Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-23


three Stones in Virginia.
iron, the Ne,o York Herald.
RICHMOND VA, Dec. Isl believe no
one ever died in Virginia with hydropho-
Sio who could get to a maidstone, and
tbore are several madstones in the State
and they are invaluable"
This was the expression OF a we'll
taown, wealthy gentleman OF Lguchburg
,.b;Ie recently speaking of the persons
sittrn by rabid dogs in New Jersey who
yrere sent to France for treatment by NJ.
.,It seems 20 me,'' he continued, "that
sroh a thing as a maidstone must be- I'M
Lnown to the great Northern public"
..Do you know the whereabouts Of these
nadstonesp he was asked.
..There was one in Culpepper county,
one in Pittsylvania county and one In
Grayson county, which the owner, MIR.
lngoldsbV, showed to my daughter re-
Where does Ingoldsby live in Grayson
county"
North Carolina line, and L think Bride
Creek is his post office"
"DO you know Of any other maidstone in
the StateW
81 think there is another, perhaps, in
,tDo YOU know the special efficacy of
these stones or anything of their his
tOry?"
II believe a certain cure in cases of
hvdrophobla can be performed by them,
ard the knowledge of which would sur
prise the country. These stones are heir
looms in families and no money can buy
them.'
..Have you personal knowledge Of any
ease of hVdrophObia having been cured by
one OF these stOnesY
''Not OF my owa personal knowledge,
but Dr.. Thomas P. Mathews, who lives in
Manchester, had a brother who was Bit
ten by mad dog and who was cured by
the maidstone sucking out the virus.
Many years ago he was my neighbOr and
he related to me the marvellous drawing
OF the virus from the bite. He would
doubtless give you all the information in
the case if you would call on him."
CURED BY THE MAIDSTONE.
DR.. T. P. Mathews was. found at his
4 handsome residence on Twelfth street,
west of HULL the adjoining city of Man
chester.
"Had you brother, doctor, who was
bitten by rabid dog and was atterward
cured by the application of madstoner
be was asked.
i =.
Cured a long time ago, but : e main
facts Of the case were so strongly impress
ed on my mind at the time that l remem-
Der them distinctly"
"Will You please relate themW
I'VE lived at Walkers Church, Apo
mattox county, at the time. My brother,
5. +. Mathews, was then about 20 years
h old. We had a small dog, favorite and
treat pet with all of the family. One
ii ,;r,rr ,oI IN no
out of sorts. My brother, observing this,
was playing with and petting it, when the
dog vlciously bit him through the left arm,
lust above the elbow. Nothing was thought
Of the matter till next day, when it was
discovered that the wound began to look
serious and the little dog had fits and Oc-
casionally fOamed at the mouth"
s What was done tnenW
'FThe family physician, DR.. Durphy, was
sent for. He examined the dog and pro-
n0unced him mad. An investigation then
4 revealed thefaet that our dog had been
bitten by another rabid dog the preceding
day and the same on which my brother
had been bitten. This alarmed the family
greatly, and DR.. Durphy at once cut out OF
my brothers. arm with razor the entire
piece OF flesh which had been bitten. He
remarked, however, that the virus had
then extended through the system, and
recommended that my brother be taken to
a family who had a maidstone, in the
lower part of Halifax county, and have
it applied at the earliest moment to the
WouRdgN
What was done with the dog"
''The poor dog had to be killed."
We'll, did your brother go TO the family
with the madstOnew
He did, indeed. The distance was
about 50 miles,, He was taken there next
day. 1t took the whole day to go there
with fast team. Now, this was the Sec
ond day after the bite"
WAS the maidstone applied immedi-
atelyT'
st was"
In what way?"
The maidstone, you must know, is a
light porous substance, Of either brown
Or slate color. and perhaps resembles pu-
nice stone, as | remember it being de-
scribed. When applied to the wound it
stuck fast, and remained there Of its own
accord for a considerable time, when ii
fell OFF,
WAS the cure effected thenw
mo. The stone was then placed in
warm water, where in few minutes 1t
discharged the virus it had absorbed
while on the wound"
What was the next proceeding"
The stone was again placed upon the
wound, to which it again rigidly adhered
Ion about the same length Of time as at
trst, when 1t again fell OF. 1t was once
more placed in warm water and third
lime placed on the wound, to which again
stuck fast"
How often Was this done"
Il think four times. and cure was then
sad. by the owners of the stone, to have
been effected"
How did you know that cure had
been etIectedw
Because the stone refused longer to
adlere to the wound, which was, in their
esumation, proof positive that all the
virus in my brothers. system had been
6tracted, and there was no further dan
ger0
Did your brother ever after have any
Ymptoms Of metropolitan
"henever had. His wound healed and
ne arm was soon quite we'll"
y your brother still ligingW
He Is not. He died of typhoid fever II
ears after the occurre1cee ! have just
: Old YOU"
DO you know where that particular
= haa5stone now tsp
VI do not. / suppose IL is still In the
lands Of the same family. They would
ot part with il. have heard, for any
mount OF money. They never refused the
Sc Of it and never made any charges FOR
wonderful cures.'
do You remember thenam OF the peo'