The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05

posts. IncSc COnCTctiOns N~aTlOuSly
but usually containing a
quantity Of carbonate of lime. are
found in different parts OF animals
bodies. and they were believed to rom
tain IA sor of quintessence of the ma
turc of the animal I'm which they oc-
cured For instance. the ~alectorius.
from the body of the cock, n thought
10 confer valor on the wearer. In the
case Of supposedly venomous creatures
an antidotc To the poison. This
virtue was particularly strong in the
hchoar stone. taken from the stomach
OF Il goat and from some other ami
mails. Such stones are found in the
human body also; they were supposed
to countcract the diseases that pro-
duced them, somewhat on the homPo-
pathic theory. Another class Of ami
nal substances that was popular were
the fossil teeth OF sharks. the glosso-
petra. and the flint arrowheads and
other prehistoric flint instruments of
similar shape. which were believed to
he of the same composition. Fossil
shells also were used as medical tails
mans. The animals from whose bodies
curative stones were obtained that Or.
Nunz enumerates are the toad. lizard,
crab, OK. heifer, carp. hyena. stag, tor
toise, wild ass. swallow. eagle. besides
the goat, deer and cock. The virtues
Of the 'cock stone" besides the con
ferring of valor. we're as follows: 1T
rendered wives agreeable to their hus.
| lnIG diGS.NyI Northumberland
brought new honors and powers in ad.
dition to those already enjoyed. and
helped kings to acquire new dominions.''
The great astronomer Tycho Bruhe
had n the size Of a bean and believed
tina 1t brought him luck In gambling
and In love. The earbones OF fish are
still used as amulets in Spain and
Italy: they protect children from the
ENil Eye and from accidents and from
deafness and diseases of the ear. I.
America stones from the alligator ant
found AIS in spiders and in porcu.
pines. "A Jewel made Of ambergris, ir
h j. Pierpont Morgan collection. /,
said to be the only specimen Of its kline
h a has been preserved for us from
medieval times. The perfumed ma,
terial has been skllfully carved Int
the symbolic figures OF a woman an,
three children possibly a symbol 70,
'harity. The chief physical evil tina
these oezoars We're expected to over
come was poison.
The hezoar stone. which was CHER,
derived from goats and deer. WA,
not used incidentally in Europe be
lore the twelfth century. when pes
tilential fevers became very prevalent
Ii was recommended by the Arab n
sicians. Its chief quality was 10 pro
duce abundant perspiration. 4, VA,
the best antidotc against poison an,
"a panacea for all chronic and painful
diseases. Besides this 1t was a sor
of elixir of life. preserving youth an,
vigor. DIR. kunz gives in full the nc
count OF a test OF the qualities Of tn,
beGoar remedy made IN the sixteent,
century. in which Ambrose Pare too
part, when the nustrum failed entirely
and that Of one made by the Empero
rudolph H.. in which IL was declare,
10 he successful. lie also gives in
n of bczoars being found an,
used in the United States within siNt,
years. Tho account Of the snak
tones which we gather were gen
orally either fossil shells and growth
or manufactured glass ard bends 4
quite full and the author has some
thing to say also about mad stones
None of these substances, TO whic'
he dcvotes n large part OF his book
however much they may have bee
reVeTed. can Ice regarded az Jewel.
few Of them even as stones excep
that they were mounted in gold nm
silver. reliQua~i"s and cases and pre-
served carefully.
i.eVcrt.uC now to the authors frs
chapter. W.. read II great many discon
n'ctcd hut fascinating stories abou
tones Of various kinds. From the We
cal statue If Memnon ut Thebes h
turns 10 Chink stones. then to galaC
tite. milestone. and so to rain maxim
stones in various lands. He mention
the sto1, cross on the isle Of lis, I
the Hebrides, which lies flat Till
drought comes: then the peasants 50
il up and wal. for the rain. which
sure TO come some time. and the eros
gets the credit for il. He tells Of var.
Gus magic stones and so Of the philos
opher's stone. which the alchcmis,
sought: it WIS to give eternal wont
and vigor and the power to see in,
the future and above all TO convert IN
hascr metals into gold. n IL had II,
been for the search chemistry woul
hardly be the science il is now: an