The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-04-09
HARD MEDICINES.
'y6wels As Cures for Various Diseases
Costly Remedies and Preventivos,


Costly Remedies and Preventivos,
Although popularity supposed to. be
itself deadly poison, tho diamond has
from remote ages been credited with
the power of protecting the wearer
from the evil effects of other poisons, a
reputation which it retained until COM
paratively recent times According to
Pliny it also keeps off insanity, Am.
ber, too, was supposed to possess the
latter virtue Besides the diamond sew
cral other stones were supposed to pos
sess medicinal virtues.
The ruby was con rsidered good for de-
rangement of the liver, as well as for
bad eyes
The sapphire and emerald were also
credited with properties which rendered
them capable of influencing opthalmic
disorders, and there is superstitious
belief that serpents are blinded by
looking at the latter stone.
The turquoise, although not credited
with either remedial of protective prop
critics, so fa- as disease was concerned,
was nevertheless regarded as a kind of
sympathetic indica tor, the intensity of
its color being supposed to fluctuate
with the health of the wearer. The
latter, moreover, by virtue of the stone
he carried, could, it was said, fall from
height with inpunity. The marquis
of Nilena's fool however, was some
what nearer the truth when he reversed
the popular superstition in his asser-
ton that the wearer of turquoise
might fall from the top of high tower
and be dashed to pieces without break.
ing stone.
The opal was looked upon IS a
thunder stone, and, although l.. my
women now appear to have strong SUI
persttious prejudice against wearing
one, it was in bygone days held in the
highest estimation, for it was supposed
to combine the virtues of several other
gems.
On the other hand the onyx so
named on account of It's resemblance to
the color of fhe fnger-nails - could
scarcely have aeen nice stone TO
wear; for, according to medieval super
stition, it rendered one particularly sus-
ccptible to annoyance from nightmares
and demons.
Temperance advocates, if they have
any regard for the belief of the Greeks
and Romans, might seriously consider
the advisability of distributing anne
thysts among drunlSards, for it was
supposed that these stones prevented
intoXication
Coral was made use of by the Romans
US protection against the evil eye. and
popular superstition has credited the
topaz with the power of depriving boil
ing water of it's heat.
Perhaps the most wonderful proper
ties, however, were ascribed to the
chimerical stones which many creatures
were supposed to carry in their heads.
Most of our readers have, no doubt,
heard of the precious jewel which the
toad carries in his brain-boX, and So
called toadstones, which were in
reality the teeth of fossil fish,
were formerly worn in finger rings
as protection against poison. 1t
was thought that the best stones were
those voluntarily elected by the living
toads; but as the latter were not adj
dicted TO freely giving up their treas
ures in that way it was necessary to
procure the coveted articles by other
means and the recognized method was
to decapitate the hapless batracian at
the instant he swallowed his breath.
The feat naturally demanded consider
able celerity, such as could only be ac-
quired by considerable practice and it
was not unreasonable, therefore, to as
sumo that, although the endeavors to
gain possession of the jewels were per-
haps numerous, they must invariably
have been unsatisfactory, especially to
the toads.
The eagle-stone was considered an
excellent thing to wear during preg-
nancy, and the swallow carried in its
stomach stones of great medicinal value.
The brain of the tortoise was sup
posed to contain Il wonderful stone,
which was efficacious in eXtinguishing
fire, and when placed under the tongue
would produce prophetic inspiration.
Another stone possessing the latter
property was found to be in the eye of
the hyena.
The head of cat however was
thought to contain what would un-
doubtedly have been the most wonder
ful and most desirable treasure of all
could it only have had "a real instead of
an imaginary existence, for that man
who was so fortunate as to possess this
precious stone would have all his wishes
orrn ,otn tnl (lnarias NJ nvinn