Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30
MENACE Of DEATH
IN IMAGE OF STONE
Mysterious Idol, Gift of Rajah,
Brings Disaster Upon the
Possessor.
TEST OF SEA TURTLE
AS DISEASE REMEDY
University Student in Switzerland
Spends Thirty-Seven Years
at His Studies.
PARIS. March % 14l3.

PARIS, March 20. 1913.
When Sadi Carnot was minister Of
finance an eminent archeologist, who
had just returned from an expedition
to Nepaul, presented him with a curl
ously and delicately wrought stone idol
The rajah who gave it to the archie
ologlst averred that it assured su-
preme power to one of the members of
the possessOr's family. but that he
would also die a violent death The
Hindu prince preferred to forego power
under such conditions, and so it came
into possession of the man Of science
who gave it 10 NJ. Carnot. The minister
of finance was not superstitious, aud
accepted the gift with pleasure
The evening of CARROTS unexpected
election to tine presidency of the repub-
lie the archeologist received a laconic
note from Mime. Carnot saying: 1T is
the statue" Seven years later Presi-
dent Carnot was assassinated at Lyon.
When Nine. Carnot died her children
found in her will an urgent request to
them not to keep the idol. Her sons.
in compliance with their mothers last
wish, got rid of the image. which ul-
timately came into the hands of an in
innate friend of NJ Poincare's. who pre-
sented it to that statesman August 20
1911. his birthday. A little more than
a year afterward Poincare was elected
by the congress Of Versailles to the
presidency of France. IT is curious
coincidence. but President Poincare like
Carnot. has a mind unsusceptible to the
suggestions of superstition.
Not of Recent Date
A French historian. in connection with
the alleged cure for tuberculosis now
being advanced by Dr. r. F. Friedman
In the United States, calls attention to
the little known fact that the medicinal
use of the sea turtle is by no means of
recent date.
July y, 1883. King Louis XI of France
sent George the Greek, master mariner,
to the Cape Verde Islands to seek various
things touching nearly to the well-being
and health of our person" The Cape
Verde islanders had the reputation of
possessing cure of leprosy. report of
which had been brought back to France
by a traveller from the coast of Guinea
at about the time King Louis was in de-
Ginning health. According to the recital
of this traveller. the big sea turtles were
caught by the islanders when they came
out on the beach at low tide to feed.
They were at once killed and their blood
caught in large tubs Persons afflicted
with leprosy bathed in the blood and
afterward ate of the turtles flesh. This
treatment WAS hept up LOT Two years, at
tie end of which time the patients We're
usually completely cured the dreadful
disease.
This record would tend TO show that
Louis NJ was a leper. That such was the
case had been rumored by chroniclers,
but the reason of the expedition to the
Cape Verde Islands. now published for
the first time. throws much light on the
psychology of Louis XI, hiss ill-humor,
and his sedulous avoidance of mankind
during the last days of his life The
wretched man evidently believed himself
smitten with leprosy. He was. however,
never fated to test the efficacy of the
sea- turtle remedy. for he died August 80,
1883. before the return of the expedition.
Blind Masseurs in Business.
\ group of blind masseurs, encoura ged
by their success at some of the principal
French watering places, has just opened
an establishment in the medical quarter
of Paris. The minister of the interior
has granted them "a small subvent:on to
help place their institution on sound
basis. and they will pe actively support