The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-08

a Strange Specimen From the
Kidney Of a Cow.
e Caused Great Excitement Around the His
tcric Mining Town Of Mokelumae Hill
and Raised he Price Of Lard.

At the last Injecting Of the MicrOscopical
Society Henry G Hanks read a most inter-
ing paper ON an animal creation presented
TO the society some time ago by c. Mason
Kfnne.
The specimen, which is the size of large
walnut, of Irregular form, was removed
from the kidney Of a COW slaughtered at
MCkelumne Han From its golden luSter,
Colonel Kline stated that it was thought to
be largely composed of gold dust The
pasture lot where the innocent bovine had
fed and thrived, suddenly became an object
Of interest, and the excited residents OF the
vicinity a once concluded that the ground
was te1mng with the yellow metal So
confident were tie old miners that the piece
Of ground suddenly became valuable IN
their eyes, ana the excitement did not sub
side until an acre lot. which could no have
been sold for 500 changed hands at some
thing more than 5000.
Mr Hanks stated that the metallic luster
was not owing to the presence Of gold or
other metal. bat entirely 10 its laminated
structure, like the pearl A microscopic eX-
animation revealed It's structure plainly, and
the lines Of concenTic rings were visible.
ii the entire mass should be cut into sec
hons, II GlsIulegrHeI, the nucleus would
be found. around and upon which the layers
were deposited.
USED As A MEDICINE.
As far back as the time If Pljny, hilary
c2Icul ,0f which the specimen on exhibition
is an eXamulc) were used IS a medicine,
That author SAYS: There are found IN the
liver IF the Wild boar certain small stones
of a white hue, and resembling those found
In the liver OF the common swine. 1t these
stones are pounded and taken IN wine, they
viii cXIel calcuH, 1t is said From that
time 10 the beginning Of the present century
We read oil tie same use being made OF them.
They were known IN medieval times as
"ueZOdr stones
In tile latte part Of the sixteenth century
CaSpaU ba- AMI wrote a treatise on the be-
ZOar stone, entitled DE Lapijis BeZaaT"
Later writer's VINO have written on this sub
1ect have drawn freely from B3uhanI. Low
q 4. an English writer says that so many
cures have been effected by Its use that il Is
not surprising that It was considered a pam
acea against all sorts Of poYSous and other
malignant diseases" /. Is described by him
rs having "a bad smell, being without taste.
by some considered temp crate, by others
cold and dry; others say it works by It's
Whole substance or occult quality"
ALL ARE PHOsPHATES.
A number Of varieties of bez0ar we're
known 10 the medical fraternity over 800
years age, yaTiously designated as "Orienta."
"Occdeutai.' spanish, "beZ AT. Be
Ll.
etc. BauLaui says the Oriental and Occi-
dental were most Urized; the former was
from Persia. the latter from New Spain,
Mexico or Peru. The name Is supposed to
lie Of Persian origin, meaning "expelIer Of
lOlsOus." TWAS considered an autiGOte for
all polsons. 1t IS now known that the
bez0ars have no medicinal properties, and
they appeal to the modern student simply
as a curious Illustration Of the operations
of nature. Connections, or calcuh, are
found IN many animals and Ia different or
CANS IF the body. They differ according 10
tile part IN which they are found and to tile
food Of the animal Those found in the car
uiVoTyus animals resemble those found in
man, and differ from those found in AMI
mails which feed only on vegetables They
are mainly phosphate Of lime, phosphate Of
maEues!a, OF ammonia phosphate Of mag
ntsa, 49,
So pleased were the auditors that they
gave Mr. Hanks unanimous vote Of thanks