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Stephenson:Neal:The System of the World:649:hair-balls we used to pull from cows' bellies (Armaced)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

These hair balls are known as trichinobezoars.

Trichino- is the Greek stem for "hair".

Bezoars were formerly sought after because they were believed to have the power of a universal antidote against any poison. It was believed that a drinking glass which contained a bezoar set within would neutralize any poison poured into the glass. The word "bezoar" ultimately comes from the Persian pâdzahr (پادزهر), which literally means "protection from poison."