The excerpt examined in this article is especially important, as it represents the first known mechanochemical reaction, as well as the first description of any process for obtaining a pure metal from a compound.
Some mechanochemical effects are quite intuitive.
For example, the dissolution of salt or sugar can be accelerated by prior grinding. The written history of mechanochemistry is much shorter. This is a very clear description of a mechanochemical process. B.C. Theophrastus' History of Stones is the earliest preserved text on any subject related to chemistry or metallurgy. As such, it deserves a careful look.