The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-29
a CHINESE MAIDSTONE.
said 40 Have Cured Hundreds bitten
by VenOmous Creatures.

From the St. Louis Republic.
Ben r. Spradley. an attache OF the ST.
Louis Sanitarium. has one Of the most
curious. and what he asserts to be one
OF the most useful and valuable articles.
II Is a Chinese snake stone. and there is
said to be but one other in the country.
Indeed. the one in Mr.. Spradley's posses
sion is but half a one. the original having
been cut in two by Mr.. Spradley, and
half Of II given to friend. The stone
looks like a piece Of oblong camel coal.
and is about one-eighth OF an inch in
thickness, three-eighths Of an wide, and
half an inch long. II is as light as
piece of cork, possesses a polished sur
face, and can be easily cut with a knife.
II Is not a stone in the proper sense OF
the word, but is a manufactured article,
and is porous.
To cpre snake bites or poisonous wounds
of a similar nature with the stone the
wound must be scarlhed. Then the stone
Is applied to the wound. Each morning
ana evening 1t Is taken on and put into
a glass Of lukewarm water to remain
few moments, until IL discharges the
poison II has absorbed. Then, after the
wound has been washed in a strong solu-
ton of salt water, and again scarlned,
the stone which in the meantime has been
rubbed in warm ashes until dry, is again
applied. II this treatment is kept up for
nine days, and the patient abstains dur
ing that time from spirituous liquors, a
cure is assured
Il secured the stone," said Mr.. Sprad-
ley, from my father more than thirty
years ago. He got II from james j. Par
ker, the man who made It. From 1874
TO 1871 l was with the party which was
putting through the Texas Pacific rail-
road, and during that time cured several
of the party who were bitten by rattlsrs
and other poisonous snakes. l have fire.
quently loaned the stone to friends, ana
l cut the original in two, giving half OF It
to a particular friend OF mine. l have not
used the stone for some time. but am
ready to give a test of its merits at any
time"
Following are some excerpts from
written history of the stone in the possess
sion of Mr.. Spradley:
This remedy for the prevention OF hy-
drophobia and cure Of the bites and stings
OF all poisonous reptiles and insects was
obtained by my father, who was a sea
captain, forty-tVe years ago, from an
old sehoolmate Of his, who was also
captain Of a ship and engaged In the
China trade. He also obtained full d.
rections for making the same. He said
the captain told him that he obtained il
from Chinese juggler. who frequently
exhibited poisonous snakes, and would
even allow them to bite him, for tho graft
ication of his audience, and then apply
a piece of the stone. without receiving
the least injury. The said captain, by
playing the juggler literally and agree
ing not to make any for sale in China,
obtained the recipe for making. This rem
edy was applied by my father and mother
to more than two hundred persons within
lapse of forty years, and never failed In
a single instance to effect cure"
Attached to this written history, which
Is signed by James J. Parker, Cabin
Point, Surry county. Virginia, Is a certifi-
cate Of cures performed by means Of the
stone by Parker's mother, which Is sign
: ed by twenty-six citizens of Cabin Point
The certificate reading as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned, citizens OF Cabin
Point, county Of surry, and state Of Vir-
ginia. do confidently believe the snake
stone in the possession OF James ]. Par
ker to be infalllble as a preventive of
hydrophobia and a cure for all bites OF a.
poisonous character. we having known and
heard Of persons who were unquestionably
bitten by mad dogs and poisonous rep
tiles, who have visited this great remedy
with never-failing success"
OF the twenty-six signers Of the certih-
cate, Mr.. Spradley says all are now dead.
except one-a Mr.. ]. Deal. who lives in
PENNSYLVANIA.