Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-01-04
PRECIOUS STONES AS CURE.
Prescribed as Medicine Away baci
I'm the second Century.

pr~xb~d ~. Medicine Away Back
I'm the second Century.
Truly. among the ancient olumes
there are none which yield better enteS-
inner to the student of human ma
ture and its foibles and follies than
those dealing with ways and means TO
p-ese-ve mankind from ailments n
disease. SAYS the Westminster Gazette
And though the present day IS said to
furnish better opportunities to the
ousck doctor and the yaletudinaTidn
b any former period in the worlds
history, a glance through some of the
medical works of four or five centuries
ago shows that ii would be difficult TO
beat some of the suggested cures n
prescriptions
We have come across s3-he informa-
ton gathered in an ancient volume tell
ing of the marvellous properties OF pre-
cious stones ii curing disease. The
compiler of the volume tells his read
ers that in the second century. A. D.
a famous medical man cured King
Necho of Egypt of digestive troubles
by causing him 10 wear. tied around his
neck. "a dragon cut out OF green jas
per" And whosoever wished for valor
and daring had only TO wear a diamond
about his person. But if taken inter
naIly in any shape or form il is pois-
onous."
Ten centuries later an Italian med
ical celebrity caused his patients TO
wear rub!es .for { 0 make them cautious
- - 49, n--,- iIlar rnS foolish
thoughts Taken Internally, the ruby
kept the plague at bay and fortified
the system against all manner of dis
a The emerald. crushed TO powder
and administered in doses from six TO
thirty grains, was an infallible remedy
against collie, snake bites, plague and
epiIeptic fits. Likewise ii stopped bleed
banlshed the fear of ghosts and er:i
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 system of crushing
Into powder n of the most wonderful
bits of color which nature can produce.
The sapphire ran the emerald close for
ISLlGOldl Al0SSY LIZ Al ia
strengthened the heart and cured run
ming eyes," while the Strengthening Of
the heart was also a property of the
crushed turquoise and the ruby.
Apart from the curative qualities
which each separate kind of precious
stone possessed there were various mix
lures, mainly manufactured in France,
for which fabulous prices were paid,
and there vas one remedy in particu-
lar, composed of a mixture of powdered
corals, pearl, sapphire, emerald, topaz,
gold leaf, silver leaf, grease of serpent,
| toad and unicorn, which was considered
as indispensable in a household as food
and drink.
An old French medical man writes
| that this powder, Notwithstanding its
| enormous price, is found in almost eY-
| cry home in France. especially in Prov
ence and Languedoc. But he adds,
sthe great popularity of the remedy is
| the reason why there are thousands of
limitations. and it is a very rare thing
to find a tiny pot of the real thing"
Among the properties of the topaz
was the invaluable one of improving
bad temper, and one is apt to think
| that In this respect it may, even In this
day OF exploded "superstitions." retain
It's power, especially If, instead of being
| held under the nose" of the sufferer
presumably for inhalation). 1t is pre-
l can&o5 In a dainty and artistic setting