The Tourmaline, written in the 18th century in England as Tumalin, is derived from the Ceylonese TURMALI or TORAMALLI. The first specimens to arrive in London were known as “Brazilian Emeralds,” and they came from Brazil in the 17th century only to meet with an unfavorable reception. In the beginning of the 18th century Dutch merchants began to bring from Amsterdam specimens obtained by them from Ceylon. The Dutch cutters, observing how straw and other particles were attracted to specimens which had been lying in the sunlight, called the stone in consequence Aschentrekker (ash attractor). The Germans called it Azchenzieher, and the French Tire-cendre. The Swedish scholar Linnæus experimented with the Tourmaline, calling it the “Electric Stone.” M. Lemery, the French Professor, called it the “Magnetic.” The experiments of Æpinus and Lehmann were concerned with the positive and negative energies exhibited by the Tourmaline. These 18th century scholars held that its power of repulsion exceeded its power of attraction. This sensitive stone is affected by weather changes, and it exhibits considerable power when heated—the electricity then developed being termed pyro-electric. Professor W. Goodchild, M.B., etc., details an interesting experiment in dealing with the Physical Properties of Gem Stones: "A crystal of tourmaline, in heating to 150° C., becomes positively electrified at one terminature and negatively at the other. If now it be suspended by a non-conducting thread it will act as a magnet: on cooling, the charges on the poles reverse, positive becoming negative. If a crystal with such a charge be dusted with a fine mixture of sulphur and red lead, the yellow sulphur will be attracted to the portions charged with positive electricity, while the red lead goes to the negatively charged portions." This experiment serves to illustrate the attraction of the mind (represented by yellow sulphur), towards the positive pole, and matter (represented by red lead), towards the negative pole, as noted in the philosophical researches of the old alchemists. If in a heated state, the tourmaline be shattered all the little pieces will exhibit the forces of attraction and repulsion so marked in this strange stone. It has been suspected, not without reason, that tourmaline specimens were used by some of the Eastern students of alchemy who held primarily that the substance of the Philosopher’s Stone is Mercurial and that it should be treated with heat, for by that means alone would its use be shown, warmth coming from the Heavens to bless Man, Nature, and the Kingdoms of Nature.