Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-14
STONES OF MEDICAL VALUE.
Many Minerals Have Strange Legend
airy Therapeutic Qualities.


From American Medicine.
The sacred, magical and curative proper
ties Of certain stones-large and smaIl--ap-
pear to have ranked among the items OF
the Pseudodoxia epidemica, among all races
and nations. and throughout all recorded
ages. The colossal monolith and the small
craven image Of stone are well-known
examples of the first of these properties.
Among the prominent specimens Of the
second may be noted the items Of popular
medieval belief, that a diamond placed
under the pillow would notify the conjugaI
infidelity of wife; that the wearing Of
sapphire was preservative against all en-
chantments: that the fume of an agate
would effectually avert the approach of
tempest; that the wearing of a chryso-
praise would make one out of love with
gold.' and that the carrying about of an
amethyst surely preserved the owner from
being 'Oyertaken" by drunkenness-an item
of belief to which the etymoiogy OF It's
name is due. To kindred form of credu-
lily must be ascribed the wondrous prop
critics which are aserbed to china dishes
when first imported to Europe from the &C.
lestial empire. 1t was confidently said OF
these by Scaliger and others that they ad-
NIT no pOySon. that they strike fire, that
they will grow hot no higher than the liquor
in them ariseth." With regard to the cura-
tive powers of various stones. we may sea-
sonably quote the remark of the celebrated
author of the "Relisto AIedici:" He must
have more heads than Janus that makes
out half of those yertues ascribed into
stones, and their not onely MEDICAL. but
Magical properties, which are to be found
in authors of great name, in PseiIus, Sera-
pion, Evax, Albertus, Aleazar. Marbodeus;
in Maiolus. Rueus, Mylius and many
other" And the same author goes On to
state some of his own opinions in this con-
nection: THAT Lapis Lazuli hath in 1t a
o. q Wa hot &c
Antdotall, Lapfs Judafcus Diureticall,
Corail Antfepilepticali We will not deny.
that Comedians. Jaspis. HeIiopropes and
blood stones may be of vertue to those In
tentions they are implied: experience and
visible effects will make US doubts" And
Just now the fact of the persistence of such
forms of belief is forcibly brought home to
us by the announcement-in diurnal Qay)
contemporary-of the unquestioning faith
which is placed in the efficacy of mad
stones by a large proportion of our own
fellow citizens. There are even now many
of those precious talismans in this coun-
try, and 1.-The believers In their efficacy al
ways 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 state library at
Columbus. There 1t was recently applied
to the wound caused by the bite of a sup
posedly rabfd dog. The dog recovered, ana
the woman to whom 1t was applied died OF
blood poisoning, caused by the unclean con-
tact. We are also informed that such
stone was kept in the Virginia state peni-
Tertiary for years. and was open to all
corners for application to the bite of a
mad dog, or other allied wound. One such
(perhaps the same) was at a later date sold
by auction for 500. Still more famous was
that brought from Russia in 1887 by
physician of that country who settled in
Nevada. 1t had previously been exploited
in that country for at least century and
half-a fact supported by documentary evil
dence. The document was written in native
Russian. and, 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 81 500, and a joint
stock company was formed for the pur-
chase. thousand shareholders advanced
81 each, and the balance was made up by
a farmer, who became it's keeper when the
purchase was completed. Its fame still
fourishes and it is said that an offer of
S., GOO has been refused for 1t.