Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-01-07
THE MAIDSTONE.
won derluI Cures of Hy droph o bia Ell.
fectod by Ats Use.
New York Herald


get to maidstone. aud there are sew
eral madstones ia the state and they
are invaluable"
This was the expression OF we'll
known. wealthy gentleman of Lynch
burg to the Herald correspondent
while recently speaking of the persons
bitten by rabid dogs in New Jersey,
who were sent TO France for treatment
by NJ Pasteur.
st seems TO me-" he continued,
'that such thing as maidstone must
be unknown to the great northern
public
do you know the whereabouts of
these madstones" he was asked.
There was one in Calpepper coun-
ty, one in Pittsylvania county and
one in Grayson county, which the
owner, Mr.. Ingoldsby, showed to my
daughter recently"
where does Ingoldsby live in
Grayson county,
HE lives on Birdie Creek, near the
North Carolina line, and 1 think
Bride Creek is his post-office."
"Do you know of any other mad
stone in the statel"
II think there is anther, perhaps,
in Southside, Va"
"Do you know the special efficacy
of these stones or anything of their
history2'
81 believe a certain cure in case OF
hydrophobia oan be performed by
them, and the knowledge Of which
would surprise the country. Thrse
stones are heirlooms in families, acd
no money can buy them"
"Have you personal knowledge of
any ease of hydrophobia having been
cured by one of these stones2"
Not to my own personal knowl-
edge. but DR.. Thomas I. Matthews,
who lives in Manchester, lad broth
err who was bitten by a mad dog and
who was cured by the maidstone suck
ing 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
give you ali the information in the
case if you call on him.
CURED BY THE MAIDSTONE
DR.. II. p. Matthews was found by
the reporter in his beautiful home at
Manchester.
Had you a brother, Doctor, who
was bitten by a.mad dog and was at
terward cured by the application of a
madstonel'
81 he'd, replied the doctor. ut
occurred long time ago, but the main
facts of the case were so strongly i'm
pressed on my mind at the time that
l remember them distinctly
will you please relate them9'
we lived at Walkers Church, APP
Appomattox County, at the time. My
brother, S. +. Matthews, was then
about 20 years old. We had a small
dog, a favorite and great pet with all
the family. One evening the little
animal appeared to be out of sorts.
My brother, observing this was play
ing with him, when the dog viciously
bit him through the arm. Nothing
was thought of the matter till next
day, when it was discovered that the
wound began to look serious, and that
the dog had fits and occasio aally
foamed at the mouth"
'What was done then2n
1.-THE family physician, DR.. Durphy,
was sent for. He examined the dog,
and pronounced him mad. An in
vestigation then revealed the fact 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 a razor
the entire piece of flesh which had
been bitten. He remarked, however,
that the virus had then extended
through the system, and recommend
ed that my brothea be taken to fam
lily who had maidstone, in the lower
part of Halifax county, and have it
applied at the earliest moment TO the
wound.
What was done with the dog2'
1.-The poor dog had to be killed"
well, did your brother go to the
family with the madstone}n
He did, indeed. The distance was
about fifty miles, lie was taken there
next day. 1t took the whole day to
go there with fast team. Now,
this was the second day after the
bite
Was the maidstone applied i'm
mediately"
at was
SIN what way}'
"The maidstone, you know, is a
light, porous substance, of either a
brown or slate color, and perhaps re
sembles pumice stcae. as l remember
it being described. When applied to
the wound it stuck fast, and remained
there of its own accord for a consider
able time. when it fell off y
WAS the cure effected then2"
No The stone was then placed
in warm water, where IN few min.
utes it discharged the virus it had as
sorbed while on the wound"
"What was the next proceeding r.
The stone was again placed upon
the wound, to which it again rigidly
adhered for about the same length of
time as at 6rst, when it again fell off.
1t was once more placed IN warm
water and third time placed on the
wound, to which it again stuck fast,