The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-08-27
Mad Stones-Some Facts About Them.

my whole collection" said Prof /
Worth.
The place was Worth's Museum, on
Woodward avenue, Detroit, and the per-
son addressed was NeoOs reporter. The
professor held in his hand a flattened
circle of stone, about three inches In
diameter and an inch and a half thick,
in shape resembling good-sized biscuit
with the top and bottom scooped out
The color was dirty red, and 1t weighed
about three. quarters of pound. The
reporter took it in his hand, looked it
all over intently, but could not see any
thing very curious about it.
81 No idea what it is Well, sir, that
is the famous Virginia mad stone. 1t
has been applied in numerous cases of
poisoning for dog and snake bites, and
has invariably cured the victim. This
one has known record of so years S.
II. Aron, of Virginia, got it from the
Indians, and when he died it came into
the possession of his son, George Aron,
who presented it to his family physi-
clan, DIR. l.. l.. Alexander, of Spring
Hill, Henry county, Tenn, in 1875, in
gratitude for past service. The doctor
was attending lectures at the university,
Louisville, KY, when learned that he
had the maidstone. After four inter-
views he finally consented to sell it to
me, and it is now the leading curiosity
of my museum.
"Did you ever cure any body with
itY"
" Yes Sir, two cases-a man and boy
in st. Louis, Missouri, last year, while
exhibiting on Fifth street They were
both bitten by mad dogs. 1 first pune
tured the place they were bitten with
these needles. Here the professor held
up bunch of Is needles stuck through
a cork. Then, having previously put
the stone in bath of milk and water, 1
applied it to the wound. 1t adhered i'm
mediately, and stuck so fast that it hung
to the flesh without any support. In a
few minutes the milk on the surface of
the stone turned green as verdigris, and
emitted repulsive odor. After being
saturated with the virus it came off,
when put it in another bath of milk
and water, and it discharged the poison.
Then put it on again, and repeated the
process several times till the virus was
all extracted and the patient removed
from danger" .uf
Are there many more of the mad
stones ~ asked the reporter.
|
"There are 18 known to be owned by
different parties in the United States
The most famous is the Turner Evans
maidstone, which is owned by farmer
of that name who lives near Aramosa,
Iowa. 1t has been in his family for
about 1870 years, having been handed
down from father to son for four genera
tions. The stone has been applied over
700 times, and in every case was success
full. 1t has been applied to horses cattle
and human beings. There is one owned
by man in Lincoln, Kansas, II forget
his name, but everybody about there
has heard of it and knows the owner).--
1t is of irregular shape, broken in two,
and held together with a metal band.
"The widow Taylor, of Terre Haute,
Ind, has one also of irregular shape,
also broken, and also held together the
same way. On one occasion locomo-
tive was chartered especially to go to
Terre Haute for this stone. There are
two owned in Missouri, one at Caronde-
let and the other by Judge Griffin, who
resides five miles from St. Charles. There
is another owned in Virginia, between
Lynchburg and Charlottesville. can't
remember the others. The Burlington
Hawkeye" published a list of the
owners of mad-stones in August last,
and 1 have got it, but can't find it tamong
my papers.
DO the owners make any charge for
applying the stonep
" Yes; they generally charge from $50
to 500, and none of them will let the
stone go out of their possession. They
always go with it when it has to be ap.
piled. The only persons who give gratu.
itious uses are Turner, Evans and my
self. Judge Griffin and the man al
, Carondelet have each refused So 1000 fol
their mad-stones. The modus operand
! of using it is generally the same, but
J the Virginia man cleans the virus ou
, of his stone by heating it on a hot shove
{ instead of bathing it in milk"
How do you account for its wonder
full power.