Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-07
THE MAIDSTONE.
" on derfu1 Cures of Hydrophobia EFT
fected by Ats Use.
New York Herald

| New ork Herald.
81 believe no one ever died in Vir-
ginia with hydrophobia who could
get to maidstone. ard there are sew
eral madstones IL 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 M. Pasteur.
sit seems 10 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 Culpepper coun-
ty, one il Pittsylvania county and
one IN Grayson county, which the
owner, Mr.. Ingoldsby, showed to my
daughter IT Gently"
"Where does Ingoldsby live in
Grayson county?'
He lives on Bride Creek, near the
North Carolina line, and / think
Bride Creek is his post.ofice."
$50 you know of any other mad
stone in the state2"
Il think there is anther, perhaps,
in Southside, Va"
do you know the special efficacy
OF these stones or anything of their
history?'
ST believe q certain cure in case of
hydrophobia can be performed by
them. and che knowledge Of which
would surprise the country. Thrse
| stones are heirlooms in families, and
no money can buy them"
"Have you personal knowledge of
any case Of hydrophobia having been
cured by one of these stones?"
Not to my own personal knowl-
edge. but DR.. Thomas 7. Matthews,
who lives in Manchester, had broth
er who was bitten by 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 hlm."
CURED BY THE MAIDSTONE.
DR.. T. P. Matthews was found by
the reporter in his beautiful home at
Manchester.
Had you a brother, Doctor, who
was bitten by a..nad dog and was af
terward cured by the application of a
madstone?"
81 he'd" replied the doctor. cit
occurred a long time ago, but the main
facts of the case were SO strongly i'm
pressed on my mind at the time that
I remember them distinctly"
will you please relate them?"
~ ~ we lived at Walkers Church, Ap-
Appomattox County, at the time. Ny
brother, S. T. Matthews, was then
about 90 years old. We had a small
dog, favorite and great pet with all
the family. One evening the little
animal appeared TO be out of sorts.
! Ny 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 occasionally
foamed at the mouth"
w udL was QCn6 GGSn i!
''The family physician, DIR. 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 a maidstone, Ia the lower
part Of Halifax county, and have it
applied at the earliest moment to the
| wound,
what was done with the dog?"
The poor dog had to be killed"
''Well, did your brother go to the
family with the madstone?"
HE did, indeed. The distance was
about fifty miles, He was taken there
next day. 1t took the whole day to
go there with a fast team. Now,
this was the second day after the
bite"
WAS the maidstone applied i'm
mediately?"
''It was"
Gin what way?"
"The maidstone, you know, is a
light, porous substance, of either a
brown OF slate color, and perhaps re-
sembles pumice stone. as I 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"
"Was the cure effected then?"
mo. The stone was then placed
in warm water, where IN a few min
utes it discharged the virus it had al
sorbed while on the wound"
"What was the next proceeding ~
''The stone was again placed upon
the wound, to which it again rigidly
adhered for about the same length of
time as at first, when it again fell off.
It was once more placed in warm
water and third time placed on the
wound, to which it again stuck fast. y