Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-12-26

Its cllnging to the palate and csnsin.
water to boil when immersed. il aet',aHs
has the property of strongly adhar;na !!
the tongue, and when put into water a7,i "
rapid streams of minute bubbles ~ ~
II mas strong sllleeous odor, but ahar
| absorbing an equal bulk of water Ia.
comes transparent, like Colorado bv.
drophane described by the writer several
years ago before the New York academy
of sciences
Although this substance is mentioned -
nearly all of the text books. very Ittla -
1t has reached the United States. II i
highly interesting, since we have mere an
organic product scarcely to he distingn
ed from a similar opallike body found
by Arnold Hague In the gevsers ~
the Yellowstone Park. Both tabashaar
and Eydrophane were probably what was
called 'Oculus bell" Oeulus mundi" and
"Lapis mutabilis" by Thomas NicoI. Rob.
ert Boi lie and other writers of the seven.
tenth century, and Weltauge' by the
Germans.
The great capacity of this substance far
absorbing fluid would undoubtedly rem.
der it as etficaclous for the purpose Of ali.
sorblng poison as any other known stone
providing the wound is open enough; Ana
its internal use today as medicine is no..
sibly also due to this property.
Tabasheer, as known among mineral.
ogists, Is a corruption of the word tabixir
name which was used even in the time
of Avicenna, the grand yizier and body
surgeon OF the sultan Of Persia in the
10Th century. 1t played very important
part IN medicine during the middle ages.
As to It's origin, Sir David Brewster saws
that tabasheor is only formed in diseased
or injured bamboo joints or stlks.
Gullbourt differs from Brewster, mas.
much as he attributes the different rates
of growth to the fact that when there is
superabundance of sap the tabasheer is
formed from the residum More recently
Henry Cecil says; IN the onrush Of
tropical growth in the yonug shoot, nature
after flooring the knot, has poured in as
1t were, sap and silica sufficient for a nor
NAL length and width of stem to the knot
next above it. But by some check to the
impulse, or by irregularity of conditions,
the portion of stem thus provided for is
shorter or narrower than intended, and the
unused silica is left behind as a sediment,
compacted by the drying residum Of sap.
DR.. Huth discusses the name, history,
origin and reputed virtues of this sub
stance with much fullness. In regard to
its use in medicine during the middle
ages, he quotes a remarkable list Of ap.
plications to the ills that flesh is heir to.
Here it is cited az a remedy for affec-
tons of the eyes, the chest, and of the
stomach, for coughs, feyers and hillary
complaints, aul especially for mclancholia
arising from solitude. dread Of the past,
and fear for the future. Other writers
speak of its use in bilious fevers and
dysentery, internal and external heat, and
variety of injuries and maladles.
The writer has examined a large num-
Der of so-caled mad-stones, and they
have all provedto be an aluminous shale or
other absorptive properties to greater de-
gree than any other mineral substance
that have examined, and ii is strange
that it has never been mentioned as being
used as an antidote 1t may be confdenti-
ally recommended to the ersjence of any
person who may sire to believe in a
maidstone. IN. Y. Sun.