The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-06-14
THE WELL KNOWN MAIDSTONE.
Is There Any Virtus in ~ Science
Says There Is Not.


As mad dogs are rather prevalent
around Ardmore. and for the benefit
of those who are interested in the
mad stone theory. some facts have
been gathered by an Ardmore physL
clan for the readers OF the Ardmoreite.
One Of the widespread delusions Of
modern times Is to be found in the
implicit faith which thousands of peo-
pie, educ 81 and otherwise, place in
the so.oalled mad stones
Every medical practitioner in the
world would rejoice to know that such
stones were really eficacious, and that
their reputed virtues could be relied
upon to rid the human system Of the
hydrophobic germ. Yet It is a fact
beyond dispute that as remedial agents
they are unknown to the world Of
science. Sensational literature for
the period covering the past 800 years
contains many references to the sub
stances popularity known as mad
stones," and many wonderful stories
are told concerning their real or i'm
aginary virtues, yet they still remain
unrecognized by the medical fraterni-
~.
Men who have devoted months and
years to a careful and palnstaking
study of the mad stone with all the
facilities and appliances for testing
them which modern science commands
frankly state that such stones pos
sess no curative powers whatever,
and further. that the owners and op-
orators of such charmed bits of the
earths stony structure. or Of pellet
like concretions found in animal bod.
les. as the case may be, are either
kind-hearted superstitious people with
the desire to do the afflicted a kind
ness, or brazen frauds of charla'ens
who live by preying upon the public
Cyclopedias and hand-books of ref
erence in general and medical au-
thority ignore the mad stone, but re
fer rather gingerly to the supposed
virtues of the "bezoar," which ap-
pears to be a scientific name for al
alkaline concretion occasionally, bu
rarely, found in the stomachs, intes
tines and bladders of deer, antelopes
goats and other animals of that ilk.
When such indigestibles once fint
lodgment in the organs of animal
they gather layer after layer of phos
phate of ammonia or magnesia, ant
occasionally superphosphate OF lime
and thus become pebbles varying i
size according to the number o
years It has to. take on concent-i
layers before being discovered by tn
death and subsequent dissection o
the creature in whose body it ha
formed. They are particularly value
by the ignorant and superstitious o
account Of this imaginary medicine
virtue.
NJ. Louis Pasteur, the eminen
French specialist and the discovere
of the inocculation cure for the drea
disease of hydrophobia, and sue
well known bacteriologists as Pro
Giebier and DR.. Ferran and Koch, hav
repeatedly warned the public to T,
pose no confidence whatever in ma
stones, nor faith in the stories tol
of their wonderful cures. Such cure
our specialists say. are wrought upo
persons who have never had the pc
son of hydrophobia injected into the
circulation. If one only pauses a m
ment TO reflect on the subject. he wi
be surprised that he has even partial
believed in an idea so excessively a
surd- Just think of il. We are to
that such stones draw" great clio
of greenish virus from the wounds
fected by rabid animals, yet not
word is said about how it can pos
bly, separate the poison from Il
blood without also drawing" away
large quantity of that life-giving flu
Such accounts are wishy-washy in 4
extreme and worthy of no serious CO
sideration whatever.