Magnets

Magnets are objects that produce a magnetic field, which can be used to attract objects. In the past there were a number of misconceptions about magnets, including how it was magic which allowed them to functionde Plancy, J. C., (1863). Dictionnaire Infernal. 6ed. pg.11. 
== Rumoured Capabilities ==
Supposedly a certain magnet exists that has the ability to not only attract iron, but also flesh. This magnet could supposedly be created by mixing claw with a few magnets and bits of iron. It would then have the ability to stick to a person's lips, and if aetite was combined with it, it could supposedly prevent miscarriages. 
Garlic was rumoured to be able to remove a magnet's ability to generate a magnetic field. This rumour goes back to at least the days of Pliny and Plutarch. Likewise, diamonds were said to prevent magnetism. 
According to historical rabbinical sources, corpses were magnetic, and if placed in a boat will cause the boat to turn until the head pointed north. François Rubus, in his treatise on precious stones mentioned in the Book of Revelations, ascribes this ability to the work of the devil. de Plancy, J. C., (1863). Dictionnaire Infernal. 6ed. pg.12
Muslim architects in the middle ages conceived a design where a room with a magnetic ceiling and floor could be placed between two more magnets (one above and one below) to cause it to float between them. This design led to a folk belief that the tomb of Muhammad in Mecca floated in such a configuration.
According to Pliny, Dinocrates the architect tried to vault the Temple of Arsinoe in Alexandria with lodestones in an attempt to cause the statue of Arsinoe to float. Rufinus claims that, at the Temple of Serapis, there was an iron chariot held together by a few magnets which, when removed, would cause the chariot to collapse and fall apart. Bede records ancient tales about Bellerophon's horse, claiming it was made of iron and was suspended between two lodestones, causing it to float. 
It is claimed that wounds made using magnetised material are harder to heal than ordinary wounds. It is also claimed that magnets are poisonous.
It was recorded by Garcias de Huerta, a Spanish physician who accompanied a viceroy, that the Kings of Sri Lanka believed that, by eating on plates made of magnetite, they could preserve their vigour. 
Aetius claims that, if a man with gout held a magnet for a while, he would either feel no pain anymore, or would have his pain lessened. He also supported Marcellus Empiricus' claims that a magnet could cure headaches. These rumours can be attributed to the magnet's attractive power, which was claimed to not only be able to move metal, but also draw pain from a body. This led to magnets being worn as protective philtres. 
Magnets were said to strengthen the bond between father and son, and also between husband and wife, and that they were potent materials for performing magic, such as the protective talismans made out of magnets which were used by the Basilidians to ward off demons. 
According to Dioscorides, thieves would light fires at the corners of a house they wanted to rob, and throw magnets into them to cause more smoke to be created, causing those in the house to evacuate. 
According to Cardan, Laurent Gausius possessed a magnet which, when rubbed against a weapon, would cause wounds dealt by the weapon to cause no pain. 
It was also rumoured that a magnet, when fermented in salt, would produce fishes called Remoras, which could attract gold from wells.
== Further Reading ==
Error Testing, etc. Book II, Chapter 2, by Dr. Brown
== References ==
Category:Dictionnaire Infernal
Category:Debunked Magic