Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-11-24

small craven image" of stones are
well known examples of the first or
these properties. Among the promi-
nent specimens of the second may be
noted the items of popular mediaeya,
belief, that a diamond placed under
the pillow would notify the conjugal
infidelity of a wife; that the wearing
OF sapphire was a preseryative
against all entertainments; that the
/ fume of an agate would effectually
avert the approach of tempest; that
the wearing of chrysoprase would
make one out of love with gold; -
and that the carrying about of an
amethyst surely preserved the owner
from being "oVertaken by drunken
ness-an item OF belief to which the
etmology of its name is due. To a
kindred form of credulity must be
ascribed the wondrous properties
which were ascribed to china dishes
when first imported to Europe from
the Celestial empire. 1t was con.
fidently said of these by Sealiger and
other that they admit no poyson,
that they strike fire, that they will
grow so hot not higher than the
liquor in them ariseth.' With regard
to the curative powers of various
stones, we may seasonably quote the
remark of the celebrated author OF
the "Religio Medici" He must have
more heads that Janus, that makes
out half of those vertues described
into stones, and their not onely
MEDICAL, but magical properties,
which are to be found in authors OF
great name. In Psullus, Serapion,
Evax, Albertus, Aleazar, Marbodeus
in Maiolus, Rueus, Myllus, and many
Others" And the same author goes
on TO state some OF his own opinions
in this connection: THAT Lapis
Lazuli hath in it a purgative faculty
we know, that Bezoar is Antidotall
Lapis Judacius Diureticall, Coral,
Antiepilepticall, we will not deny, that
Comedians, Jaspis, Heliopropes, and
blood stones may be of vertue to
those intentions they are implied: ex,
perience and visible effects will make
the persistence of such forms of be-
lief is forcibly brought home to us by
the announcements a diurnal (lay)
contemporaries the unquestionins
faith which is placed in the efficacy
of 'madstones" by large proportion
of our fellow citizens. There are
even now many of those precious tails
mans in this country and the be
levers in their efficacy always know
where the nearest one is kept" One
of them had long been the property OF
an Ohio negro and was placed after
the death of its owner in the stat
library at Columbus. There it was
recently applied to the wound caused
by the bite OF a supposedly rabid dog
The dog recovered and the woman to
whom it was applied died of blood
poisoning caused by the unclean con,
tact. We are also informed that such
a stone was kept in the Virginia
state penitentiary for years, and was
open to all corners for application to
the bit of mad dog, or other allied
wound. One such (perhaps the same)
was at later date sold at auction
for 50. Still more famous was that
brought from Russia in 1887 by phv-
stefan of that country who settled in
Nevada 1t had previously been ex.
plotted in that country for at least a
century and a half--a fact supported
by documentary evidence. The docu
ment was written in native Russian;
aud, as nobody concerned could read
it, everybody implicitly believed
what he or she was told of it. The
owner offered the stone for sale for
$1,000 and joint stock company was
formed for the purchase. A thousand
shareholders advanced 81 each, and
the balance was made up by farmer
who became its keeper when the pur-
chase was completed. Its fame stih
tloulishes. and it is said that an
offer of $4,000 has been refused for
it.-American Medicine.