The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-03-01
MADSTONES.
One Which Earned a Fortune
for its Owner.

One Which Earned a Fortune
for its Owner.
Curing the Most Virulent Type
of Hydrophobla.
Ono OF tho most cele brated madstones
in this part Of the world, says the Des
Moincs Qa.) Leader, is that belon ging
to Tuner Evans, OF Paris, Linn county,
this state. This valuable little stone
was formerly owned by gentleman in
Virginia, where it is said to have
effected wonderful eures during the
past 1870 years. 1t has been in the
hands Of the present owner for over
thirty years. During this time it has
been tested several times and has always
given entire satisfaction, never failing
to effect cure. The word ''cure" is
perhaps not the word to tiss in this
connection, for if l am rightfully in
formed 1t i, always made point to use
the stone rs a preventive of hydropho-
bia before the actual appearance of the
rabies. During the past thirty years
this stone has been tried on not less
than 75O persons, and as Mr.. Evans
charges $40 for trial and $50 if it
sticks fast to the wound, which it is
said to do If there is hydrophobic poi
son in tho system, his income from this
source must be considerable. In 1880
a gentleman with whom the writer was
very well acquainted, was bitten by a
dog thought to be suffering with hy-
drophobia. refer to d. G. McGillcn,
who formerly worked in harness shop
in this city. Inquiries were made i'm
mediately as to where the possessor of a
maidstone could DO found. As soon
as this Linn County man was located
McGillen started on his race with death
having no doubt that awful disease
| (hydrophobia) was at that moment SOW
ing its seeds of death in his system. He
arrived at Cedar Rapids tho same night,
was hurried into carriage and taken to
the maidstone man" as soon as possible.
After his return he gave the writer most
OF the facts which have been embodied
in this article. He said that as soon as
| he arrived Mr.. Evans scratched his arm
with pin Che had been bitten in tho
hand) and applied the stone. Before
this, as sort of prologue, Mr. Evans
had informed his patient that if the
hydrophobic germ was in his system the
stone would hold fast to tho spot which
he had sacrificed; but if he had not been
inoculatcd with the fatal poi,on, it
would not stick. In this case my in
| formant said "it stuck like leech,"
and that when removed it was full of
a grcenish fluid that looked '1ikc
scum on pond in August" This
the operator said, was the poison
virus which had been taken from the
system. When tho stone had been
soaked for few minutes in bath COM
posed OF about ono part milk and three
OF water it was again applied. This
operation was repeated for about seven
hours, after which the stone would not
adhere, and the operator pronounced
the patient out of danger. McGillen
described the stone rs whiteish,
| spongy looking little thing, not larger
than fibert, cone-shaped and full of
fine pores. A Mr.. Bunce of Mechanics
vile, this state, had the stone applied
something like seven hundred times be-
fore all the poison was drawn from the
system, the tims consumed for these
operations being something like twonty-
three hours.
]. NJ. Estes of O.ccola, it is said, is
the fortunate possessor of one of these
wonderful stones.
Another i, in the possession Of John
Nelson OF Savannah, Mo.
In May, 1883, Frederick Remy, of
Red Oak, was bitten by mad dog, as
were also six others Of the same city. all
OF whom went to try the virtues OF the
Missouri stone. l be- ieve Rcmy was
the only one that died of hydrophobia
He was bitten May 1s, and showed no
symptoms of the dread disease for
thirty-four days, or until juno 81. He
died after three days OF terrible suffer
ing. am unable to tell you wher, the
maidstone is found or how procured,
that is, to any degree of certainty, but
believe it is found in the bladder of deer
and other animals OF that kind, perhaps
in the gall-bag instead of the bladder.
At any rate, / think it is found some
| place under the skin OF that class of
animals VIII found at all. 1t is rarely
found, however. Thomas Padden, one
of the best-informel men in the south,
says that it is frequently found in the
| south, but that most of the so-callcd
madstones are Of very low grade, and
are used on the bites of snakes and
stings Of pois onous insects. He also
leaves the reader in blissful ignorance
of where the stone is fonnd.
r.