In fact, until now, we all know that there were books about mining in ancient China, but in many other seemingly unrelated books, we can often find some knowledge about minerals and chemistry. For example, gunpowder, one of the four great inventions, was invented by Sun Simiao, who called the method of refining this kind of gunpowder sulfur fire method. Why did Sun Simiao study gunpowder?
Because of the highest pursuit of Chinese medicine? An alchemist According to legend, Shennong can refine the elixir to prolong life, but it has not been handed down from later generations, but people still have unremitting pursuit of alchemy, so many very important by-products are refined in the process of alchemy, and gunpowder is one of them. Blue alum, that is, the replacement reaction of copper sulfate pentahydrate, is also recorded in a Taoist classic "Bao Puzi": Zeng Qing painted iron, iron red as copper? .
As for how to find underground iron ore, many ancient books have recorded it. The earlier one is "Pipe", which reads: there is cinnabar on the top and gold on the bottom. Above is a kind of stone, below is copper and gold. Above is lingshi, below is lead, tin and copper. People with ochre on them have iron on them. ? It can be seen from here that in the Spring and Autumn Period, the ancients had been able to discover gold, copper, tin, iron and other minerals hidden underground by observing the environment.
In ancient times, China always paid attention to the harmony between man and nature, even in science and technology. The universe cares about hands, and everything is born in the body. ? Therefore, it is advocated to understand the situation of heaven and earth through people's own induction and observation, not through instruments. Therefore, this method of studying underground minerals by observing the characteristics of surrounding vegetation, stones and other environments was also loved by people at that time.
This method is not only recorded in the classics of sages such as Guanzi, but also in some Feng Shui books that most of us find disdainful. For example, judging whether the body in the grave is male or female by observing the growth of plants on the grave, and judging which side the body faces by observing the growth of plants on the grave, these are actually the applications of this thinking.
In Notes on Grave Robbery, a grave robber needs to observe the mountains, water and vegetation on the ground to judge where there is a big grave under the ground, where the grave may have been submerged by groundwater, and where the grave is very easy to dig, so it is necessary to know. Divide the money and set up a point? In fact, these are the experiences of landscape topography and geological geography. Harmony between man and nature? Thought, can't they say? Why? But do you know what to do? What should we do?
Chinese medicine practitioners who study medicine often study geology. Different soil and moisture often lead to different medicinal properties of plants growing nearby, and metal minerals themselves are one of the important components of traditional Chinese medicine. For example, Shennong materia medica is divided into plant medicine, animal medicine and mineral medicine, and the source of minerals is also briefly introduced, such as mercury sulfide, which is cinnabar. Shennong Materia Medica introduces this:
The main body contains five zang diseases, which can nourish the mind and soothe the nerves, replenish qi and improve eyesight, and kill evil spirits. Long service will keep God young. It can turn into mercury and produce valleys. ?
It shows that the ancients found that cinnabar was generally in the valley and knew that mercury sulfide could produce mercury.
Except for the pipe. There is a kind stone above, but there is copper and gold below? Generally speaking, the ancients concluded that any underground with blue or purple plants on the ground would contain copper ore or copper compounds. In order to show the difference, the ancients called this blue plant copper grass flower. No metal detectors or chemical experiments are needed. The ancients can accurately confirm whether there is a copper mine below at a glance. Isn't it amazing?