The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-17

however, appear to hold the record fOl
madstones, both in the number of in.
stances in which they have successfully
been applied and in the number of the
madstones possessed by its citizens
A most interesting account of these V;r
ginia madstones is told by Mr.. Edward
| Tyler of Aldie, Loudon county, Va. A
correspondent who called on Mr.. lyle.
found him at his sawmill among the Bull
Run mountains. In giving the history OF
the madstones he said:
my grandfather on my mothers side,
Captain James Smith, was a Scotchman
by birth, and came to Virginia in 1885, at
| Captain Smith was accustomed to take
long sea voyages-going sometimes to Aus
tralia and other East Indian islands. Dur
ing one Of these trips, in the year 1904, for
| government interest, he stopped on one OF
the small islands for several days There
| for the first time he saw what is known as
q maidstone. The natives, who were very
friendly and fond of trading, came to him
while he was along there and offered to sell
him some little blush stones, and when he
asked them by signs of what use they
were the natives began at once to show
him by actual test.
"They produced most horrid looking
scorpion, which one of them had confined
in wicker cage, and then they let the rep
tile bite cat. Captain Smith was dis
gusted with such cruelty, but said nothing
and watched the result The poor creature
began to show signs Of distress at once,
and in very few moments died in agony.
Tho natives then called upon one from
among their number and made him run
his bare arm into the cage in which the
scorpion was confined.
with horror did Captain Smith see this
poisonous reptile fasten its fangs in the
heshy portion of the mans arm. He quick
ly withdrew it, and very hastily one OF
these little stones was applied to the
wound, and it adhered to it as If it had
been plaster. After few moments had
elapsed the stone fell off, and the native
who had been bitten seemed to feel DO
pain and certainly manifested not the
slightest inconvenience or indicated any
fear Captain Smith at once recognized
that there must be some specific virtue in
a stone which could accomplish such @
wonderful result.
HE asked the islanders where they got
the stones They informed him that were
they to tell they would, according to the
law of the island, be punished with death
Being satisfied that the other stones which
they had for sale were like the one used
for the scorpions bite, Captain Smith pur-
chased Is or 90 of these magic pebbles and
carefully stored them away. When he had
returned to Richmond, he gave several OF
them to his friends, who were members OF
the Legislature of Virginia, and reserved
the remainder for the members of his fam
ily.
Eyes, have one and viii step to the
house and bring it to you. l would not
take anything in reason for it, as L have
perfect confidence in its powers.
The stone with which Mr.. Tyler returned
was little flinty looking stone, about an
inch ana a half long and a half or three
quarters of an inch thick, irregular in
shape, of a dark green or BLUSH color, and
altogether very Insignificant in appear
ance. One would scarcely pick 1T up IN
the street unless he were "a trained Iapldary
or an expert geologist.
Nov" said ~ Tyler, let me tell
you Of my experience connected with TINS
little stone Ia case of dog bites, snake bites
and all, and then you can judge for your
self whether the dogs were mad and the
snakes poisonous. In 1872 jerry Jackson,
a colorcd man, and now strong and
healthy, was bitten by n copperhead snake
Oh the flesby part of his arm. Nine hours
after he bad received the bite / saw HIM
His arm was frigh.ful 10 look at. It was
swollen TO the shoulder and still swelling
SO fast one could perceive it grow larger.
81 scratched the wound with my pen
knife until it bled and then applied the
stone Il stuck Immediately, and IL very
short time you could see that his arm was
reducing in size. Now, as soon as tho
stone becomes charged with poison 1t drops
Oft You then put it in milk warm water,
and it discharges all u the poisonous mat
ter. and you can see the process. Little
green bubbles rise slowly and burst as
soon as the, reach the surface.
Il had 20 cleanse the stone sevcra! times
during the course of its application to Jer-
rvs arm, end each time ! could see the
swelling was becoming less and less.
Finally his arm was its natural size, but
his hand was yet swollen The stone con-
timed to stick. and not until every partl-
Gle of the swelling was reduced did 1t TO
linquish its hold. | was l suppose, about
eight hours working on him he has
never felt the slightest pain since. You
can question him if you like
"A colored woman was bitten by mad
dog a few years ago. and on the day before
the Same dog bit q merchant Living near
by. The merchant had the stone applied
and got well; the woman did not use the
stone, and in nine days died from hydro
phobia-
"A colored boy in this county was bitten
by rattlesnake, and L applied the mad
stone, and the boy got entirely well. There
are many other wei authenticated cases
which could cite" New York World
HIS CONSCIENCE