Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-03-30
VIRTUES or THE MAIDSTONE.


The wonderful story of It's Enects Told
from Personal Observation by Woman
OF Seventy-six.
A writer in the st. Louis Republican,
in pursuit of some definite statements
as to the cures said to be performed by
the maidstone, was introduced to Mrs.
Smith, whom he found to be bright,
intelligent and sprightly old lady OF
seventy-six years Of age, end who will
ingly gave all the information she
possessed, interspersing the interview
with many anecdotes. The maidstone
is in shape Of q Masonic badge worn by
chapter members of that Order, with
round instead Of square corners. It is
one and one-half inches long by one
and one-half inches wide at the widest
part and two-eighths of an inch in
thickness, its weight being about one
ounce. It is of a copper color, tinged
with green, some portions Of it being
brown, others OF lead color. As Mrs.
Smith said. it is somewhat Of the nature
OF the chameleon as to color.
Mrs. Smith said !: ssMy husband got
it from Mr.. John Giger, of Jefferson
county. Mo-, about thirty five years ago,
and he got it from friend some thirty
years previous to that time, and that
friend got it from the Indians. This
friend resided in Arkansas. / do not
know where it was originally found,
but I have heard that they are found in
the head Of an elk. The stone was
about twice as large as it is now. Mr..
Giger broke it in two and gave half of
it to Mr.. Boldduke, his nephew, who
used his stone on horses and cattle that
had been snakebitten until it would not
take hold on a person who had been
bitten by mad dog, and for that reason
Captain Smith would never allow this
one to be used to cure anything but the
bite OF q mad dog or mad cat. Per-
sons frequently applied to him to cure
them Of snakebite, but he would not
try it.
"The first person bitten and to whom
this stone was applied coming under
my observation and knowledge was q
Mrs. Spon, who had been bitten by a
mad cat, and the mad stone was ap-
piled and struck many times, and she
recovered from the bite. She is now
dead. A large number of persons,
nearly hundred, suppose, have had
it applied when bitten by mad dogs,
and only one went mad after it was ap-
piled. That was very sad case. That
person was Mrs. McRea, wife of Major
McRea, at Jefferson barracks. When
she was bitten she wanted to go to the
mad stone, but her husband did not be-
lieYe the dog was mad, and consequent
ly she did not go. After nine weeks
the lady went mad. Then he sent for
Captain Smith, DIR. Pope (who
kept the college in ST. Louis and died
in Paris). DR.. Taussig and DR.. Bailey,
the surgeon at the barracks, and had
the stone applied. Captain Smith told
the physicians il could do no good, and
it did not, although il struck to the
place where the dog had bitten her on
the face. She died in a few hours.
After that, because he saw the stone
stick, DIR. Pope sent every one bitten
by mad dogs to Captain Smith to have
the mad stone applied, aud I believe
he had great faith in it or he would not
have sent them. It will not stick when
applied to an ordinary bite of dog or
sore, but when the dog is mad it will
stick sometimes as much as twenty
times, in some cases only two or three
times. Sometimes persons have stayed
with us for weeks, applying the stone
every day. One young man from Illi-
nois stayed eight weeks. It is wonder
ful how frightened persons become who
have been bitten by mad dogs. DIR.
Perkett, residing in Carondelet, always
sent patients to us, and I believe had
faith in the mad stone.
81 will refer to two cases to prove
the power possessed by this stone-the
fret was that OF Mr.. Nicholas Bore
and his little son, about eight years
ago. They came to our house and had
the stone applied. 1t stuck to both Of
them, but only few times to the little
boy. The man vas badly bitten in two
or three places and he would not re-
main until the stone quit sticking, but
went home. The man went home and
died, but his son got well. The other
is the case Of Mrs. Court and daughter,
residing at Benton station. They were
bitten and did not know that the dog
was mad until the girl went mad. The
mother came to me in great fear. I
applied the mad stone and she did not
60 mad. In a great many cases the
dog would bite other animals, as dogs,
COWS and horses, and they would go
mad, and the person, when the stone
was applied, would not. II never
failed when the person came in time.
except in the case Of Mr.. Bore. When
the stone has been applied and it sticks,
+ let it stay on until 7 can snap it of
with my finger. The person can walk
ab out the room with it sticking on.
Then I place it in milk warm water.
I have used one cup ever since we had
the stone. It sinks to the bottom and
little bubbles about the size Of a grain
of wheat and raapyn7IinO a nerrnnsa