Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-07-21
HARD MEDICINES.
Jewels as Cures for Various Dlaa.
Costly Remedies and ~Preveptivs-

Although popularity supposed -
itself a deadly poison, saws the or. =
Magazine, the diamond has from, 20 .
mote ages been credited with ~
power Of protecting the wearer fraa
the evil effects of other poisons. : rsa
utation which it retained until oaI
~paratiyely recent times. Aeeordincs =
Pliny it also keeps OFF insanity. y
Der, too, was supposed to possess H.
latter virtue. Besides the diamors
several other stones were supposed y
possess medicinal virtues. "
The ruby was considered good q.
arrangement of the liver, as Wen =
for bad eyes.
The sapphire and emerald were ala
credited with properties which ras
dered them capable of infnenc;ns
ophtAalEnic disorders, and there i !
superstitious belief that e az
blinded by looking at the latter SION
The turquoise, although not credited
with either remedial or protect;va
properties, so far as disease was cos
cerned, was nevertheless regarded :.
a kind Of sympathetic indicator ~
intensity of its color being SUPPOSE
to tiuctlIate with the health of Il.
wearer. The latter, moreover H.
virtue of the stone he carried. could
it was said, fall from a height with
impunity. The marquis of yiIens,,
fool, however, was somewhat pearas
the truth when he reversed the Mona
lar superstition in his assertion tbs,
the wearer OF q turquoise might fan
from the top of a high tower and -
dashed to pieces without breaking !
stone.
The opal was looked upon asa thun.
der stone, and, although many women
now appear to have strong sufprstl.
tious prejudice against wearing enc. /.
was in hygone days held in the hipb.
est estimation, for it was supposed &
combine the virtues of several othsy
gems.
On the other hand the onyx-so
named on account Of its resemblance
to the color of the fnger-nails-cauld
scarcely have been a nice stone.. a
wear; for, according to medieval IN.
perstition, it rendered one particulars.
susceptible to annoyance from night.
mares and demons.
Temperance advocates, if thev have
any regard for the belief of the Gree,s
and Romans. might seriously consider
the advisability of distributing anne.
thysts among drunkards, for it was
supposed that these stones prevented
i~ntoXicatiOn. -,
Coral was made use Of by the RI.
mans as a protection against the evil
eye, and popular superstition had cred.
tied she topaz with the power cfsaes
priving boiling water of its heat.
Perhaps the most wonderful propers
ties, however, were ascribed to the
| chimerical stones which many Great.
ures were supposed to carry in their
heads. Most of our readers have. No
doubt, heard of the precious level
which the toad carries in his brain.
box, and so-calied toad-stones. which
were in reality the teeth of fossil fish
were formerly worn in finger rings "a
a protection against poisons. 1t was
thought that the best stones we're those
voluntarily elected by the living toads.
but as the latter were not addicted To
freely giving up their treasures in that;
way it was necessary to procure the
coveted articles by other means. and.
the recognized method was to decap.
itate the hapless batracian at the in
slant he swallowed his breath. The
feat naturally demanded considerable
celebrity, such as could only be acquired
by considerable practice; and it was
not unreasonable, therefore. to assume
that, although the endeayors to cain
possession of the jewels were perhaps
numerous, they must invafiably, have,
been unsatisfactory especially to the
toads. - !
The eagle-stone was considered an
excellent thing to wear during prec-
nancy, and the swallow carried in is
stomach stones of great medicinal
value.
The brain of the tortoise was. sllt
nosed to contain a wonderful st0na
which was efiicaciousin extinguishhk
fire, and when placed under the tonedS'
would produce prophetic inspiration.
Another stone possessing the latter
property was found TO be in the e Of:
the hyena.
The head of a cat, however. was
thought to contain what would an
doubtedly have been the most won
derful and most desirable treasure d
all, could it only have had a real in
stead OF an imaginary existence; tf.
that man who was so fortunate as tsl
possess this precious stone would have
all his wishes granted.