Forensic Toxicology. Amer. Assoc. for Clinical Chemistry. ISBN ISBN 1-890883-87-5.

• Martín-Gil FJ, Blanco-Ávarez JI, Barrio-Arredondo MT, Ramos-Sanchez MC, Martin-Gil J. Jejunal bezoar caused by a piece of apple peel - Presse Med, 1995 Feb 11;24(6):326.

• The Poison Sleuths: Arsenic - The King of Poisons. Retrieved March 10, 2007.

This webpage is a reprint by the author of an article originally published in the 1997 issue of Science Reporter, published by the National Institute of Science Communication (CSIR) in India.

Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge&#8212;writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others&#8212;in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• A trichobezoar at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Washington DC.