The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-05
CURED BY MADsTONEs.
y Virginia Correspondent Tells OF
Some Remarkable Results.

day 1 read an article about a maidstone,
copied from the Memphis Commercial-Ap-
peal. which was interesting to me because
Of the fame of the Pointer maidstone in
my boyhood. 1t was owned by old Mr.. Tom
| Pointer, and the marvellous cures wrought
| by this stone were well known. Con. John
Wimbish Of Halifax county, now very old
and an inmate of the Lee Camp of Confed-
crate Veterans, has on several occasions
told me of wonderful cures wrought by the
Pointer stone. He told also that the late
DR.. Granville Craddock, early in his life as
practitioner of medicine, made great
sport OF the maidstone. DR.. Craddock was
In his day as celebrated as a physician as
perhaps any man in Virginia. After some
years, however, DIR. Craddock became fully
convinced that the maidstone was pana-
cea in all cases of bites of rabid dogs or
poisonous reptiles or insects. This know
to be true, and will tell what l have had
under my own experience.
My father had a maidstone, and l now
have it. The first use had for it was in
the case Of little negro girl, my slave, in
1903. had very elegant bird dog, red
Irish setter. He was unusually intelligent
and perfectly good tempered. Suddenly he
began to show temper and to bite the
other dogs that came about him, and finally
| he seized the little girl and bit her hand Sc
Verely. Mr.. Moore, refugee from Hamp-
ton, was living with me, and he said that
the dog was mad. l told him of the mad
stone, and he sat by the girl for several
! hours, applying the stone 1t would stick
until fully charged with the virus and then
drop off, when he would drop 1t into tepid
water, and 1t would emit the poison, which
would rise to the top. This treatment en-
tirely relieved the child, the wounds healed
promptly and she is now healthy woman
with a family of thirteen children. Never
having seen a rabid dog l chained the
setter up to watch the result. found that
he had no fear of water. He would douse
his head into the bucket and try to drink,
but from the swollen condition of his
| tongue or paralysis of the throat, do not
know which, he could not drink. 1 kept him
for several days until il became so pain
| full to me to see his sufferings that killed
him. I will state further that he never
failed to recognize me at any time, and l
do not believe that there was a time while
l kept him that he would have bitten me,
for he was always glad to have me near
him.
Fdy next use of the stone was on a thor
oughbred mare. My stableman saw her
often by big moccasin snake, which he
killed at once. He led the mare straight
to the house and showed me where she
was bitten. / shaved the hair off, and
there were plainly visible two small pune
lures where the fangs struck. l applied
the maidstone to each wound, and there
was instant relief for there was not the
slightest swelling on her leg the next
morning.
The next time I had occasion to use it
was on my son. When a little barefoot
boy he stuck rusty nail into his heel
The wound became very much inflamed,
and threw him into a fever l sent for
Dr. Robert D. Buskervill, at that day per-
IT,,
region. He stayed with him for forty
eight hours trying to produce suppura-
tion from the wound Before lying down
for a little much needed rest the second
night, DR.. Buskervill told me that he saw
marked evidences of tetanus and that he
had great fears for the little fellow. /
sat by his bedside alone. He was in great
agony and tossed from side to side con-
stantly. Why 1t was 1 do not know, but
at about 8 O'Clock 1 thought of the mad
stone. had never heard of its use in
such case, but concluded that it would
certainly do no harm to try it. L got it,
and with the sharp point of my knife
picked out the hard black scab from the
wound and touched a corner of the stone
to 1t. 1t stuck like leech, and within
half an hour the child was in a calm
sleep. He awoke refreshed and almost
free of fever and was well in a short time.
l lent the stone to DR.. V. NJ. Eppes, an in
telligent and reputable physician. A hard
working farmer came to him one morn
ing before day. He had been shearing
sheep the day before, and had knocked
a piece of skin from one of his hands. He
thought nothing of 1t at the time but
awoke about midnight in great agony.
His hand and arm were swollen. He tried
again to sleep, but the pain was SO intense
that he had to walk the floor. 1t grew
worse so rapidly that he got his horse
and hurried to DR.. Eppes. The Doctor
had no confidence in the stone. but it was
an unusual case and he thought he would
give it a trial. The pain began to abate
almost instantly, and within short time
was relieved and the patient suffered no
more from it.
Now 1 have great curiosity to know
why 1t is that the faculty refuse to in
vestigate this question. l tried TO have 1t
done by the veterinarians of the agricul-
turaI department, but they seemed afraid
to undertake any experiments with it, |
suppose it is another case like that of
the Syrian, William Townes.
Ready to Quit-''Must you ever pursue
me?" demanded the heroine, in sudden
49,