Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-05-10
MAGIC MADSTONES.
WONDERFUL LIFE SAVING PEBBLES
OWNED IN VIRGINIA..

They Were Brought From an East Indian
Island by Captain Smith In lSO4-His
Grandson Tells the story-Relates In
stances of Marvellous Cures.
Stories about madstones have time and
again been described in books But the
maidstone in real life is natural wonder,
rare enough to cause most people to doubt
it's existence The authenticated cases of
its use on people bitten by mad dogs or
poisonous snakes arc very infrequent. Es-
sex and Loudon counties, in Virginia.
however, appear to hold the record for
matlstones, both in the number of in
stances in which they have successfully
been applied and in tho number of tho
madstoncs possessed by it's citizens.
A most interesting account of these Vir-
ginia madstoncs is told by Mr.. Edward
Tyler of Aide, Loudon county, Va. A
correspondent who called on Mr.. Tyler
found him at his sawmill among tho 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
20 years Of ago, and settled in Richmond
Captain Smith was accustomed to take
long sea voyagcs-goings 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
a 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
werO tho natives began at once to show
him by actual test.
''They produced a 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
gustcd 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 tho
scorpion was confined.
"With horror did Captain Smith see this
poisonous reptile fasten its fangs in the
fleshy portion Of the man S 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 q few moments had
elapsed the stone fell off, and the native
who had been bitten seemed to feel no
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 tho 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 wero like the one used
for the scorpions bite, Captain Smith pur-
chased Is or 20 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
lily.
"Yes, I have one and will step to the
house and bring it to you. l would not
take anything in reason for it, as l have
perfect confidence in it's powers.
The stone with which Mr.. Tyler returned
was a little flinty looking stone, about an
inch and half long and a half or three
quarters Of an inch thick, irregular in
shape of dark green or blush color, and
altogether very Insignificant in appear
once. One would scarcely pick it up in
the street unless he We're trained lapidary
or an expert geologist.
Now" said MIR. Tyler, "let me tell
you Of my experience connected with this
little stone in 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,
q colored man, and now strong and
healthy, was bitten by a copperhead snake
on the fleshy part of his arm. Nine hours
after he had received the bite saw him.
His arm was frightful to look at. 1t was
swollen to the shoulder and still swelling
so fast one could perceive it grow larger.
II scratched the wound with my pen
knife until it bled and then applied tho
stone. 1t stuck Immediately, and in a very
short time you could SEQ that his arm was
reducing in size. Now, as soon as tho
stone becomes charged with poison it drops
off. You then put it in milk warm water,
and it discharges all Of the poisonous mat
ter, and you can sec the process. Little
green bubbles rise slowly and burst as
soon as they reach the surface.
II had to cleanse the stone several times
during the course of its application to Jcr-
rvs arm, and 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-
tinued to stick. and not until every parti-
Gle of the swelling was reduced did it re-
nnquish it's hold. was, 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 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 we'll; 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 applied the mad
stone, and the boy got entirely we'll. There
are many other we'll authenticated cases
which could cite. New York World.
Posted on Politics.
Lord Dufferin once addressed the Uni
versity of Toronto In Greek, and on the
following, f7av the Canadian journals an