Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-04
PRESCRIBED AS MEDICINE.
Precious Stones Cured Illness Away
Back in the Second Century.

From the Westminster Gazette.
Truly among ancient volumes there are
none which yield better entertainment to
the student of human nature and it's foibles
and follies than those dealing with ways
and means to preserve mankind from all
ments and disease. And though the pres
ent day Is said to furnish better opportu-
mites to the quack doctor and the valetudi-
marian than any former period in the
worlds history, a glance through some OF
the medical works of four or five centuries
ago shows that 1t would be difficult to beat
some of the suggested cures and prescrip-
tions.
We have come across some information
gathered in ancient volume telling OF
the marvellous properties of precious stones
In curing disease. The compiler of the VOL
ume tells his readers that in the second
century A. D., famous medical man cured
King Necho of Egypt of digestive troubles
by causing him to wear, tied around his
neck, "a dragon cut out OF green Jasper
And whatsoever wished for valor and daring
had but TO wear diamond about his per-
son. But if taken internally in any shape
or form it is poisonous"
Ten centuries later an Italian medical
celebrity caused his patients to wear ru-
bies for to make them cautious and to
drive away idle and foolish thoughts"
Taken internally, the ruby kept the plague
at bay and fortified the system against all
manner of disease. The emerald, crushed
to powder and administered in doses from
six to thirty grains, was an infallible rem
edy against collie, snake bites, plague and
epileptic fits. Likewise it stopped bleeding,
strengthened the memory land banished
the fear of ghosts and evil spirits and
seems, in fact, to have been a panacea
against all ills, so that one can almost read
with approval of this otherwise cruel sys-
tenn of crushing into powder one of the
most wonderful bits of color which nature
can produce. The sapphire ran the emer-
aid close for remedial virtues, and In pow
dered form strengthened the heart and
cured running eyes" while the strength
ening of the heart was also property Of
the crushed turquoise and the ruby.
Apart from the curative qualities which
each separate kind of precious stone pos
.sessed, there were various mixtures mainly
manufactured In France, for which fabulous
prices were paid, and there was one rem
edy in particular, composed of mixture
of powdered corals, pearl, sapphire, emer-
aid topaz, gold leaf. silver leaf, grease of
serpent, toad and unicorn, which was con-
sidered indispensable in a household as
food and drink
this powder notwithstanding it's enormous
price, is found in almost every home in
France especially in Provence and Langue-
doc. But" he adds, 1.-The great popularity
Of the remedy is the reason why there are
thousands of limitations, and it is very
rare thing to find even tiny pot of the
real thing"
Among the properties of the topaz was
the invaluable one of improving bad tenn
per; and one is apt to think that in this
respect it may, even in this day of ex-
especially if, instead of being held under
the nose" of the sufferer presumably for
inhalation), 1t is presented In dainty and
artistic setting.