The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-02
by the devils claws"

by the devils claws
The Peace Stone, whose tranquiliz-
! ing effects might be appreciated on
! these stormy days, lis found by the
union of one crystal of the green and
! the red tourmaline, with an interven
ing band or zone of white, the latter's
strikingly beautiful effect being due
! to the combination at this point Of
! the red coloring matter, manganese,
and the iron constituent, the source
! of the green hue. These two materi-
ais by their union neutralize each
! other, furnishing the transparent,
| colorless vein or zone.
"A slightly different combination
of colors appears in fine crystal
found some years ago at Mount Mica,
Oxford county, Maine. This even Of
! fers a kind of triple alliance as it
shows blue in it's lower half, passing
; through white and pink to a grass
green at the upper euu.
! We know that for centuries it has
, been believed that amber necklaces
! protect children from colds. DR..
Kunz deduces the fact that necklaces
! do not cover the neck! In other
; words, they are worn on the bare
| throat and the opinion prevails that
an exposed neck means less liability
to colds. However,
Both Juvenal and Marshal relate
| that effeminate Romans used to hold
! balls of amber in their hands to cool
them during the summer heat. If
any such agreeable sensation was
really experienced it must have been
due to the well-known electric proper
! ties of this substance. 1t is stated
that the Chinese often place pieces of
! amber on or in their pillows, use
! that may have been suggested by the
, same considerations.
LAS a proof of the eXtravagant val
ue set upon amber by the Romans of
the first century, Pliny notes that a
very diminutive figure Of man cut
! out of this substance sold for high
er figure than did healthy, vigorous
slave"
Writing of the supposed medical
properties of precious stones, Mr..
Kunz notes that toward the end of
,, the eighteenth century famous cor
dial medicine, called "Gascoign's
Powder" after the physician who
compounded it, had an immense
vogue in England. This man is said
to have got more than $4,000 pounds
(s25O,O00) from the sale of this sim
gle remedy. 1t is stated to have con-
tanned Oriental bezoar (the most i'm
portant ingredient) while amber, red
coral, crabs eyes, powdered harts-
horn, pearl and black crabs claws.
certainly a most incongrous mixture
and one we'll calculated to test the
resisting powers Of the. person to
whom it was administered. ~: -.
Many virtues are attributed to car
buncles. It is related that those who
wear them can resist poisons and are
preserved from the pest. They dissi-
pate sadness, control incOntinence,
avert evil thoughts and dreams, ex-
hilarate the soul and foretell misfor-
tune to man by losing their native
splender.
AS cure for hydrophobia, dog col
lars set with flint and Maltese coral
were recommended in Roman times;
"sacred shells " and herbs over which
magic incantations had been pro-
nounced were also. attached to or in
closed in these collars.
= Chinese testimony is cited concern
ing an alleged property of jade:
"The learned Ko Kei asserts that
the body of man who had taken
nearly five pounds of jade did not
change color after his death, and that
the body having been exhumed sew
eral years later did not show the
slightest alteration. Besides this, it
was observed that there were gold
and jade around the tomb. Since
hen Gin China) in the Kan period,
the custom was followed by embalm-
ing the dead bodies of the emperors,
and of preserving them in a garment
ornamented with pearls and enclosed
in a cast of jade"
After noting the power of the jas
per (probably the red VARIETY to
check hemorrhages from any part,
and it's general effect upon the circu-
lation of the blood in reducing the
pulse, thus calming desire and quiet
ing the restless mind, Cardano, as
quoted by Mr.. Kunz, turns to an
other of the reputed virtues of this
e+ono +bot of rondorinp the Wearer