The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
The MAIDSTONE.
a Wonderful Indian Relic that Rivals Pas
teur-Where Ii ItS

IA maidstone is the most wonderful
cure for the bite of a mad dog or o
snake that the world has ever known.
Unfortunately there have been only two
of them ever found. One of these was
and was famous ali through the state
for fifty years before the war. The
number of people who had been bitten
sins, and whose lives that stone had
saved, mounts up into hundreds"
"Where is the stone MOVIE" asked the
reporter of the man who made the state
ment.
ut was sold at auction after the
death of Mrs. King, about fifteen years
ago, and bought by a stranger who paid
$500 for it. No one knew who he was
or where he went after the sale. He
and the stone simply disappeared.
~ was, and probably still am, the
owner of the other maidstone. 1t was
found about twenty years ago in an In
dian mound in GAINESVILLE, Mccklenburg
county, Va, by a Mr.. Morse. He gave
it to me after the war, and it has been
in my possession since then. When
this epidemic of rabies broke out in
New Jersey I looked for it. but it too
had disappeared. During the last week
l have turned my house upside down,
but it can't be found. 1t is, of course,
somewhere in the house, but just where
it will trouble me to learn. Some years
ago I lent 1t to q friend in Philadelphia.
lie Submitted it to several eminent ply
sicians in Philadelphia for examination.
They tested it, and after curing several
mad dog and snake bites with it, they
agreed that it was the most wonderful
thing they had w seen"
"How is the stone applied?"
cit is a piece of perfectly black por-
u stone, SO light that it will float on
water, and about the size of my little
finger. 1t has puzzled biologists Won
deriully, for they cannot tell what kind
of stone it is, gcologically speaking.
When a person is bitten by q mad dog
the stone is pressed against the wound.
In half n minute it will begin to turn
green, and will adhere as tightly to the
flesh as if it was a piece Of sticking
plaster. AS it absorbs the poison it
grows more green. until it is the color
of an oak leaf. Then it falls off, and
after being washed in tcpid water and
cleansed of the green fluid, can be used
again and again until it refuses to abb
sorb any more poison.
81 have seen it used on d negro's arm
that had been bitten by a mocassin
snake, which is about as vcnomous rs a
rattlesnake. Nearly half an hour had
elapsed between the time he was bitten
and the application of the maidstone,
and his hand, arm and shoulder were
frightfully swollen. In another half an
hour he would have been dead. The
maidstone took hold like q lecch and
filled itself seven times with the green
ish fluid have spoken of. While this
process of absorption was going on you
could see the swelling decrease minute
by minute until, wien the maidstone
would absorb no more and remained
perfectly black when applied, the mans
arm was its natural size once again.
"A maidstone is a most wonderful
thing" concluded Mr.. FitZwilson. GIVE
heard of the Indians in the mountains
of North Carolina having one some
years ago. but no white man ever saw
it. I shall make every effort to learn
where mine is, and if I can find it I shall
send it directly to Newark, where it's
marvellous powers can be demonstrated
to the satisfaction of every onc.n