The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-02
THE MADSTONE.
The Claims of Medicinal Qualities for 1t
Shown to be without Foundation.

The Claims OF Medicinal Qualities aof IL
Shown to be without Foundation.
In numerous State papers, recently,
the so called maidstone" has been dis.
cussed and some editors have had the
temerity to doubt the efficacy Of this
hoary. headed old superstition. 1t
takes rather bold man to "beard the
lion in his den," or to tackle time.
honored old fraud like the maidstone.
It seems to be part of human ma
ture to believe the marvellous anyhow,
rather than the reasonable and COM
monplace things of life. Sharp quacks
make fortunes out of this weakness of
mankind, in the sale of their worth
less nostrums or appliances, with long
and scientific names. If they can get
the confidence of a buyer in the vir'
tues of their medicines or electric
humbug, then half the battle will be
won.
For most of the ordinary ills of life,
nature has remedy, and if let alone,
the Accommodation" of the system
will throw it off or adjust itself.
If the buyer of a nostrum really be-
lieyes in it and allows the good advice
the dealer throws in without charge,
doing nothing rash in the mean while,
in majority of cases, he will improve.
Nature cures him, but the remedy or
appliance gets all the credit. It is a
case of "post hoe, propter hoe" and
is the sheet anchor of most all such
humbugs. =.
Most of the so called ''madstones' y
examined are bits of porous fossil
limestone. They have strong aftin-
ity for water or liquids, absorbing a
large quantity, which afterwards
evaporaIes, leaving it ready to suck
up more. If applied to fresh bite of
dog, it will undoubtedly absorb
some of the water, blood or virus
which may come in contact with it,
in the same way that any dry and po-
rus substance, like blotting paper,
would do. Further than that, the
maidstone has no effect, except on the
nerves and imagination of the patient.
1t is through the imagination the
stone does its work, for not one dog
in thousand, which snaps at some
body, is "mad" or affected with ra-
bies, some times called hydrophobia.
But the person bitten is not apt to
think so. To him an angry dog is a
mad dog" and if bitten, is likely to
suffer through his nervous fear. He
applies the stone, usually twelve hours
or more after the bite, as he may be
some distance from the person own
ing it. He gets we'll, and, behold, a
wonderful cure IS made.
When we reflect that the virus or
poison of the rabies will get into the
circulation, sufficient to inoculate a
person bitten, within a very few min
utes, of what effect, then, can the
maidstone" be if he has to send a
dozen miles for one, except through
the imagination? An immediate and
thoroug gh washing OF the wound with
water following by the application OF
spirits of turpedtine, will be worth a
ton of madstones. Indeed, the genuine
rabies, in the human being, is so rare
that the etiology of the disease is not
we'll known and many reputable ply
sicians even doubt its existence.
In tho neighborhood of Kinston, N.
G., there is bed of such limestone,
identical with the maidstone" It is
found in the mari beds and abundant
enough to furnish every body in the
United States with generous piece.
If some enterprising swindler could
get possession of one of these quarries
and advertise generously, what har-
vest he could reap out of the credu'
lous! But he would have to rival the
genius of Munchausen to invent the
"cock and bull" stories which always
form an important requisite in every
genuine maidstone"