Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-03-28

EtA.. pen Shtskt az iE2@F y -tEt |Ets4--A
Part--The neIicf Ia To,:d stones.
The unfortunate toad has from time
iUmemorial been an object Of di7tlllst
and aversion, especially among the
common people. y plcasins tale runs
thHt Il gentleman, walking along a
country lane. came suddenly upon q
village boy bclab9ring tie crushed
body Of Il toad with IA heavy stick aud
cXcIuimiug ut each blow, III larn e
to he Il toad" Whereat the indignant
newcomer, seizing the miscrcant by
his collar, vigorously applied Il cane
to his legs, reuarkn III larn you
to be a boy The popular hatred Of
the toad. indeed is of such antiquity
and is slii so general as to seem i'll
eradicablc That the creature is not
dangerously poisonous it is hopeless
to attempt to convince the ordinary
rustic. Doubtless this belief has its
oria:n i'll the acrid secretion which the
toad has the power Of emitting when
disturbed or annoyed unduly and
which will cause Il dog that has i'll
cautiously picked up Il toad to foam
at the mouth. Again, the uncouth ap
pearance of the creature has had much
to do with the feeling of repulsion
with which it has always been regard
ed. Squat like IL toad" is the phrase
by which Milton describes the evil one
essaying to reach the ear of Eve.
Superstition, in truth, has laid a firm
hold on the toad's misshapen figure.
The belief, not only in the existence of
toad stones," but in their efficacy as
Il sovereign remedy for certain ills.
which is still common in parts Of the
country, is of very ancient date
"There is to be found in the heads of
old and great toads,' says Fenton,
writing in 1860 "a stone they call
borax, or stelon, which, being used as
rings. gives forewarning Of venom
In the Londesborough collection is a
silver ring of the fifteenth century in
which one of these toad stones is set
They We're supposed always to bear
on their surface figure resembling a
toad. being somewhat similar trinkets.
one may imagine. to the scarab@us
VI HtttHcllL VI tut LSN pllilIS. allOlllCl
early writer remarks, "A toad stone
called 'crepandia, touching any part
envenomed by the bite of rat, wasp.
spider or other venomous beast, ceases
the pain and swelling thereof" 1t
was believed that when brought near
TO poison the stone sweated and chang
Il color, thus conveying to its wear
;'rs timely warning of danger.
1t is to these peculiar amulets that
Shakespeare is supposed to refer in
LAS You Like It,"
Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which. like the toad. ugly and venomous.
Wears yet precious jewel in his head.
Is it not probable. however, that the
poet, being a poet, is here alluding to
The eye Of the toad, an object, as al!
who are really familiar with the ap
peurance Of this humble batrachial
will agree, than which there are few
more beautiful in nature?
Perhaps the most familiar supersti-
ton in regard to toads is that Still rife.
which supposes them capable of exist
ing for an indefinite period in the inte-
liol Ol IOckS. StOlleS vi leIIIletlCdlly
sealed cavities. Numberless "authen-
tic instances" of this remarkable pow
er have been brought forward from
line to time. The following exam
pie from an old book is typical: '1n
I733 Mr.. George Wilson, mason, met
with toad. which he wantonly i'm
aUreu in Il stone wall that he was
hen building. In tic middle of the
wall he made close cell of lime and
stone, just tit for the magnitude of its
body and seemingly so plastered as to
prevent the admission Of air. In 1909,
sixteen years afterward, it was found
necessary to open a gap in this wall
for a passage of carts, when the poor
creature was found alive in its strong
hold. 1t seemed at first in Il very tor
lid state, but it soon recovered anima-
ion and activity and, as if sensible Of
;Ee blessings Of freedom, made its way
= q collection of stones and dis:lppear-
ed" II is known tAat toads can exist
for 4 long time without food, and it is
generally believed that they live to a
great age, aud doubtless these two Pc
culiarjties have had much to do with
the superstition in regard to their sup
posed penchant for d hermit's life. The
fallacy, however, was completely eX-
posed by Dean auckland. father of
Frank Buckiand, the great naturalist
who went TO the trouble of testing the
truth Of the theory by an exhaustive
series nf experiments. 1t need only be
'eu!arked that none Of his victims sur
vived the incarceration
In legendary rs in superstitious lore
the toad plays no small part 1t may
not be generally known that the fleur-
de-iis of France was originally in shape
toad. Thus at least runs the tale.
Clovis. king Of France. bore on his ban
ner TIE device of three toads. or "botes,"
as they were called in old French. His
baptism gave great umbrage to the Ari-
ans, who rebelled and assembled
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