The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-12-19
The Maj Stana.

There is superstition or q popular belief,
"as old as the hills" that certain stores o.
mineral substances possess the power If ex-
tracling the virus Of poisonous bites from the
human system. We frequently hear If the
wonderful cures performed on those bitten by
venomous reptiles, or insects, by their 1aeans.
In No. II, volume XIV, current series, we
published a statement of such a case from an
Indiana correspondent in which it was said
The stone was procured from the "renn4t Of a
deer"
Such stone has been shown US. Ilis al
most perfect ellipsolid, slightly hattened in
The line gifts shorter axis; as may be rotced
in the transverse view. From its weight and
appearance it seems 10 be composed Of phos-
phate Of lime.
The stone was brought to US by 5Ir. L.
Lawshe, Of Atlanta, GA, who gives the follow-
ing account: 1t was taken from the stomach of
a deer shot in Houston county, Ga, BY David
Halliburton. Similar collections are not IN
usual in tile stomach Of the deer; those (which
are young having small ones, sometimes not
larger than pea, while in older animals they
are much larger. This is one Of the largest
Mr. Lawshe has seen. His experience Of its
reputcd medical virtue is limited. His bother,
in swarming hive Of bees, was stang on the
back of the neck, and this stone, having been
heated in warm water, was applied to the
swelling one minute, when the pain and swell
ling together disappeared. Mr. Lawshe states
on the authority of hunters in his section of
the country, that the deer feeds with mDunity
on the wild or poisonous ivy, his escape of
death being attributed 10 this stone In one
/ Il:
the ivy, and although the flesh was eaten by
himself and others without bad effect, lis dog
which ate the enraiIs, died.
All this seems to be somewhat doubtful, yet
there are many cases related Of the virtues of
this stone. The specimen under con#idcra-
ton appears to be a water-worn pebble, and
totally unlike the concretons found in the hui
man body, which ares indications of disease
In the opinion of our chemists and geotogists,
to whom it had been submitted, it cannot be a
product Of animal disease, but is unmistHkably
a mineral production, accidentally Dr. Pur-
posey swallowed BY the animal
They do not subscribe TO the popula( belief
in its virtues, and attribute its protested effects
to imagination. AS 4 curiosity, however,
without regard to the fact or falsity oil he as
sumptions made for it, we consider it a suffi-
cient interest to engage the attention Of our
ro9ders. Knowing nothing practically Of the
value of these curious natural productions we
presume to offer no opinion on the subject of
their medical properties It has beeI sug-
gested that the material for these stones is
found in the calcareous and silicious soil about
the salt ticks which deer frequent, ard that
being of an indigestible nature, it remains in
the stomach, gathering gradually aeclctions,
and by muscular action being slowly rounded
into form"
This opinion receives some force from this
TACT, that similar stones, called "be3oars,"
have been known and used in the cas- from
Time immemorial, and are usually foand to
be concretions surrounding some foreign sub
stance in the stomach of lGminantSt The
pearl is said to be formed in a similar manner,
and the Chinese introduce beads and small
images into pearl oysters, Weh in time become
coated with the substance