The Washington times., 1925-03-18
MAIDSTONE USED
AGAIN To CURE
DOG BITE
Famous Aldie Stone. Draws
Poison From Wound.
History Related
BY. JOSEPHTNE TIGHE.

by. 1OGEERMANE I1OkAEs
Once again the famous Aide
madstone'--tI1e same maidstone as
ISOLATED with Sir Walter SCOTS
novel, "The Talisman"--has been
resorted to as a cure for the bite
of mad dog.
Mrs. W. c. Thorn. Of Del Ray,
Monday, went to Aide, near Lees
burg, Va. to be treated" by the
use Of this historic maidstone, now
in possession of Deputy Sheriff
Mrs. Thorn, in addition to appliea-
ton Of the maidstone, Is receiving
the Pasteur treatment, principally
because members of the Thorn family
are not as sure Of the efficacy of
the maidstone as former cures
and history warrant.
Two years ago. Mrs Mary Hack
ley, Of 1731 p street northwest, was
badly bitten by a.. fifteen-year-old-
pet Maltese cat. The cats head
waS sent to the Department of
Agriculture for examination and the
test proved positive the cat being
rabies infected when it attacked its
mistress. Mrs. Hackley, originally
from Warrenton, ten miles from
Aide, and thoroughly familiar with
the story and cures Of the mad
stone, hurried to Aldie and placed
herself under administration OF the
stone. The maidstone stuck to the
wound for six hours and Mrs. Hack
ley entirely recovered, never suffer.
ing the least discomfort from the
bite.
Sticks To Wound 10 hours.
y 49, ,..~ - NJ SFhorv. 4na
maidstone stuck to the wound for
ten hours. The healing work was
done at the house Of the owner Of
the maidstone, who, because of the
stones peculiar properties and its
history, regards it with such
reverence that it is never permitted
out Of the house or out Of the
sight Of a member of the family.
= A patient. bitten by beast or
reptile, il stretched ,out at full
length, because in this position
circulation is freer. Over the
wound, tear or serpent bite Is adj
justed the magic stone. IL there be
poison in the wound, the stone
adheres; if not, the stone drops off,
II It adheres, 1t begins at once to
suck tenaciously at the wound.
When gorged with the poison. like
q superfilled leech, ii drops OF and
is then boiled in milk in order to
extract the poison. This Is repeated
until the stone will no longer ad.
here. The owner has never known !,
a case Of shydrophobia to occur
after administration OF the mad
stone.
A report Of the American
Society, for 1887, says:
"A maidstone is a stone substance
which, when applied to mad dog
bites. is said to prevent hydro
phobia."
SCOTS Maidstone.
The most famous one is in pos
session of the Fred family Of Vir.
ginia, being brought from Scotland
in 1916. This stone is said to be
the one spoken of by Sir Waiter
Scott in The Talisman." and has
been preserved as one
Of the most valuable relics Of the
age. 1t is about two and one-hah
inches long and one and one-half
inches thick and chocolate in color.
This maidstone has been applied in
1870 cases, and no sign of hydro
The Freds and Tylers intermarried.
Doctor H. C. White declares that
maidstone absorbs to an extent OF
5 per cent Of its weight. The mad
stone after being applied to
bites has been found to
be toxic. Its work Is much the |,
same as that Of persons sucking,
with the lips, snake and other bites.
Doctor Whites report is on file at
the Army Medical Museum, Seventh
and b streets northwest.
The history of the Aide mad
stone, with its additional romantic
with THE Talisman, is
q long one, beginning with the
reigns of Robert Bruce and his son.
In those days the talisman, or
was known as the Lee
penny" 1t was through. the APP
plication of the ''Lee-penny" that
Richard Occur de Lion, Of SCOTS
novel, was cured. LoudOun county,
in which Aldie is situated. was set
tied by the Lees, and the county
seat has been "Leesburg" since as
far back as 1880.
The Aldie maidstone has been
and is in constant use. but has
never been commercialiZed.