Evaluation of utility of fossils in traditional medicine
Authors
1
Department of Mine, Faculty of Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
2
Professor, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan. Zajnaj, Iran
3
Department of Iranian Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences
10.30470/zpaleo.2025.731910
Abstract
From the past to the present, some fossils have been used as medicine or amulets with mythical or inferred names. Lynx stone (Lapis lincis): In ancient texts, it was attributed to the petrified urine of the lynx and its ability to attract objects such as amber was mentioned. Later, it was considered to be amber or a fossil belemnite. In traditional medicine, this fossil was used to treat stomachaches and urinary problems. Belemnite, which some have identified as the equivalent of lynx stone, has been recommended for the treatment of bladder stones. Toad Stones: In ancient beliefs, it was believed that there was a magical stone in the head of a toad that had medicinal and protective properties. In fact, this "stone" is the fossilized teeth of the Acanthoptergyn fish. Devil’s Toenails are fossilized shells of Cretaceous oysters, so named because of their strange shape. The powder of this fossil was used to treat back pain. Among medicinal fossils, the Jew’s toenail is still used in traditional medicine to treat kidney stones. The extinct echinoderm Balanocidaris from the family Sidaridae and from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous period has long been used to expel kidney stones. In the present study, 20 samples of the fossil were examined. The samples included different species of Balanocidaris and, in terms of mineralogy, they are composed of integrated calcite sheets, and their main elements include oxygen, calcium, carbon, magnesium, sodium, iron, and chlorine. Medical studies show that the magnesium in this fossil can inhibit the growth or dissolution of calcium oxalate crystals and facilitate the excretion of kidney stones.
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