Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-10
A VALUABLE MADsToNE.
Hts Ovv ner, an Iowa Man, Has Made Fortune by Renting 1t Out.
 From the Des Moines Leader1

Its Owner, an Iowa Man, Has Made n Fortune by Renting 1t Out. From the Des Moines Leader.l One of the most celebrated madstones in this part of the world is that belonging to Turner Evans, of Paris, Linn county, this State. This valuable little stone was for merly owned by gentleman in Virginia where it is said to have effected wonderful cures during the past one hundred and thirty years. It has been in the hands of the pres ent owner for over thirty years. During this time it has been tested several times and has always given entire satisfaction, never failing to effect a cure. The word "cure Is perhaps not the word to use in this con- neetien, for if I am rightfully informed it is always made point to use the stone ss preventive of hydrophobia before the actual appearance of the rabies. During the past thirty years this stone has been tried on not less than seven hundred and fifty persons, and as MT. Evans charges $10 for trial and $50 if it sticks fast to the wound, which it Is said to do if there is hydrophobic poison in the system, his income from this source must be considerable. In 1880 gentleman with whom the writer was very well acquain- ted was bitten by dog thought to be suffer ing from hydrophobia. I refer to D. 0. McGillen, who formerly worked in harness shop in this city. Inquiries were made i'm mediately as to where the possessor of maidstone could be 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 sowing it's seeds of death in his system. He arrived at Cedar Rapids the same night, was hurried into carriage and taken to the ''madstone 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 soon he ar- rived MT. Evans scratched his arm with 8 pin Che had been bitten in the hand) and applied the stone. Before this as a sort of pro- logue, MT. Evans had informed his patient that if the hydrophobic germ was in his sys- tenn the stone would hold fast to the spot which he had sacrificed; but if he had not been inoculated with the fatal poison, it would not stick. In this case my informant said ''it stuck like leech," and that when | removed it was full of greenish fluid that looked ''like scum on pond in August This, the operator said, was the poison virus which had been taken from the system. When the stone had been soaked for a few ! minutes in 8 bath composed of about one 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 pro- nounced the patient out of danger. McGillen described the stone as whitish, spongy ! looking little thing, not larger than hlbert, cone-shaped and full of fine pores. A MT. Bunce, of Mechanicsville, this State, had the 1 stone applied something like seven hundred I times before all the poison was drawn from | the system, the time consumed for these | operations being something like twenty three ! hours.
 J.. M. Estes, of Osceola, it is said, is the | fortunate possessor of one of these wonderful | stones.
 Another is 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 si1
 others of the same city, all of whom went t.
 try the virtues of the Missouri stone. I be
 lieve Kenny was the only one that died o
 hydrophobia. He was bitten May IS, ant
 showed no symptoms of the dread disease fo
 thirty-four days, or until June 21. He diet
 after three days of terrible suffering. I an
 unable to tell you where the maidstone i
 found or how procured, that is, to any de
 gree of certainty, but believe it is fount
 in the bladder of deer and other animal
 of that kind, perhaps in the gall-bag in
 stead of the bladder. At any rate, I thinl
 it is found some place under the skin o
 that class of animals when found at all l
 is rarely found, however. Thomas Padden
 one of the best-informed men in the South
 says that it is frequently found in tn
 South, but that most of the so-called mad
 stones are of very low grade, and ar
 used on the bites of snakes and stings o.
 poisonous insects. He also leaves the reade
 in bliss-ful ignorance of where the stone i
 found.