The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-15
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
Stories about madstones have time and
again been described in books. But the
maidstone in real life is a natural wonder
rare enough to cause most people to doubt
its existence The authenticated cases OF
its use on people bitten by mad dogs or
poisonous snakes are very infrequent.
Essex and LOudon counties. in Virginia,
however. appear to hold the record for
madstones, both in the number of in
stances in which they have successfully
been applied and in the number of the
madstones possessed by it's citizens.
Not less than hundred dogs known TO
have been mad have been killed in Essex
county alone during the last year. Sheep.
cattle, hogs and even persons were bitten
by some OF these dogs. The stock exhibi-
ted the strongest symptoms of hydropho-
bia and had TO be killed. The wounds re-
ceived by the human beings almost i'm
mediately showed strong signs Of poison.
They were promptly taken to the mad
stone, which is owned partly by Essex
county and partly by the Micou family.
and which is in the keeping of Dr. Will
liam G. Jetfries Of Tappahannock. Va.
The doctor has become very skillful in
the treatment of dog bites, and when
other measures fail is a strong believer
in the maidstone.
That the dogs in the cases treated, by
the maidstone were rabid there is no shad-
ow of doubt as many of them being favo-
rite animals, were confined and died foam
ing at the mouth and swapping at every
thing around them.
most interesting account of these Vir-
ginia madstones is told by Mr.. Edward
Tyler Of Aide. Loudon county, Va. A
World correspondent who called on Mr.
Tyler found him at his saw mill among
the Bull Run Mountains. In giving the
history Of the madstones he said:
My grandfather on my mothers side.
Capt. James Smith, was a Scotchman by
birth, and came to Virginia in 1855, at
20 years Of age, and settled in Richmond
His brother came with him. and remained
until he was 70 years of age, and then re-
turned to Scotland. Capt James Smith
moved to Dumfries, Fairfax county, Va,
when it was quite noted shipping place
| for tobacco. He married Miss King of
Hampton, Va. My family are all from
Westmoreland.
Il mention these things to you that you
may substantlate what am about to tell
| you. Well, Capt. Smith, while living at
/ Dumfries, was accustomed to take long
! sea Voyages-going sometimes to Austria
liza and others to East Indian islands
| During one of these trips, in the year
ina in he OF \
! on one of the small islands for several
! days. There for the first time he saw
/ what is known as a maidstone. The ma
| tives, 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 or what use they were the natives
began at once TO show him by actual
/ test.
They produced a most horrid-looking
! scorpion, which one of them had con-
! fined in wicker cage, and then they let
/ the reptile bite a cat. Capt Smith was
| disguised with such cruelty, but said moth
| ing, and watched the rsult. The poor
creature began to show signs of distress
at once, and in very few moments died
in agony. The 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 Capt. Smith see this
poisonous reptile fasten it's fangs In the
feshy portion Of the mans arm. He
quickly withdrew 1t, and very hastily
one of these little stones was applied
to the wound and it adhered to it as If
it had been a plaster. After a few mo-
ments had elapsed the stone fell of
and the native who had been bitten seemed
to feel no pain, and certainly manifested
not the slightest Inconvenience or indi-
cation of fear. Capt. Smith at once recog-
nized that there must be some specific
virtue in a stone which could accomplish
such a wonderful result.
HE asked the islanders where they got
the stones. They told him to follow them
| They led Capt. Smith and his party to
another portion of the island and told
them to dig in the sand at a certain spot
to which they pointed. and there the
stones would likely be found. Capt Smith
did as directed and to his great astonish-
ment unearthed a large maidstone. The
islanders said that all of them came from
or near this spot. But when Capt. Smith
requested them to let him find another
one of Smiths men saw one of the natives
roguishly burying a stone In the sand.
This gave the trick away.
Smith then urged them to tell him the
truth. They then informed him that were
they to tell they would, according to the
law of the island, be punished with death.
loGllB SdllSueu LLdl the OLneT stones WnlCn
| they had for sale were like the one used
for the scorpions bite, Capt. Smith pur-
chased eighteen or twenty 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 Vir-
ginia. and reserved the remainder for the
members of his family.
There is one in Richmond, now owned
by Miss Helen King; one in Washington,
owned by my cousin. Eddie Smith; one
owned by my brother, }. J. Tyler, of this
county, and one owned by the Ewell fami-
ly who also live in this county. My sister
married a Ewell and this is why one
happens to be IN that family.
There is one in Arkansas, owned by
the Armstead family, formerly of Vir-
ginia. There is one in Essex county, of
this state. All of these stones can be
traced back very rapidly to those which
my grandfather brought from the East
India island in 1904. Yes, I have one
and will step to the house and bring It
to you. 1 would not take anything in rea-
son for Il, as have perfect confidence in
it's powers"
The stone with which Mr. Tyler return
ed was a little hinty-looking stone about
an inch and a half long and half or three
quarters of an inch thick, irregular in