Calamine (mineral) crystallographically quite distinct, the two minerals exhibit similar massive or botryoidal external form and are not readily distinguished without detailed chemical or physical analysis. The first person to separate the minerals was the British chemist and mineralogist James Smithson in 1803. In the mining industry the term calamine has been historically used to refer to both minerals indiscriminately. In mineralogy calamine is no longer considered a valid term. It has been replaced by smithsonite and hemimorphite in order to distinguish it from the pinkish mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron(III) oxide (FeO) used in calamine lotion. In the 16th
Breinigerberg its calamine flora. The hill of "Schlangenberg" is 276 metres above sea level and originates in the former ore mine of Breinigerberg. Names like "Bleiweg", which means "Way of lead", even today, give hints to the history of the village. The calamine from the ore mine Breinigerberg was used exclusively in Stolberg for the production of brass. The history of Breinigerberg can be traced back to the Romans. Twenty five coins dated between 100 BC and the year 92/93 AD as well as remains of a Roman craftsmen settlement had been found in the village. The buildings show that the